The Interview, Sony Hack and North Korea

[Blaxican]

I agree.

edit- Personally, if I had to direct my ire at anyone it probably wouldn't even be the North Koreans. Their penis envy is kind of sad and apparent, but at the end of the day it's understandable.

But one wonders. The Mark Webb ASM films were pretty shitty. If I hacked Sony's database and left them a nasty message saying that I would bomb their HQ if they made a third one, would they roll over and not make it/release it? What if I threaten to bomb them because they made a movie in which the theme was about, say, the civil rights movement? What if I hate Obama and I threaten them about an autobiography they've filmed about him?

As we move into an ever more complicated world, and the average person becomes more capable and has access to more resources and better technology, I imagine that things like cyberattacks and terrorist threats will only become more common over time. What will the world's policy be regarding this fear-mongering?

 

[BLADE]

No one's really made the claim [in here] that they are.

"Oh a film about China? let's threaten them."
"Oh a film about Vladamir Putin? let's threaten them."
"Oh a film about celebrity y, let's threaten them."

It sets a prescidence that its okay to use violence or blackmail to get what you want.

I'm mostly concerned that this will just serve as an example for other groups that take offense to future movies.

Your decadent Western education has failed you, American pig-dog. Dear Leader assures me a pig-dog is a real thing even though I have not seen any protein since the day my traitorous Uncle doubted Dear Leader's rainbow-birth.

[YOUTUBE]WjV2EErPHdg[/YOUTUBE]

...

[YOUTUBE]OZuW6BH_Vak[/YOUTUBE]

 

[TWD26]

It almost seems like every month there is something new that the US public freaks out about, The Malaysian Airlines flight, Ukraine, Ebola, and now this movie.

 

[Phil]

So Kim Jong's death scene is being leaked all over the net since last night... and I can see why they might be upset... LOL

 

[Joy Carleec]

So Kim Jong's death scene is being leaked all over the net since last night... and I can see why they might be upset... LOL

I lol'd.

I agree.

edit- Personally, if I had to direct my ire at anyone it probably wouldn't even be the North Koreans. Their penis envy is kind of sad and apparent, but at the end of the day it's understandable.

But one wonders. The Mark Webb ASM films were pretty shitty. If I hacked Sony's database and left them a nasty message saying that I would bomb their HQ if they made a third one, would they roll over and not make it/release it? What if I threaten to bomb them because they made a movie in which the theme was about, say, the civil rights movement? What if I hate Obama and I threaten them about an autobiography they've filmed about him?

As we move into an ever more complicated world, and the average person becomes more capable and has access to more resources and better technology, I imagine that things like cyberattacks and terrorist threats will only become more common over time. What will the world's policy be regarding this fear-mongering?

Well, if you lived in North Korea? Sure. You can get away with that. China? Maybe. If you're lucky. Almost everywhere else besides Russia pretty much have an agreement in place to give criminals to the US without much restraint. Might be why Sony are so willing to roll over. They have no real leverage.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

There's a factor here that, in our western-dominated point of view, isn't really being considered. Sony Pictures is located in the LA metropolitan area, sure, but the overall Sony company is headquartered in Japan. North Korea and Japan have very tense relations. This is speculative but it would not surprise me if that was a consideration, at some level, in pulling the film.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

But one wonders. The Mark Webb ASM films were pretty shitty. If I hacked Sony's database and left them a nasty message saying that I would bomb their HQ if they made a third one, would they roll over and not make it/release it?

C-can we?

 

[Blaxican]

I've been thinking about it Johnny.

... thinkin about it real hard.

There's a factor here that, in our western-dominated point of view, isn't really being considered. Sony Pictures is located in the LA metropolitan area, sure, but the overall Sony company is headquartered in Japan. North Korea and Japan have very tense relations. This is speculative but it would not surprise me if that was a consideration, at some level, in pulling the film.

I've also heard some fairly reasonable speculation that NK might have found some dirt in Sony's closet that they didn't leak soas to hold some leverage. The type of dirt that'd make Sony think twice about giving NK the finger and releasing the film.

Pure speculation, but that does make a bit more sense to me. If Sony was truly concerned about Japan's relationship with NK, I imagine they wouldn't have green-lit the making of the film in the first place. They had to have predicted that NK wouldn't take a movie centered around assassinating their Grand Leader well.

