What the hell was the idea behind doing this Interview movie in the first place?

[Jackpine Radical]

All this stuff about clearing the plot with the gov't, the sheer outrageousness of making a comedy of the assassination of a foreign leader--I think there was some spooky black game & not just a financial profit motive behind all this. This is so like the CIA's Twitter & Facebook schemes trying to destabilize shit-listed regimes.

The question now is whether the operation is still going according to plan, and this was the intended result, or if the threat--and Sony's response to it--caught them in a surprise checkmate.

[3catwoman3]

1. Given the raging paranoia...

...of North Korea, this wouldn't seem to be the wisest choice of topics. The old saw, "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should," comes to mind.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. There are some things you should not poke at with sticks.

Snapping turtles and North Korea are the first two examples that come to mind.

[spin]

16. Hornet nests come to mind ...

Especially one this size:




http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2465276/Killer-hornets-nest-destroyed-FLAME-THROWER-Chinas-army.html

[snooper2]

20. In North Korea you listen to Kim or you DIE- HEAR THAT YANKEES!

[LanternWaste]

3. non-comedies regarding the assassination of a foreign leader is not outrageous?

" the sheer outrageousness of making a comedy of the assassination of a foreign leader..."

Implicit in that premise is that non-comedy films regarding the assassination of a foreign leader are not outrageous? If so, what then is the precise and relevant ethical difference? Should this also apply to video games?

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Manchurian Candidate.

[frazzled]

14. That involved fictional, not real characters

This movie "depicts the assassination of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un." The difference is not immaterial. Especially when the person depicted as assassinated is a crazy dictator with nuclear capabilities.

What people are largely missing in this stupid discussion is the severe tension that has existed for many decades between Japan and North Korea. Sony Pictures is a Japanese company.

Furthermore, American theater chains (representing more than 19,000 screens across the country) announced they would not show the picture before Sony pulled it. They really had little choice at that point.

So they shelved a picture and lost their $44 million investment rather than continue with a video release. Not really a huge amount for them to eat. The American public really lost nothing. Why are we taking this so seriously?

Kim Jong-un and North Korea, and its hacking and threats are a problem. Sony pulling the picture is not. It probably never should have been approved.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Point taken.

[Fred Sanders]

34. Sony is a Japanese company with a large presence in America, both mortal enemies of N.K., you

make an excellent point.

Those accepting the media version of this is just a crazy terrorist plot on innocent
Sony are swallowing snake oil.

A entire comedy mockmovie entering on a CIA plot to assassinate the leader of that country is awesomely stupid or awesomely political. And this one is both.

[Fred Sanders]

27. Just to name one, many others, all fictional dramas. No entire comedy mocking an assassination of a current

leader.

[Jackpine Radical]

80. Yes, you're right.

[Glassunion]

24. 2006 - Death of a President

Comedy has a different set of rules in the public eye than drama. They are held to a different set of standards.

[Initech]

45. Inglorious Bastards was about Hitlers' assassination.

Team America was about killing Kim Jon Il.

[FSogol]

4. If you are not talented or funny, you need to push the boundaries to gain some attention.

Sony has to consider it a win. They are getting more attention than they would have without the controversy and get to avoid most critics giving in 1 star.

[DefenseLawyer]

11. How exactly is any of this "attention" making money for Sony?

If they plan to release the movie eventually, then yes, it's a goldmine. But if they really do shelve it, I'm not seeing how attention is going to cover production costs.

[FSogol]

17. The movie has been sitting on the shelf since September and has been critically panned.

This controversy has created much buzz for a movie that would have only spent 2 weeks in the theater and would have only been seen by a tiny group of Rogen fans. This N Korean flap makes it a must see for anyone who wants to be part of the controversy or wants to stick their thumb in N. Korea's eye. The "USA, USA!" crowd will feel it is their patriotic duty to see the dreck. Critics that would have once groaned will now have self righteous rants about not censoring "art." Sorry, but it is a win win for Sony.

[HappyMe]

19. I really didn't think anybody cared about what the critics think.

Sandy Kenyon hates most movies. He always gushes about Disney pablum because ABC is owned by Disney.

If it isn't ever released, then at least it brought attention to Sony and their nasty, racist emails.

[FSogol]

22. Depends on the critic. Most are hacks. Some such as Roger Ebert are truly special and even if you

disagree on what they are saying about stuff you like, they still make good points. The point of criticism is not just to tell you what to see or avoid, but to aid in the appreciation and understanding of the work.

[HappyMe]

26. At least Roger Ebert is fair.

I only see Kenyon because it's part of the noon news. He has a captive audience.

I usually watch the trailer to decide if I want to see the movie or not.

I'm just disappointed I probably won't get to see this one. Now I'm dying to see it because of the controversy. I am also wondering if this would put the kabosh on any other even slightly controversial movie that is waiting to be made.

[FSogol]

28. Sony's end game: "Now I'm dying to see it because of the controversy."

Seth Rogen movies are colossally bad. This one won't be an exception.

