The Interview

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Buying my tickets n-..... :judo:

interview-tickets.jpg


I see Sony taking a ton of flak over this, but their decision to cancel its release came after national theater chains refused to play it. That kind of forces Sony's hand at that point. Then again, a few minutes later, it was confirmed that they had no plays to release it on video-on-demand, either. Soooo.... yeah.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
I see Sony taking a ton of flak over this, but their decision to cancel its release came after national theater chains refused to play it. That kind of forces Sony's hand at that point.

Yeah, but they basically asked them to not show it, so when I heard this announcement I assumed it was their intention all along and they just wanted what little cover they could get. The whole thing is liability run amok and deeply troubling on a few levels if the subject itself wasn't so incredibly stupid.

Walter said:
Then again, a few minutes later, it was confirmed that they had no plays to release it on video-on-demand, either. Soooo.... yeah.

They should just put it on torrent themselves, "Fuck it."
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
Yeah, but they basically asked them to not show it

Sony gave them an out and they took it.

The whole thing liability run amok and deeply troubling on a few levels if the subject itself wasn't so incredibly stupid.

I have to believe that if this were a serious movie, or perhaps a documentary, it would have made even bigger waves.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
It's a pretty big loss if you ask me. Just goes to show that with the threat of violence, anyone can get their way.

Same thing happened with South Park censoring those two episodes that didn't even have Muhammed in them.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Johnstantine said:
It's a pretty big loss if you ask me. Just goes to show that with the threat of violence, anyone can get their way.

Yeah, I feel the same way, not so much about the threat of violence, but how empty yet effective it was, like the Internet tough guy routine was actually taken seriously, and on a geopolitical level (that it's Sony only makes things more interesting). I'm glad it's at least really North Korea behind it, for a second it was like Internet trolls ran the world instead of real life trolls.

Johnstantine said:
Same thing happened with South Park censoring those two episodes that didn't even have Muhammed in them.

Well, that was Comedy Central I believe, not South Park, and they actually did depict Muhammad on screen once. Speaking of which, looks like its about time for a Team America sequel!

Seriously, fuck these guys.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Johnstantine said:
Just goes to show that with the threat of violence, anyone can get their way.

So, nothing new.

Griffith said:
Yeah, I feel the same way, not so much about the threat of violence, but how empty yet effective it was, like the Internet tough guy routine was actually taken seriously

Oh it's not empty, that's what hurts. They've got a lot of dirt on Sony and people involved with them, probably on the top execs and all that. This is just the beginning (though it's actually started years ago) of a new era where people learn that the Internet is actually serious business. It's a good time to major in cybersecurity.
 
Disappointed, it sets a bad precedent. A few friends and I were looking forward to watching it the weekend after Christmas (http://www.skullknight.net/forum/index.php?topic=8350.msg229384#msg229384).

I hope someone somewhere puts it out, now or in the future, doesn't matter. It's at a 9.1 (user rating) on IMDB haha!
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Aazealh said:
Oh it's not empty, that's what hurts. They've got a lot of dirt on Sony and people involved with them, probably on the top execs and all that. This is just the beginning (though it's actually started years ago) of a new era where people learn that the Internet is actually serious business. It's a good time to major in cybersecurity.

That's the real threat for sure, and they already showed it was real and that's likely what really scared off Sony and those theater chains, but the appearance that anonymous and vague Internet threats can shut down whats likely a hundred million dollar operation is worrisome (not because theyre worried about people, but their liability if sonething DOES hapoen :magni:). Obviously, this is a unique situation and Sony already got burned, but now it's going to take that much less to intimidate smaller fish. You can already tell the rest of Hollywood is scared silent and shitless, canceling every NK related movie in the pipeline.

IncantatioN said:
Disappointed, it sets a bad precedent. A few friends and I were looking forward to watching it the weekend after Christmas (http://www.skullknight.net/forum/index.php?topic=8350.msg229384#msg229384).

I hope someone somewhere puts it out, now or in the future, doesn't matter. It's at a 9.1 (user rating) on IMDB haha!

Unfortunately, it's not supposed to be very good, so it might make for a better rallying point if left unseen. :ganishka:

Still, I feel like it needs to be released, and for money. Even if they dump it on the Internet for free out of spite the bad guys still win because the point is as much about business as freedom of expression, as unromantic as that is (in this case the two go hand in hand). The best case scenario was the publicity from this actually boosting business, but that's not going to happen as things stand.
 

CheAkiwara

大天使 ~ ボイド
Can someone tell me whats going on ? Why does a Hacker-group focus on taking down a movie about North-Korea , do they just want to see Sony lose a bunch of money ?

Does the movie not get released in the US now ? I called my local cinema (in germany), because I already got the tickets and they told me that our release hasn´t changed [5th February].
 
