Sony Considers Face-Melt Edits for Rogen's North Korea Comedy

[Karloff]

Sony Considers Face-Melt Edits for Rogen's North Korea Comedy

Sony denies rumors that its Japanese arm is forcing its decision.

Seth Rogen wants to assassinate Kim Jong Un on screen in The Interview, and North Korea is predictably upset [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/136029-North-Korea-Takes-Seth-Rogen-Complaint-To-The-UN]. Now Sony is considering edits for its wayward comedy, among them removal of a scene in which Kim Jong has his face melted clean off. Military buttons are also to be switched, to avoid upsetting the powers that be in Pyongyang.

The buttons may be a more serious issue than the face-melting, as they depict accurate copies of those worn by North Korean soldiers. Among the decorations are badges honoring Kim Jong Un and his father which, Sony suspects, might be the real reason why North Korea threatened swift and merciless action against the United States [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135671-North-Korea-Threatens-War-With-US-Over-Seth-Rogen-Comedy] unless The Interview was canned. If the face melting gets cut, Sony promises, it will be because it wasn't funny, and not to placate North Korea.

Tweets [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135333-James-Franco-and-Seth-Rogen-Will-Take-Down-Kim-Jong-un-in-The-Interview] that he has hope Kim Jong Un appreciates his sense of humor, but so far North Korea has been unamused by The Interview.

Sony has denied reports that the edits are being forced on it by its Japanese arm. Japan, it should be remembered, is a much more likely target for North Korea's wrath than the United States, assuming this ever gets to the nuclear stage.

Source: Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/14/kim-jong-un-face-melting-seth-rogen-the-interview]


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[Azmael Silverlance]

Ahaahahhah no way North Korea is going to go to war over a movie. Call their bluff and make them look bad when they shit themselves when they realise..."oh crap we have to fight the whole world over a movie....thats kind of stupid."

 

[Nikolaz72]

As much as I hate the Government in North Korea. I think risking a PR Disaster to get a sub-par comedy is just stupid. Either we're going to go to go to war with them, which is fine BTW. But, if we don't intend on going to war outright insulting the people of a nation prevents (Mainly Japan/South Korea) from going to help as few of the people starve there as possible. If the Comedy wont accomplish the first then it certainly shouldn't prevent us from the diplomacy that makes possible the latter.

 

[Nikolaz72]

(Snipped for shortage)

Yes. This Seth Rogan comedy is where we make our stand and start insulting the North Korean people. Let's not stoop to their level, sticks and stones and their nuclear bomb may harm people but their words are harmless. There is no reason the Seth Rogan comedy cannot make fun of North Korea without the use of culturally significant things such as the buttons on soldiers uniforms. Far as Sony describes it it's just part of the custome, not signifant to the plot. And neither does the Facemelting scene sound very essential beyond -shock value-. And I always hate things put in for shock value-

See the 'Team America' puking scene. Where the protagonist pukes everywhere, like, five times his bodymass in puke, and in the end swims around in it into unconsciousness. Some things are just too tasteless to be funny, a facemelting scene is one of those things.

And if it's not funny, not essential to the plot, and insults the people of a nation. Then perhaps its time to question whether you need to dedicate however many minutes that scene takes up of the movie to that scene.

 

[Buckshaft]

...What if North Korea's existence is actually just an ARG to promote this movie?

In all seriousness, let us laugh at the funny small man who thinks he actually has any power or influence outside his delusional country.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

North Korea couldn't even touch Japan before its navy and/or a US carrier group shot any missiles out of the sky and met up the the dinghies NK calls its navy. The country that would be worried by this is South Korea, seeing as they are on good terms with the US and close enough for a NK attack to have some civilian casualties before the North's force were decimated. But, that would mean NK's leader really are stupid enough to bully several dragons and risk loosing their power to another US backed "freedom war".

I say go ahead with this movie as it was intended, no edits for some egomaniac dictatorship or the people who have nothing to worry about. NK has already pulled insulting moves over the years, such as digging a tunnel under the DMZ (aka no man's land except for some well guarded roads on both sides) and calling it a coal mine when they just painted the walls black and expected the world to believe them or hiring (forcing) people to "live" in a fake town within sight of a South Korean city in a vain attempt to convince to world it treats its citizens better than they thought. The DPRK is just a bunch of windbags who managed to get power over a small group of people who have to pretend to worship them in order to survive. They would love to get their way outside of their little part of the world, and we should not let them.

 

[Fasckira]

In all seriousness, let us laugh at the funny small man who thinks he actually has any power or influence outside his delusional country.

Well, evidently he does, hence the adjustment of the film....?

 

[Cowabungaa]

There is no reason the Seth Rogan comedy cannot make fun of North Korea without the use of culturally significant things such as the buttons on soldiers uniforms.

That's not exactly the point. The point is, how cheesy it may sound, freedom of speech. North Korea wants to curb freedom of speech and does so liberally in their own country. Thing is that they also want to reach across their borders and decide what other countries can and cannot do. And by giving in and applying self-censorship with seemingly frivolous things like this we show that yes, North Korea can have power over us.

Now, again, it may just seem like this is 'just' about the comedy, but it isn't. The film ended up in the political arena, that's what matters. The film itself, not as much. It's almost a MacGuffin at this point. There are, however, more poignant examples of this sort of thing happening. It's just that with North Korea, everything starts looking so silly.

Yes, some things in this film may be tasteless, like the face-melting nonsense. And sure, it might be unnecessary. But that doesn't matter; Rogen has the right to make tasteless crap. That's how we roll.

 

[Rawbeard]

Sony does know that just like his father Kim Jong Un is not a god and can do exactly nothing, no matter how much you insult him, his power or his country? Even IF he had the means, China would stop that shit before he got to throw any tantrums. FFS.

