Sony Cancels The Interview Over Hacking Threat - Update
- Thread starter Fanghawk
- Start date
OK, everyone calling Sony a coward, etc? It wasn't them who decided to pull the film. It was the theaters. The three main US theater chains (Regal, AMC and Cinemark) and Cineplex in Canada all said they didn't want to delay or just flat-out not show it anymore. ( source 1 [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30526406], source 2 [http://www.cnbc.com/id/102276868]) So if you want to call someone a coward, and even boycott as a few people have said, target the theaters, not Sony. Kind of hard for Sony to release the film if most everyone refuses to show it.
That said, we'll have to see what they do with a disk or online release. If Sony refuses to do something with that, then not only are they being cowardly they're being monumentally stupid (you spent all the money to produce the film, may as well get something for it), but give them some time to work out the details. Not that it will impact me personally, because I still maintain as I did for months that whoever decided to greenlight this project was an absolute idiot and have no plans to see it ever.
That said, we'll have to see what they do with a disk or online release. If Sony refuses to do something with that, then not only are they being cowardly they're being monumentally stupid (you spent all the money to produce the film, may as well get something for it), but give them some time to work out the details. Not that it will impact me personally, because I still maintain as I did for months that whoever decided to greenlight this project was an absolute idiot and have no plans to see it ever.
How are you so sure? Because the virus contained Hangul characters? Anyone can use those. 북한 조선 민주주의 인민 공화국의 영광. See? That does not make me North Korean...Dango said:
...Or does it?
Since 9/11.Lunar Templar said:
Terrorists don't actually need to fly in and destroy us any more, they've got us destroying ourselves instead.
Kinda what I was thinking, actually. That and the previously mentioned threat from lawyers. Because I doubt SONY will make its decisions based on anything else than what makes them the most money.ajr209 said:
Had this been a movie that was a possible Oscar-contender for example, their attitude towards the threats would have been different.
I'm looking forward to the episode of The Big Picture where Moviebob teaches us that this isn't censorship; Sony is a private for-profit company and it decided to listen to the concerns of some of its audience, and we're all brats for thinking we were entitled to seeing the movie, and also we're hypocrites for trying to censor the North Koreans. After all, nobody is taking our movies away! Well, not most of them. All that's being asked is for the movie industry to be a bit more considerate to certain Asian regimes.
Perhaps he'll flash the word "CENSORSHIP" up on the screen with an echo effect, that would be neat and help bring people around to his way of thinking.
Perhaps he'll flash the word "CENSORSHIP" up on the screen with an echo effect, that would be neat and help bring people around to his way of thinking.
Then he'll go into his stupid Boston accent and he'd still pull a reason out of his ass to blame this on The Amazing Spider Man.Batou667 said:
I see an awful lot of you saying things like "bitching out" and "terrorism wins".
To which I say to you:
Yeah? Perhaps people give a damn way too much about their lives. If YOU want to risk your life in some half-cocked yolo, go for it. But do not fault sane people for backing down when a gun is held to their heads. It is not cowardice to want to live.
A lot of you could seem to care less about the people who fight these wars for you. You seem to care less about the people who work at/run that theater. Are any of you ACTUALLY that interested in this movie? I sincerely doubt that. You perceive your rights being taken away and get your feathers ruffled.
While I had no plans to watch this movie at all, I can see the detriment that it is not showing it. Then, again; I cannot fault people for valuing their lives over a simple movie.
To which I say to you:
Yeah? Perhaps people give a damn way too much about their lives. If YOU want to risk your life in some half-cocked yolo, go for it. But do not fault sane people for backing down when a gun is held to their heads. It is not cowardice to want to live.
A lot of you could seem to care less about the people who fight these wars for you. You seem to care less about the people who work at/run that theater. Are any of you ACTUALLY that interested in this movie? I sincerely doubt that. You perceive your rights being taken away and get your feathers ruffled.
While I had no plans to watch this movie at all, I can see the detriment that it is not showing it. Then, again; I cannot fault people for valuing their lives over a simple movie.
Who cares? Crappy, tasteless movie not being shown because guy who they want to kill in the movie is angry and makes threats? Big deal.
But sure, if you want to hail this crap movie as the idol of democracy and justice, go ahead.
Oh, and about cyber terrorism: North Korea hacks Sony and steals their emails. The US spends billions on secret, illegal surveillance of the ENTIRE WORLD and is willing to do anything to find and arrest the guy who told the public! (including forcing a plane belonging to a foreign embassy to land in a foreign country, because they suspect he might be on board.)
So who is really the cyber-bully here?
Meh.
But sure, if you want to hail this crap movie as the idol of democracy and justice, go ahead.
