Anybody else surprised Sony caved in and will not show The Interview ?

[Vermillion-Windmere]

At least they put it out online, I guess.

[Hedji]

It is now streaming on Netflix. Watched it last night, and laughed a LOT.

[Brazoo]

^^ Yeah, I just saw that it was on Netflix last night.

I actually steamed it a few weeks ago. It's a little nuts, and I can see where some people weren't into it. I kinda didn't get James Franco's character at first, but as the movie kept going I was able to just go with it. I laughed A LOT too!

I think if you're the type who liked "Pineapple Express" or "This is the End" you'll like this too.

[Iron Mego]

I watched it as well. Pretty funny. Not as good as This is the End, at least for me. I liked the parts with Skylark and Kim when they were bonding. At the end though, I felt like I didn't get as much crude over-the-top humor as I was hoping for. I'll watch it again I'm sure.

[Brazoo]

I don't know about the title of this thread. I don't know if Sony really "caved in".

From what I read, after a lot of the theatres said they didn't want to screen it, the bottom line was that Sony knew the film was going to lose money no matter what. It costs a lot of money to release a movie theatrically, and theatre chains didn't leave them many options anyway, so they tried to lose less money by focusing on other ways to release the movie.

And of course wrapped up in that is the fear that people could be hurt. I'm sure, no matter how remote the chances were theatre owners were probably thinking "if we get a maniac like that Joker dude this will be an unmitigated disaster".

Here's what I've been thinking about since The Interview: Let's say we go back in time to when Sony first got the script for The Interview. If Sony decided not to make the film for the same reasons - that it was politically risky and probably going to lose money - then I don't think many people would have criticized Sony. They would have just felt like it was Sony's right to spend cash on the movie if they wanted to. But really, isn't that the same thing? The only real difference I can see is that Sony made the decision not to release the movie after they lost tons of cash making it, no?

I'm not trying to say I have any answers and this isn't an attempt to start a deep political discussion or anything - it's just something I've been thinking about myself when I look at my own thoughts. When I hear about a movie that doesn't get released in China because of offensive content and I think "censorship" - but when I hear about a script not getting made because of offensive content in Hollywood I don't automatically think "censorship". So for myself - I recognize a bit of an inconsistency there.

[Iron Mego]

I think the caving in part was related more to the fact that Sony at one point said they weren't going to make it available AT ALL. Not for streaming or anything else.

[Brazoo]

^^ Ahh - Okay, cool. From what I remember Sony was pretty quick in saying they'd probably release it in some other format, but I do remember them kinda holding their cards close to their chest for the first day or so when this all went down. I am getting more senile every year, so I could honestly be forgetting a time when they said it wasn't getting any kind of release.

Anyway - I realize I'm coming to this thread late either way. I wasn't trying to sound critical of Mikey - just adding my thoughts.

[Iron Mego]

I read something that said they weren't releasing it at all. Then the next day they reneged on that.

[Nostalgiabuff]

my wife and I watched it the other night, we both laughed out loud a lot. it's not as good as this is the end or pineapple express but it is a funny movie

[palitoy]

At first I was kind of disappointed with it, then I remembered it was always just supposed to be this dumb comedy.

[Hector]

I'm going to watch it on Netflix this weekend.

[Iron Mego]

At first I was kind of disappointed with it, then I remembered it was always just supposed to be this dumb comedy.

I think if it had been even dumber, I would have liked it more.

[Mego Milk]

saw the Interview!

liked it.

I laughed. thought it was funny.
cheered a bit too.

[Hedji]

I enjoyed it a lot more than other more critically acclaimed comedies like the Hangover or At World's End. But, comedy, like horror, is pretty subjective.

[cjefferys]

I watched it when it first became available for streaming but thought it was just ok at best. I've enjoyed some of Seth Rogen's other comedies, but this one just didn't click for me.