 

[Nikolaz72]

There is no reason the Seth Rogan comedy cannot make fun of North Korea without the use of culturally significant things such as the buttons on soldiers uniforms.

That's not exactly the point. The point is, how cheesy it may sound, freedom of speech. North Korea wants to curb freedom of speech and does so liberally in their own country. Thing is that they also want to reach across their borders and decide what other countries can and cannot do. And by giving in and applying self-censorship with seemingly frivolous things like this we show that yes, North Korea can have power over us.

Now, again, it may just seem like this is 'just' about the comedy, but it isn't. The film ended up in the political arena, that's what matters. The film itself, not as much. It's almost a MacGuffin at this point. There are, however, more poignant examples of this sort of thing happening. It's just that with North Korea, everything starts looking so silly.

I'd be insulted if the U.S had made a movie with a part of it insulting something culturally significant in my country that wasn't important for the comedy.

I just don't see any reason to insult people if there is.. No point to it other than 'those are the bad guys, its fun to insult them' look to the guy using the NK Propaganda videos as an example. Just because North Korea keeps insulting -everyone- doesn't mean we have to stoop to their level. It's like behaving as a child because a child is throwing a childish tantrum. We aren't children, we're supposed to be the grownups here.

Meanwhile I'm completely alright with an outright invasion and toppling of the Government of North Korea. But really, this small thing is only going to see people harmed for little reason but our own amusement if even -that-, if it's not funny or just part of the custome then it's not even going to be for our own amusement, then it's just going to be utter pointless. Harm for 'no' good reason.

What I'm saying is, go all the way. Either cause a lot of harm instantly or no harm at all, don't do gradual harm over time for the sake of proving some kind of point.

Nvm, out of the thread. If you aren't willing to agree to a war on North Korea to save the citizens, you shouldn't agree to something that's going to see more of them die regardless. And this happens every time a Kim Jung throws a temper tantrum, some Koreans gets killed.

I don't see any reason for that to happen over a stupid Seth Rogan comedy!

 

[Cowabungaa]

I'd be insulted if the U.S had made a movie with a part of it insulting something culturally significant in my country that wasn't important for the comedy.

I just don't see any reason to insult people if there is.. No point to it other than 'those are the bad guys, its fun to insult them' look to the guy using the NK Propaganda videos as an example. Just because North Korea keeps insulting -everyone- doesn't mean we have to insult North Korea.

And then what? Rogen is not overstepping the boundaries we set on free speech, he has every right to do this. You might not like it, and I might not either, but that ain't the point. Neither is the point whether we do or do not see a reason for him making fun of someone. This is about him having the right to do so regardless of whether we like it or not, a right that should not be curbed by the whims of a completely different country.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

North Korea can't even get their rockets to work right, but the fear for Japanese safety is a concern anyway. But I doubt seriously that even with edits Kim Jong Un will be pleased. If he decides to declare war, it will more than likely be posturing... or if we're really lucky he might decide to be on hand to fire the first rocket, and it spirals out of control taking him and his ministers/cabinet/whatever is comparable out and do us all a favor in a bit of...

Irony?

 

[Nikolaz72]

snip.

Sony are also within their rights to change the movie. Which they likely will.

I'm reminded of this one Christian dude that decided to burn Korans in his garden and make a big fuss of it resulting in the deaths of a dozen or so people.

People are crazy, you have free speech. There is no need to needlessly provoke crazy people into violent actions just because you 'can'.

 

[Xan Krieger]

I'd only say this is OK if they release an unedited version as well so you get a version for North Korea and a version for the rest of the world.

 

[Cowabungaa]

snip.

Sony are also within their rights to change the movie. Which they likely will.

I'm reminded of this one Christian dude that decided to burn Korans in his garden and make a big fuss of it resulting in the deaths of a dozen or so people.

People are crazy, you have free speech. There is no need to needlessly provoke crazy people into violent actions just because you 'can'.

They are indeed, and I think that that's not the morally right thing to do. We should not let our actions be guided by their idiocy, and we should well protect people against violent reactions. But self-censorship is not, I think, the morally right kind of protection. It's giving into threats, giving others who mean harm power over us making them, in term, decide what we can and cannot do. And that, I think, is in itself a bad thing.

 

[wswordsmen]

The thing is the Kims are the thing in NK that most needs to be made fun of. Altering the buttons eliminates the most real world political portion of the movie.

 

[tangoprime]

...What if North Korea's existence is actually just an ARG to promote this movie?

After reading about all the crap going down in Ferguson, MO over night, and all the other terrible things all over the place lately-

This is the best thing I've read all day
Thank you.

 

[Demagogue]

To all the people claiming freedom of speech... first off, that is an American right, not a world right. Rogen wants to spew that kind of stuff, then go nuts. Limited to the US or other nations with Free Speech (Canada, UK, etc)

Secondly, I'm sure a good chunk of the people claiming freedom of speech for Rogen are opposed to freedom of speech for things like this: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/robin-williams-dead-westboro-baptist-church-could-picket-actors-funeral-after-saying-he-was-hated-by-god-and-is-in-hell-9665392.html Where the infamous Westboro church spreads it cries of god hating gays, and divorce and other things.

Just because you agree something should be said doesn't make it right, it makes your opinion inline with the speakers. There is a huge difference.




captcha: Sound of Sirens - Hopefully not

 

[Souplex]

The thing about North Korea is that while they (Last I checked) have the fourth largest army on earth, it's equipped entirely with WWII era technology, most of the soldiers are malnourished, they can't afford to keep their vehicles fueled/maintained, and they can't afford ammunition.
North Korea is in no state to attack anybody.
Their nuclear program is a joke, and they haven't even invented food yet.
Anger them all you want, all they can do is complain and make threats.