Oh, and about cyber terrorism: North Korea hacks Sony and steals their emails. The US spends billions on secret, illegal surveillance of the ENTIRE WORLD and is willing to do anything to find and arrest the guy who told the public! (including forcing a plane belonging to a foreign embassy to land in a foreign country, because they suspect he might be on board.)
So who is really the cyber-bully here?
Meh.
Sounds like they're just cancelling this specific date. They'll likely release it later. I mean, honestly, when you pump that much money into a movie people are going to release it. Maybe not in theaters but not doing that would be a potentially crippling loss as well.
It being on Christmas day may have been the biggest factor. Most security companies and such would be understaffed as is. So maybe they're just trying to make it less of a perfect storm for them.
In any event, if this really is North Korea doing this. We should consider this an act of war and retaliate.
It being on Christmas day may have been the biggest factor. Most security companies and such would be understaffed as is. So maybe they're just trying to make it less of a perfect storm for them.
In any event, if this really is North Korea doing this. We should consider this an act of war and retaliate.
Sony should release this digitally. As terrorism goes, computer servers don't make for appealing targets compared to movie theaters. I was planning to see this movie when it came out on DVD, but I might check it out sooner depending on price for a stream.
The sad truth is that it wouldn't take much to carry out a successful attack against a soft target like a movie theater. North Korea doesn't need to launch rockets or artillery to hit a US target. We've seen successful attacks like the one in Aurora, Colorado, and the effect of that was far more chilling than simply removing a film from a theater. If Sony pursues other avenues of distribution, the integrity and intent of the filmmakers will be preserved. Sony doesn't need to risk the safety of movie goers to make their point or a profit.
The sad truth is that it wouldn't take much to carry out a successful attack against a soft target like a movie theater. North Korea doesn't need to launch rockets or artillery to hit a US target. We've seen successful attacks like the one in Aurora, Colorado, and the effect of that was far more chilling than simply removing a film from a theater. If Sony pursues other avenues of distribution, the integrity and intent of the filmmakers will be preserved. Sony doesn't need to risk the safety of movie goers to make their point or a profit.
Where are these guys at every time Adam Sandler releases a new movie? Now that's REAL terrorism!
I get it, I really do: All terrorist threats can and should be taken seriously, but it has been stated time and time again that there is no real credible threat. Hell, even if The Interview was to be released, imagine the amount of manpower, resources and planning needed to attack each and every theater in North America alone. It would be a completely unrealistic feat. These threats are quite obviously empty, and all this is really going to do is lead to more threats of this kind in the future, potentially harming the film industry a lot.
On the flip-side however, should the film actually end up being released at some point, this could really end up working in SONY's favour. All publicity is good publicity after all.
On the flip-side however, should the film actually end up being released at some point, this could really end up working in SONY's favour. All publicity is good publicity after all.
What's with all the people denouncing Sony for not showing the movie? It was the theaters that decided not to show the movie, not Sony. The original article even says that Sony planned to release it on schedule even if theaters weren't planning on showing it. Especially since the note about Sony coming out in support of not showing the movie was put up after all the comments about how Sony caves to terrorists. Reading comprehension fail? And it sounds an awful lot like victim blaming besides.
I'd buy it. I wouldn't WATCH it because it looks like a slice of lame pie, but I and others would buy it just to insure more nutzoid groups don't use those kind of tactics again.MisterColeman said:
OP: Oddly enough, my first reaction when this whole 'the hackers were probably NK cyber-terrorist' thing broke the news was "Damn it! Now I have to feel sorry for Sony and morally supportive, instead of laughing at them for their la-la-land security system and wishing Jennifer Lawrence's lawyers good luck with their eventual lawsuit." Even now I can't really blame Sony for their attitude, on reflection. As MovieBob points out higher up in the comments, it's more likely out of fear of liability in the unlikely case some homegrown nutcase decides to stage something similar to FurFest's attack in Chicago, but it's still a reason to at least give their partners a reason to back out, and the partners took it and ran.
I checked the news this morning, though, and I have yet to see the NK side of things confirmed. They're suspects, yes, but we're not certain they're actually behind this. THe phrasing of the threat sounds like it was written by the same people who send those "Dear freind I am sorrrrry to contact you in such wya but you are my only hop of getting my $$$ out of Nigreia" emails. NK may be ludicrous on a lot of fronts but I'm sure they have extremely proficient English speakers who could do better. Unless it's intentionally phrased like that to mislead and be able to deflect blame if the US start rattling sabers...while judging that the very threat would, due to liability, do the job...I really, really, really don't want to believe NK has people that smart working for it.
Oh, North Korea, you're so batshit insane. I haven't bought a DVD in like 5 years. I'll buy this one not because I think it'll be a great movie or anything but just because of this nonsense.