# Theater chains cancelling "The Interview" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522 "2014-12-17T21:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/61 "2014-12-18T16:54:43Z")
Texas-style testosterone poisoning does some good for once: > [@](#): > > [Texas Theater to Show “Team America” In Place of “The Interview”](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/texas-theater-show-team-america-759037) > > After Sony canceled the release of the North Korea assassination comedy _The Interview_, a Texas theater said it would swap the film with Paramount’s 2004 film _Team America: World Police_ for one free screening. > > “We’re just trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation,” James Wallace, creative manager and programmer at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Dallas/Fort Worth location, tells _The Hollywood Reporter_. > > American flags and other patriotic items will be given out by theater employees, Wallace says… ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/62 "2014-12-18T17:15:09Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Because they made the decision to use a real-world, live, head-of-state of an unfriendly nation. They were going to use a fake head of North Korea but thought that using Kim would be funnier. That was an idiotic move. Even friendly nations would be upset. Unfriendly nations would be furious. And nutty nations would go nuts. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hZgmcm7nLjE/hqdefault.jpg "The Naked Gun Gorbachev") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZgmcm7nLjE) ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/63 "2014-12-18T17:42:38Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > … > Why do you think they were idiots to make the movie? There are cases of movies causing threats of violence, but others that have gone on without trouble. It’d be interesting to make a list of movies with real-life current dictators in them, and a list of movies that have caused threats against the theaters. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Because they made the decision to use a real-world, live, head-of-state of an unfriendly nation. They were going to use a fake head of North Korea but thought that using Kim would be funnier. That was an idiotic move. Even friendly nations would be upset. Unfriendly nations would be furious. And nutty nations would go nuts. > > This was totally predictable. Anybody with two brain cells to rub together could have seen trouble coming. They just thought that North Korea was too impotent to carry through on any threat. Not in today’s world. Again, idiocy. What Exapno said. They picked probably one of the most mentally unstable world leaders in a film about killing said leader, dumb move from the get go. By the way, the threats may be idle but all it takes is one crazypants person to decide to take out a theater of people (it’s happened before), would you want to die for seeing a probably very stupid Seth Rogen/James Franco movie? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/64 "2014-12-18T17:48:35Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > What Exapno said. They picked probably one of the most mentally unstable world leaders in a film about killing said leader, dumb move from the get go. > > By the way, the threats may be idle but all it takes is one crazypants person to decide to take out a theater of people (it’s happened before), would you want to die for seeing a probably very stupid Seth Rogen/James Franco movie? I’ll take my chances rather than cave into idiot threats. And if I really wanted to see it (IE if it were a good film) , I’d see it even if theaters had already been bombed. Btw…I don’t remember any crazy threats being made when that modicum of mental health, Idi Amin, was parodied. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/65 "2014-12-18T17:54:15Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > What Exapno said. They picked probably one of the most mentally unstable world leaders in a film about killing said leader, dumb move from the get go. Of course. Because mentally unstable world leaders have to be pandered to. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/66 "2014-12-18T17:59:40Z")
I also don’t remember America shitting its collective pants when Marvel Comics made Nixon the head of The Secret Empire and when he committed suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/67 "2014-12-18T18:04:24Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > They should release it on PPV tomorrow. I like this idea! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/68 "2014-12-18T18:04:45Z")
This had nothing to do with vague terroristic threats, people forget Sony was already attacked. They are not worried about what might happen, they are scared shitless of what already did happen. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/69 "2014-12-18T18:08:58Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Of course. Because mentally unstable world leaders have to be pandered to. At least until we uncover how deeply China has infiltrated the computer systems of U.S. companies and figured out a way to block access. Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/70 "2014-12-18T18:12:34Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Of course. Because mentally unstable world leaders have to be pandered to. Not necessarily, maybe just a happy medium between pandering and intentionally poking the bi-polar bear. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/71 "2014-12-18T18:18:09Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Not necessarily, maybe just a happy medium between pandering and intentionally poking the bi-polar bear. The medium is to never make a film like The Naked Gun Hot Shots Team America again? Nor run any story lines about North Korea such as appeared on 30 Rock? Never parody a dictator again such as seen a billion times over the last 45 years? That’s some medium. Btw…hadn’t North Korea ALREADY made threats about the film ages ago? