On Wednesday night, Sony Pictures announced that they would not be releasing the Seth Rogen film, “The Interview,” on it’s planned release date of December 25th.
The picture was scrapped after a hacker organization known as Guardian of Peace threatened 9/11 style attacks at cinemas around the country.
See also: Mark Steyn: Norks Nix Yanks' Pix
I was barely aware of The Interview until, while sitting through a trailer for what seemed like just another idiotic leaden comedy, my youngest informed me that the North Koreans had denounced the film as "an act of war". If it is, they seem to have won it fairly decisively: Kim Jong-Un has just vaporized a Hollywood blockbuster as totally as if one of his No Dong missiles had taken out the studio. As it is, the fellows with no dong turned out to be the executives of Sony Pictures.
I wouldn't mind but this is the same industry that congratulates itself endlessly - not least in its annual six-hour awards ceremony - on its artists' courage and bravery. Called on to show some for the first time in their lives, they folded like a cheap suit. As opposed to the bank-breaking suit their lawyers advised them they'd be looking at if they released the film and someone put anthrax in the popcorn. I think of all the occasions in recent years when I've found myself sharing a stage with obscure Europeans who've fallen afoul of Islam - Swedish artists, Danish cartoonists, Norwegian comediennes, all of whom showed more courage than these Beverly Hills bigshots...
Rob Lowe proves the axiom that pretty people shouldn't talk.
ReplyDeleteStudios can't release movies without theaters to show them, and theaters can't operate without insurance. Turns out that when folks start mentioning things like 9/11 in relation to theaters, insurers get jittery. Who knew?
This isn't the sort of movie I'd usually bother to see in theaters, but with the fuss the North Koreans kicked up, I was going to make a point of it. Maybe Rainbow Cinemas will still show it, and I'll see it there.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought this sort of publicity might help the release, but never underestimate the spinelessness of Hollywood.
If I were the North Koreans, my plan would have been to flood the market with incredibly cheap bootlegs, but it looks like their plan worked. Of course, my plan would have ended up with even more people seeing the movie they don't want anyone to see.
"The spinelessness of Hollywood" you nailed it Richard K. All talk and no show. No pun intended.
ReplyDeleteThese same bleeding heart leftoids.... keep your hands off our free speech.....were quite comfortable to censor " The innocence of the Muslim " when I-Slam when all offended , were they not ????
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