[HappyMe]

31. If Sony never releases it,

they won't get a dime. I like Pineapple Express. Sorry, I don't always want high brow in a movie.

[tammywammy]

47. Neighbors and This is the End were hilarious.

I find him funny.

[HappyMe]

52. I haven't seen either of those.

I'll have to see if they are On Demand.

Yeah, I think he's pretty funny. He also seems like he's a decent guy.

[tammywammy]

57. I'd never heard of This is the End when we rented it.

I had drank a couple of beers....but I laughed so hard. I also loved Horrible Bosses 2.

[HappyMe]

63. Damn, I'm waaay behind with movies.

I still haven't seen the first Horrible Bosses.

[Agschmid]

76. Same.

[JonLP24]

85. I disagree there

I found Pineapple Express hilarious. The only one I didn't like was "Knocked Up".

[DefenseLawyer]

21. I'm pretty sure winning = making money in that business

You're position only makes sense if the movie is released later in some form; that's the only way to make money off of the controversy.

[FSogol]

23. You don't think it will come out at some future date? I think it is obvious that it will. n/t

[Logical]

36. LOL, so you are the judge of funny and talented??? nt

[FSogol]

39. Just stating my opinion. Are you the judge?

[Logical]

74. No, I didn't make a claim like you did! Wow, WTF. nt

[Jesus Malverde]

5. No kidding. It's rotten to the core...nt

[HappyMe]

6. The problem is, is nobody has seen the movie.

How can anybody say if - taken in the context of the whole- it's slapstick political satire, if the guys doing the interview decide not to do it, do they all become friendly.....

I am disappointed that it won't be seen. I am also wondering if this then prevents any controversial movies from being made.

[msongs]

7. if the flick was about assassinating obama the response would be quite different eh? nt

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Precisely.

[Fred Sanders]

49. Precisely and clearly.

[Glassunion]

12. How exactly?

I recall a film "Death of a President" where our standing president at the time (George Jr.) was assassinated.

I'm really thinking hard here, but I do not recall the US bombing the United Kingdom over it.

[Fred Sanders]

29. I recall that was a fictional drama, not a mocking comedy of a current leader America is mortal

enemies with. Details matter in movies and politics.

[Glassunion]

38. So the artistic rules for comedy are different from drama?

Don't get me started on mocking comedies of sitting leaders we are mortal enemies with.

Naked Gun
Hot Shots
South Park Movie

[Fred Sanders]

43. Yes, they are. Think about it, I have, and other posters have also.

And one movie was sympathetic to the assassinated leader, not mocking him.mand look at the current political context.

You know Sony is a Japanese company, because history and context helps with seeing the bigger picture.

No pun intended.

[Glassunion]

58. Please enlighten me.

Are you saying that the ruled for artistically expressing yourself via one emotion are different from another emotion.

To me, art simply is. It's only job is to have the consumer of that art feel an emotion of some sort. If the same subject matter is presented and one artist chooses to make it a tragedy, I would expect the consumer to feel sad, but, if it is presented as a comedy, I would expect the consumer to feel happy. The same rules and standards should apply.

Some people have no taste for comedy, and that's fine. Just don't subject yourself to it.

[Logical]

37. Wow, total fail!!! nt

[DefenseLawyer]

8. It's a buddy comedy

I'm going to assume that it's pretty light on political content and horrible bloody death scenes. Of course I could be wrong.

[FSogol]

18. Actually one critic said the violence in it exceeded what is normally found in most horror films.

It was one of the reasons it was incongruous as a comedy.

[Glassunion]

61. Was the violence over the top on purpose?

I recall Sean of the Dead being excessive to the point of ridiculous that the violence itself was funny.

[FSogol]

64. Not sure. That worked in "Shaun of the Dead," but didn't work in "Hot Fuzz"

Same director, actors, etc.

[Glassunion]

70. I laughed my ass off when the church spire impaled the reporter.

Not sure if it was from the absurd premise or the look on the actor's face when he saw it happen.

Of course, since none of us has seen the movie, we are all merely speculating.

[former9thward]

13. The idea was to make money like every other movie.

There was a movie in 2006 "Death of a President" about the assassination of George Bush, a sitting president. People had no problem with it. They said it was protected by free speech.

[msanthrope]

25. Argo Fuck Yourself?

To the jury.....that is NOT directed at any DUer!!!! It what the characters in "Argo" a CIA plot to get hostages out of Iran, called their fake movie black op....

[FSogol]

30. Pretty silly that you need a disclaimer on your posts, M. n/t

[msanthrope]

32. Did you see my raccoon hide last night???? nt

[FSogol]

35. Yup, you shouldn't say the r-word.

[msanthrope]

41. To her credit, Aerows did write me a very nice PM....which was gratifying, since the alerter

accused me of "stalking" her.

[gcomeau]

33. Oh FFS...

It was a stupid comedy, not a black op. I can't even fathom how you think this was supposed to work if it was a CIA operation.