 

[Undine]

[YOUTUBE]iiLS-AlfO30[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Phil]

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/an-interview-with-someone-whos-seen-the-105532001337.html

No surprise, I knew this movie would be incredibly stupid, but I guess it's mostly just a bunch of penis, poop and sex jokes mostly, with a munch of idiots.

 

[Cortan]

I've been thinking about it Johnny.

... thinkin about it real hard.



I've also heard some fairly reasonable speculation that NK might have found some dirt in Sony's closet that they didn't leak soas to hold some leverage. The type of dirt that'd make Sony think twice about giving NK the finger and releasing the film.

Pure speculation, but that does make a bit more sense to me. If Sony was truly concerned about Japan's relationship with NK, I imagine they wouldn't have green-lit the making of the film in the first place. They had to have predicted that NK wouldn't take a movie centered around assassinating their Grand Leader well.

They may have thought it wouldn't cause as much fuss, given the rumbles about previous films that involved North Korean villains that didn't go anywhere, and other stories that have mostly escaped their notice. I mean, ever since China became such a valuable market, its been the obvious choice for easily justified spies and defectors.

This incident may speak to the differences between the Kims though - Il was a film buff, even loving the James Bond films, minus the obvious exception. When Team America came out, from what I can find (I was nine at the time, just to clarify), they mostly just filed a complaint, though perhaps things were offset by the obvious satirising of the United States as well. Un's regime has mostly seemed like he's trying to prove he really is a big boy now, hence more active aggression towards foreign powers and culture (though not to say Il was a saint by comparison; comparing dictators is weird), and in this case, resorting to making active threats of terrorism over a movie.

 

[Joy Carleec]

Don't forget that under the new leader, their cyberware has become increasingly advanced - likely from help from China. Very impressive from a country who barely has any cars on its roads.

 

[Blaxican]

I agree.

edit- Personally, if I had to direct my ire at anyone it probably wouldn't even be the North Koreans. Their penis envy is kind of sad and apparent, but at the end of the day it's understandable.

But one wonders. The Mark Webb ASM films were pretty shitty. If I hacked Sony's database and left them a nasty message saying that I would bomb their HQ if they made a third one, would they roll over and not make it/release it? What if I threaten to bomb them because they made a movie in which the theme was about, say, the civil rights movement? What if I hate Obama and I threaten them about an autobiography they've filmed about him?

As we move into an ever more complicated world, and the average person becomes more capable and has access to more resources and better technology, I imagine that things like cyberattacks and terrorist threats will only become more common over time. What will the world's policy be regarding this fear-mongering?

[video=youtube_share;wsbGlDXh-nY]http://youtu.be/wsbGlDXh-nY[/video]

Proof Obama reads this forum. -flex-

@Cortan: Good points- that's an angle I hadn't considered.

 

[BLADE]

The notion that THE INTERNET has entirely changed the way industrial sabotage/espionage substantially works is ahistorical and a curious --if hilarious-- sort of inverse Hesiodism. Hollywood collaborated with Nazis in the 30s (and even a bit of the 40s) to tamp down certain anti-Hitler themes. Plenty of movie premieres have been bombed or have involved the threat of violence. It's art. Art has always existed at the nexus of politics and hate and tribalism and whatever have you. And art in Hollywood has always been submerged to the superordinating logic of capitalism: a demi-A-Lister's and Canadian Adam Sandler's forty million dollars pissant picture ain't shit for Sony.

As for Black Hitler, he's wrong. Not just because it's hilariously hypocritical for Murrka to lecture anyone on suppressing art, but because here's my super-edgy take on this: Sony more or less welcomes this because it tamps down coverage of other embarrassing (and totalitarian) shit in the hacks like Project Goliath.

And sure the Norks benefit from being able to claim that their e-peen is able to turgidly whack Sony (read: the Japanese) into submission but given the logic of multinational corporations I am skeptical that this represents a defeat by one party or another. I think this is more or less a symbiotic outcome. Apt given the parasitical nature of both entities.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

 

[Blaxican]

It might just be that I'm too dumb and whack to understand your post, but that all rather seems like a bit of a red herring to me. I mean, that Sony is doing what it thinks is best for itself is certainly self-evident, and you're absolutely right that the US has its own skeletons in regards to censorship.

But, I wouldn't say that Angela Merkel is wrong for bemoaning human rights violations that occur today on account of Germany's sheisty human rights record, for example (a Godwin for a Godwin, hoohah! (do either of these actually count as Godwins? hmmm...)).