Griffith said:
That's the real threat for sure, and they already showed it was real and that's likely what really scared off Sony and those theater chains, but the appearance that anonymous and vague Internet threats can shut down whats likely a hundred million dollar operation is worrisome (not because theyre worried about people, but their liability if sonething DOES hapoen :magni:). Obviously, this is a unique situation and Sony already got burned, but now it's going to take that much less to intimidate smaller fish. You can already tell the rest of Hollywood is scared silent and shitless, canceling every NK related movie in the pipeline.

Agreed. Imagine a studio getting an email like that for an American action/ war themed film where a Russian or middle eastern group/ countryman is the bad guy? An anonymous threat and boom - take the movie off the market.

Unfortunately, it's not supposed to be very good, so it might make for a better rallying point if left unseen. :ganishka:

Still, I feel like it needs to be released, and for money. Even if they dump it on the Internet for free out of spite the bad guys still win because the point is as much about business as freedom of expression, as unromantic as that is (in this case the two go hand in hand). The best case scenario was the publicity from this actually boosting business, but that's not going to happen as things stand.

The worse or over the top it is, the better! Acquiring a copy of this almost feels like acquiring those lost prints of the original Star Wars movies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpyVENBPj5c

Off topic, a friend who's a marine mentioned about the time his other marine friend visited NK and how he'd get special treatment everywhere he went - to restaurants or at his hotel. His table was always set differently compared to others seated, glamorous presentation. Servers at restaurants would ask him how the food was and would want to take pictures with him for social media. When he'd ask guards or officers to take pictures of him in front of tourist locations/ monuments, they'd consistently make sure he looked happy or smiling or the picture quality wasn't fuzzy, etc (requesting if they could take multiple shots). From his frequent visits, he claims they seem to be extremely conscious of portraying a good (welcoming) image of NK to American tourists.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
That's the real threat for sure, and they already showed it was real and that's likely what really scared off Sony and those theater chains, but the appearance that anonymous and vague Internet threats can shut down whats likely a hundred million dollar operation is worrisome (not because theyre worried about people, but their liability if sonething DOES hapoen :magni:). Obviously, this is a unique situation and Sony already got burned, but now it's going to take that much less to intimidate smaller fish.

The problem is that this isn't actually such a unique event aside from how it's being mediatized to the extreme. A lot of companies, big and small, have faulty security procedures that leave them open to various attacks like this one. As an example, Walter actually tipped me yesterday that the ICANN was hacked in late November. It's the authority that regulates top-level domains on the Internet. All user information for all registrars and registries was stolen, including names, addresses, logins and passwords (passwords were hashed, but that's not good enough), emails, etc. With the growing reliance on smart grids and the foretold advent of the Internet of Things, it's only a matter of time before something BIG happens, something that'll impact a lot of people in a big way.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Yeah, the more knowledgeable sources outside the entertainment angle have been noting that Sony and their lax security is just the tip of the iceberg. Also, Paramount has nixed all showings of Team America now. PH34R! :SK:

However credible these cyber attacks are, this is sickening. We're basically running with tail between legs away from some phony bomb threat on the Internet that may or may not be from North Korea, a regime we've previously never taken seriously, all out of pathetic fear of something bad actually happening, or just because Sony wants to collect their full insurance and protect their stocks and poorly guarded secrets from further exposure at the expense of the free world.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
We're basically running with tail between legs away from some phony bomb threat on the Internet that may or may not be from North Korea, a regime we've previously never taken seriously, all out of pathetic fear of something bad actually happening

The countries closer to their borders probably take them more seriously than those that are halfway around the world, I think that's only natural. But that's what the magic of the Internet has always been, isn't it? No borders. =)
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Aazealh said:
The problem is that this isn't actually such a unique event aside from how it's being mediatized to the extreme. A lot of companies, big and small, have faulty security procedures that leave them open to various attacks like this one. As an example, Walter actually tipped me yesterday that the ICANN was hacked in late November. It's the authority that regulates top-level domains on the Internet. All user information for all registrars and registries was stolen, including names, addresses, logins and passwords (passwords were hashed, but that's not good enough), emails, etc. With the growing reliance on smart grids and the foretold advent of the Internet of Things, it's only a matter of time before something BIG happens, something that'll impact a lot of people in a big way.

The ICANN example is certainly more terrifying to me, but understandably making less waves due to the abstract nature of the threat. The one that made headlines was HOLLYWOOD, BABY!

But I dunno, I think this particular case is quite special because North Korea's alleged involvement in it. State-sanctioned cyberwarfare is certainly nothing new, but mix in a huge corporation and turn the political climate up to simmer, and suddenly this all got more interesting. To play the dramatic angle up a bit, we're now a stone's throw away from a science-fiction vision of the future, where the fate of nations hangs on business dealings and cyberwarfare.

Of course, this huge spat was over a comedy. But like I alluded to earlier in the thread, what about when it's something serious...?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
But I dunno, I think this particular case is quite special because North Korea's alleged involvement in it. State-sanctioned cyberwarfare is certainly nothing new, but mix in a huge corporation and turn the political climate up to simmer, and suddenly this all got more interesting. To play the dramatic angle up a bit, we're now a stone's throw away from a science-fiction vision of the future, where the fate of nations hangs on business dealings and cyberwarfare.