Step 1: Get Sony to make film about couple of jackasses in improbable situation trying to assassinate world leader. Slapstick comedy ensues.

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Regime Change!

Does it go something like that in your mind? You think there was some strategy group buried in the bowels of Langley with that up on a whiteboard while they all stand around nodding their heads and saying "Hmm... yes... brilliant plan! We must execute it immediately!"

[Glassunion]

42. I think that's exactly how it happened...

[obnoxiousdrunk]

44. Exactly ...

It was written by Seth Rogen high on weed.

[randome]

69. Don't do drugs and write screenplays, kids!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[NuclearDem]

51. Don't bother.

Some people here could sniff out a CIA plot at a third grader's lemonade stand.

[HappyMe]

60. True..

[Fred Sanders]

62. Which lemonade stand would be bugged and the real child kidnapped and tortured? That CIA?

No way would they do such a thing.

[NuclearDem]

66. Yes, the CIA was behind the movie. You got it.

Because there could not possibly be any other reason for making such a movie.

On an unrelated note, I'm going to go cut my wrists with Occam's razor.

[Fred Sanders]

71. Never implied the CIA was behind it, silly goose, please do not do it.

[NuclearDem]

72. Then what was your point?

That the CIA has a history of shady and horrendous actions? Because I'm well aware of that.

My post was about how ridiculous it is to assume the CIA was behind this movie, not that the CIA doesn't do shady things.

[Man from Pickens]

73. No artist checks with the State Dept. when making a film

The very fact of federal government involvement points strongly towards this film having been conceived and created for propaganda purposes. As far as making an enemy into the target of ridicule, that's a time-worn propaganda tactic right out of the 101 textbook.

If you think otherwise, then tell me, who else clears their films with the State Department? I can't think of a single reason to clear any actual work of art with the authorities before releasing it. So if it's then not a work of art, what kind of work is it?

[jwirr]

40. I am just beginning to understand this thing. I have one question: When did he get back in control

I thought his sister took over?

[randome]

46. Ever see a movie called 'The In-Laws'?

It's in the same ballpark. But I doubt 'The Interview' was half as great.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[FSogol]

54. The Peter Falk, Alan Arkin version was funny. n/t

[randome]

67. It's a classic.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[FSogol]

68. Serpentine!

[Fred Sanders]

53. Yes, thank you, I will. And you....?

[kentuck]

50. For one simple reason...

Just to make money. Greed. Opportunism. Porkerism. (I may need to copyright this word?)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

55. The belief that comic book style "action" movies sell lots of popcorn.

[GreatGazoo]

56. The idea was: Borat made $500 million in 2006

[Cleita]

59. Cheap laughs. They should have used fictional characters that were based on

the real ones but different enough to use the old "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental".

[cleanhippie]

65. Comedy. The same way Ben Stiller tried to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia in Zoolander.

When free expression, especially comedic expression, is stiffled, we all lose.

[Glassunion]

75. +1

[Agschmid]

77. Yup.

[Fred Sanders]

82. The whole movie was not focused on that, was it?

[cleanhippie]

84. Yes, it was. That was the plot of the movie.

At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196229/

[Fred Sanders]

86. Brainwashed as opposed to deliberately being hired by the CIA to assassinate, yes, I see.

And the PM was a nuclear armed mortal enemy of America and portrayed as a comedic mad man also, I did not see the movie.

[cleanhippie]

93. Is there a point you are trying to make?

It's comedy. Deal with it.

[Lint Head]

78. Fuck the North Korean leaders and the evil they rode in on.

The Interview is just the typical garbage Hollywood releases all the time. But that garbage falls under the heading of freedom of speech and expression. And so does my reply to this post.

[Cleita]

79. Actually, fuck George Bush by calling them out as part of the "axis of evil".

The Clinton administration had the N. Koreans all agreeable to ending their plans for nukes and signing some peace accords when Georgie Porgie came along and decided to poke the snake and stir up shit.

[Lint Head]

87. +100

[JonLP24]

83. I think the creepiness of the NK regime was motivational

See Seth Rogen's appearance on Real Time.

[Rex]

88. Let me tell you about packet sniffing.

You wouldn't believe some of the shit you capture with intrusion software. China loves to hack American servers, so why are we not going crazy over that - been going on since the Cold War did people just now decide to cry wolf?

Why don't we get mad when Russia, Chechnya, Brazil, U.K., Sudan hack systems on a daily basis? I know it is reported.

[FSogol]

89. Add Israel to you list. No one gets upset about their spying on us.

Last edited Fri Dec 19, 2014, 10:00 AM - Edit history (1)

And before I am accused of antisemitism:
http://www.newsweek.com/israel-wont-stop-spying-us-249757

[Rex]

90. I forgot about Israel but very good point.

Even our allies hack and spy on us and we them.

[piratefish08]

91. if only there were a precedent for this Interview movie.....

[DawgHouse]

92. Perfect! nt

[olddots]

94. the movie bizz is tired .

nt.