Personally, if we did something today that was similar to NK's shenanigans on account of something like a movie that made America look stupid, or even showed something like Obama getting merc'd in a lulzy way, I would be very embarrassed by our actions (or you could say, it would be tossed onto the pile of embarassing things America has done). We've yet to do anything equivalent since Obummer took office, so I don't think it's exactly hypocritical of him to hold this stance.

 

[Ser Gregor]

We've yet to do anything equivalent since Obummer took office, so I don't think it's exactly hypocritical of him to hold this stance.

No, the United States is much better at masking its attempts at controlling public media production. If you really want to compare the US to North Korea, though, feel free to look at the systemic torture of non-combatants and civilians. You'll certainly find some similarities there.

This film looked awful from the beginning. I wasn't planning on seeing it. SONY's done an excellent job of making the movie an overnight house-hold name (my Dad called me to ask me if I had hear about it, which never happens), and when they do release it, because they will, they can expect a veritable windfall of profits (as Prospero pointed out, the film's a $44M production. Pennies in the bucket for SONY).

As for the pull? I can think of a number of legitimate reasons for SONY pulling the picture. Most have been mentioned above. Aside from the fact this is a non-issue for "freedom of speech", the ire is entirely misplaced. What people should be railing over, if they have to "rail" (whatever that means) at all, is Paramount's kibosh of Team America screenings (a ten year old film). That is entirely unwarranted censorship.

Regardless of whether it eventually is released (I'm confident it will be), this will fall back in to the sea of white-noise of the 24-hour news cycle shortly to be replaced by another hot-topic. We're due for another round of anti-Russian diatribe, I figure. Maybe if we get really lucky it'll be a double-feature piece about Russia AND Syria. In the end it doesn't really matter, we'll forget about that soon enough too (remember Ebola? What happened there? Did it suddenly stop?).

 

[Nor'baal]

You know, there is one thing people do forget when dealing with NK.

It isn't them the Governments are worried about, it's the 6,000,000 dead people that will be lying around when NK spends 4 hours shelling Seoul. Sure NK would lose any war with the wider world, but no Government wants the death of Millions on their hands. The leaders of NK will take as many people with them if they know they have a limited amount of time left.

 

[Ser Gregor]

You know, there is one thing people do forget when dealing with NK.

It isn't them the Governments are worried about, it's the 6,000,000 dead people that will be lying around when NK spends 4 hours shelling Seoul. Sure NK would lose any war with the wider world, but no Government wants the death of Millions on their hands. The leaders of NK will take as many people with them if they know they have a limited amount of time left.

No one is "forgetting" that because no one (at least no one even remotely informed) considers that a remotely plausible scenario. Also, please tell me how a film produced by an American studio founded and headquartered in California, which is a subsidiary of a Japanese conglomerate, leads NK to the conclusion that, clearly, they have to bomb Seoul?

 

[TWD26]

No, the United States is much better at masking its attempts at controlling public media production. If you really want to compare the US to North Korea, though, feel free to look at the systemic torture of non-combatants and civilians. You'll certainly find some similarities there.

This film looked awful from the beginning. I wasn't planning on seeing it. SONY's done an excellent job of making the movie an overnight house-hold name (my Dad called me to ask me if I had hear about it, which never happens), and when they do release it, because they will, they can expect a veritable windfall of profits (as Prospero pointed out, the film's a $44M production. Pennies in the bucket for SONY).

As for the pull? I can think of a number of legitimate reasons for SONY pulling the picture. Most have been mentioned above. Aside from the fact this is a non-issue for "freedom of speech", the ire is entirely misplaced. What people should be railing over, if they have to "rail" (whatever that means) at all, is Paramount's kibosh of Team America screenings (a ten year old film). That is entirely unwarranted censorship.

Regardless of whether it eventually is released (I'm confident it will be), this will fall back in to the sea of white-noise of the 24-hour news cycle shortly to be replaced by another hot-topic. We're due for another round of anti-Russian diatribe, I figure. Maybe if we get really lucky it'll be a double-feature piece about Russia AND Syria. In the end it doesn't really matter, we'll forget about that soon enough too (remember Ebola? What happened there? Did it suddenly stop?).

couldn't have been said any better.

 

[Johnnysaurus Rex]

couldn't have been said any better.

Unless it was Morgan Freeman. Or like a talking corgi.