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/72 "2014-12-18T18:33:26Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > What Exapno said. They picked probably one of the most mentally unstable world leaders in a film about killing said leader, dumb move from the get go. > > By the way, the threats may be idle but all it takes is one crazypants person to decide to take out a theater of people (it’s happened before), would you want to die for seeing a probably very stupid Seth Rogen/James Franco movie? You know, it’s not as if this was completely unpredictable. North Korea protested loudly when they were cast as the Bad Guys in the James Bond Movie **Die Another Day** , Pierce Brosnan’s last appearance as Bond > **[MI6 :: The Home of James Bond](https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond_20_korea_protests)** > > The world's most visited unofficial James Bond 007 website with daily updates, news & analysis of all things 007 and an extensive encyclopaedia. Get your dose of Ian Fleming's spy from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig with our expert online coverage... They just never thought N. Korea would ever get really serious about things. Interestingly, _South_ Koreans protested about **Die Another Day** , too: > [@](#): > > Although it ranked fifth in the box office on its opening weekend in South Korea, there was protest at the movie’s depiction of Americans giving orders to the South Korean military. The film dropped out of the top ten by its second week and one theater in Seoul pulled it from the screens in response to the protests. Some smaller theaters that usually get second-run movies refused to pick it up. > **[Die Another Day (2002) - Trivia - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246460/trivia/)** > > Die Another Day (2002) - Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/73 "2014-12-18T19:01:17Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > The medium is to never make a film like > > The Naked Gun > Hot Shots > Team America > > again? > > Nor run any story lines about North Korea such as appeared on 30 Rock? > > Never parody a dictator again such as seen a billion times over the last 45 years? > > That’s some medium. > > Btw…hadn’t North Korea ALREADY made threats about the film ages ago? I didn’t say that was the medium, you did. The Naked Gun and Hot Shots were so long ago I don’t think any leaders parodied in those are still around. Also, this movie isn’t just a parody, it’s about killing a world leader. Don’t you think that sort of thing is just asking for trouble? Don’t you think a crazypants person might take that as a threat and answer it with threats? My issue is why did they ever think it would be a good idea? Maybe the entertainment community doesn’t need to worry about diplomacy but a little bit wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/74 "2014-12-18T19:09:49Z")
Does North Korea think supressing this film will prevent people from forming a negative opinion of the nation, and the Dear Leader? Anyone who knows anything about NK already knows they are a pariah state, and the dear leader is a laffable bufoon, and NK is all bluff. If not, then this blow-up is certainly exposing their craziness to a wider audience than the film itself would have ever done. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/75 "2014-12-18T19:12:37Z")
The movie looks like such a waster pile of dreck that I’m more annoyed by the attention it’s getting by not being released than by the fact that it was made at all. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/76 "2014-12-18T19:14:29Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > [Sony has canceled the Dec 25th release of The Interview after top theater chains decline to show the movie.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/theaters-cancel-interview-sony-hack) > > For those who still think this is all a PR stunt, hopefully this is more proof that you’re wrong. Unless they just happened to hire somebody who is REALLY bad at PR. I don’t think the hacking or the threats are a PR stunt. But making lemonade out of lemons by “caving” to the “terrorists” for a short while before “defiantly” reversing course and showing the film anyway would get a lot of “America, fuck yeah!” types into theater seats on Christmas who otherwise probably wouldn’t have gone. Like me. You’re right though that this likely isn’t what actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/77 "2014-12-18T19:18:20Z")
The news about Sony pulling the Christmas Day release of _The Interview_ leaves unanswered (at least, to me), the question of whether the movie is being completely scrubbed by Sony, or if they’re just not releasing it **on Christmas Day** like they’d planned to. What’s the scoop? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/78 "2014-12-18T19:51:31Z")
[There’s another thread in which The Interview](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743821) is being discussed in general terms. So far Sony hasn’t said anything about delaying the release, just pulling it is all that’s been announced. I read somewhere a theory though that if they pull it completely and don’t release it, that maybe insurance will pay out, so the studio wouldn’t lose any money over this. As opposed to if they put it in theaters or do a VOD release where it might make money or it might lose it. That makes sense to me, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if it’s never officially released. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/79 "2014-12-18T19:51:44Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Good one. > So, I guess I am the only one who thinks they were idiots to make this movie in the first place? Nope. It was dumb, crass and senseless beyond belief, the equivalent of a couple of 12 year olds egging each other into writing a “funny” story about shooting people at school and then wondering why they’re being called into the principal’s office for a Please Explain. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/80 "2014-12-18T19:54:25Z")
What’s the point of releasing a film if national theater chains refuse to play it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522.md?page=5)