Well it's not like corporate espionnage by foreign nations hasn't been a thing for a hundred years, but I agree that the general climate around this is reminiscent of cyberpunk themes. Only it should be the other way around, enormous corporations bullying governments into doing their bidding. :void:

Walter said:
Of course, this huge spat was over a comedy. But like I alluded to earlier in the thread, what about when it's something serious...?

Yeah man, imagine if the NSA were spying on the entire world's communications, cellphones and Internet alike, or even wiretapping allied governments. Chilling thought! :slan:

I actually think the possibility it's happening over a simple movie is more significant than if it was about something "serious". Serious things have always the theatre of power struggles, it's just that it's usually not publicized. But that even a movie can trigger this kind of response says a lot about the kind of world we're living in.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
TheBranded1 said:

Yeah, you can definitely see the effect of the studio interference and censorship unfortunately (to the point you question all this being over that?). Too bad, because when I first read Sony wanted them to tone it down
on Kim Jong-on's head melting and exploding
, it immediately struck me as hilarious given that it was already a sensitive subject, I didnt know they actually succeeded, and in what sounded like the most blatantly over the top way imaginable. Either way it would have disappointed though because the scene in my head required much more extreme body language and sound effects, imagine Windows from The Thing meets Raiders of the Lost Ark, or just Evil Dead 2. =)
 
Ripple effect ... Gore Verbinski On Cancellation Of North Korea-Based Steve Carell Film

Shortly after Deadline revealed that New Regency had scrapped a project he planned to direct with Steve Carell with a North Korea setting, director Gore Verbinski has expressed his frustration that his movie was a casualty of the unprecedented hack attack and terrorist threat that caused Sony to cancel the theatrical release of The Interview after theater chains refused to show it. Word I’m getting from Fox is they hadn’t committed to fund the film, which Verbinski informed me was called Pyongyang, but they did decline to distribute it in the wake of recent events but didn’t stand in the way of it going elsewhere. Clearly that wasn’t going to happen.

Here is the statement by Verbinski, who launched the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and most recently directed The Lone Ranger and the Oscar winning Rango:

Re: Pyongyang

Getting the facts straight:
Yesterday, I was told by New Regency and Fox that Fox will no longer be distributing the film. Prior to that, the film was green lit and fully funded by New Regency with Fox distributing. I have been told in no uncertain words that based on the situation at Sony, Fox has now decided to not distribute the film. Without a distributor, New Regency was forced to shut the film down.

My thoughts:

I find it ironic that fear is eliminating the possibility to tell stories that depict our ability to overcome fear.

Gore Verbinski
 

NightCrawler

Aeons gone, vast, mad and deathless
It's funny how the same people who've been going on for a decade now about how the Iraq invasion was illegitimate, and borne out of dumb tough guy "kill the terrists" GOP rhetoric, are now fully on board with the same stupid “we don't n'goshee8 wit terrists" GOP nonsense. Over a dumb stoner comedy movie.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Apples are funny compared to oranges, or the other way around? I guess film releases and illegal wars go hand in hand though.


Anyway, Sony is still bending over backwards to comply with incoming "hacker" emails on an ongoing basis, removing the movie's website and youtube videos (I can't believe they didnt think to do that on their own already, seems the hackers are actually more fit to manage Sony). Jesus, whatever they've got on you, Sony, I hope it's worth it. Where's Less Grossman when you need him? Oh yeah, he's another Hollywood fiction. :sad:

UPDATE:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/sony-were-trying-to-get-the-interview-released-on-another-platform/
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Man these guys are fucking losers (even when they're doing the right thing they're insufferably two-faced and transparent in their capitulation). At least their showing some nerve again when it comes to their critics here, "Hey, American consumers or the President can't tell US what to do (only North Korean hackers can do that)!" I guess everyone was mistaken all along; man, don't I feel dumb for thinking these guys were a bunch of sniveling weasels going any way the wind blows to cover their asses. At least it finally blew hard enough in the other direction. This is the brazen corporate defiance and obvious lying I'm used to! It just took an American President criticizing them to bring it out again ("who do YOU think you ARE!?"). I guess that means everything is getting back to normal. God bless America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBdszT5myn0
 
Looks like they're going ahead with a limited release for it - https://deadline.com/2014/12/interview-release-back-on-christmas-sony-attack-1201334389/

Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that The Interview will have a limited theatrical release in the United States on Christmas Day.

“We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment. “At the same time, we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”

“I want to thank our talent on The Interview and our employees, who have worked tirelessly through the many challenges we have all faced over the last month. While we hope this is only the first step of the film’s release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech.”

List of theaters (tentative, the link prolly will update itself as more screens are added)

Yonkers is a bit far out, might not be able to watch it cos have a few friends visiting/ staying with me till the first week of Jan unless I can convince them to go watch it.
 
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