"All the world will denounce the SONY."

[mikal]

So....technically, the terrorists won then?

 

[corianderstem]

If Sony had published The Satanic Verses, they totally would have handed over a gift-wrapped Salman Rushdie.

I think I was more surprised to also hear that a Steve Carrell project about a teacher in North Korea (?) had its plug pulled.

Gee. Great day for creative expression (no matter if the end product sucks ass or not).

 

[deep]

Studios make decisions based primarily on money.
For some time now they have been changing scripts and editing movies to appease China.

and quite honestly this movie does not have much of a moral leg to stand on.

 

[corianderstem]

If I understand correctly, it sounds like so many theaters decided not to air it, and Rogen/Franco were not doing publicity, maybe they just decided to cut their losses and have be the "big story" instead of how the movie flopped.

 

[bono_212]

I'm really not happy about the Steve Carrell part of this story, that really does suck.

 

[deep]

when the 5 major chains opted out that was 90% of the screens

the GoP, Guardians of the Galaxy have promised a Christmas hack dump that will be even more damaging to the SONY

if not putting it on VOD or any place else can stop that, not releasing it makes sen$e

and going back and reading some of the emails during the process of making this film, what to include?, etc?, is making it hard to defend SONY studios

 

[corianderstem]

Some theaters were going to show Team America instead, but now Paramount has put the kibosh on that.

What kind of dirt do the hackers have on Sony? Would it really be surprising to learn that people involved in making movies are giant assholes? Possibly with some misogyny, racism and puppy kicking?

 

[Oregoropa]

It looked hilarious

 

[deep]

This may be premature, but I don't think Sony Studios will survive,
I think they will be acquired by another studio

the emails have damaged too many relationships and made them look incompetent and just plain stupid, their credibility is shot

sure all of this stuff does probably exist at other studios to some extent, but once it goes public there is no way to undo it


Also, that Steve Carell movie that got canceled was tied to News Corp and Fox, Rupert Murdoch didn't want his New Corp. empire to have its dirty secrets released like Sony's were. That would have been fun.

 

[deep]

Sony co-chief Amy Pascal, Rev. Al Sharpton talk racist emails, Hollywood 'environment that still resembles 1950s America'

 

[bono_212]

Pascal and Sharpton met New York on Thursday

That's nice of them.

 

[DaveC]

This may be premature, but I don't think Sony Studios will survive,
I think they will be acquired by another studio

the emails have damaged too many relationships and made them look incompetent and just plain stupid, their credibility is shot

sure all of this stuff does probably exist at other studios to some extent, but once it goes public there is no way to undo it


Also, that Steve Carell movie that got canceled was tied to News Corp and Fox, Rupert Murdoch didn't want his New Corp. empire to have its dirty secrets released like Sony's were. That would have been fun.

Sony Pictures is (according to an article in the Economist a few months back) by far the largest division of Sony now that their consumer electronics division is mostly a shadow of what it used to be. The studio props up the rest of the corporation by subsidizing the less profitable divisions while they are undergoing restructuring and trying to rein in the out of control cost structure.

They'll change the name and rebrand it quietly I suspect. They won't sell it off completely, if they do the parent company is well and truly fucked.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

There's no way this movie was pulled because anyone thought there was a real threat to movie goers.

The movie was pulled because the publicity and interest had reached such a level that Sony couldn't have possibly released this piece of garbage, especially when the theaters started backing out.

Now they'll release it on demand, many will go rent it, and they'll make millions off this sheer pile of donkey crap they call a movie.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Wrong on all counts

 

[AllIWantIs]

I honestly have Zero sympathy for Sony.

All I have to say is... what goes around, comes around.

Back in 2003, before iTunes or any digital music company existed, ordinary people were using file sharing sites. The big 5 music corporations (Sony is one) started screaming that all who use file sharing sites are criminals.

They got RIAA representation and started baiting, then suing ordinary people $750 to $150,000 per song.

The reason? Copyright infringement.

Any large corporation that participates in causing these nightmares for the families involved before songs were available for digital sale and NOT invest money in superior technical protection are asking for this drama.

Especially with releasing a movie about a living individual without that individual's consent.
It is quite clear they never got his consent.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

What kind of dirt do the hackers have on Sony? Would it really be surprising to learn that people involved in making movies are giant assholes? Possibly with some misogyny, racism and puppy kicking?

I was talking to a coworker about this this morning. I too want to know how much more damning stuff they have on The Sony.



Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Cancer45]

I thought this was interesting


https://www.techdirt.com/articles/2...hine-that-breaks-core-workings-internet.shtml

 

[Irvine511]

Wrong on all counts

What's your take? Genuinely curious.

And, guys, Newt Gingrich thinks this is an act of war. I'm glad we're getting his critical opinion on this.


Sent from

 

[Teta040]

George Clooney has a VERY interesting take on all this, you can read his interview on Nikki Finke's site, Deadline Hollywood.
Deadline | Hollywood Entertainment Breaking News

The article is called "Hollywood Cowardice"

Regardless of whether you're a Clooney fan or not--and I confess I'm generally meh--my respect for him just shot up leaps and bounds. He's the only one in Tinseltown (or the media, for that matter) who seems to grasp the profoundly frightening implications of what just happened here. The questions he raises are of the huge importance and nobody is asking them right now. Worth a read.

Interesting tidbit from the article: When Nixon went to China, he was asked why the US supported South Korea, and he said it was because we (America) were the guardians of peace.
Think about that.
I mean, really think about that.
And wonder why the White House has responded the way it has so far, and why it is pledging a continued limited response. They must know more than they are willing admit, about who did this.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

What's your take? Genuinely curious.

They had absolutely no choice in regards to pulling it from theatres, and the current 'no release anywhere' (digital, subscription, DVD etc) suggestion I would say is still actually TBC, for a couple of reasons. It's really not Sony 'bowing to terrorists'. Yet.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

There's no way this movie was pulled because anyone thought there was a real threat to movie goers.

The movie was pulled because the publicity and interest had reached such a level that Sony couldn't have possibly released this piece of garbage, especially when the theaters started backing out.

Now they'll release it on demand, many will go rent it, and they'll make millions off this sheer pile of donkey crap they call a movie.

Word on the street is that Sony will not release it period, under any format, and will claim this as a "total loss" for insurance purposes.

If/when that happens, the movie would supposedly be property of the insurance company, who in turn, could potentially release this in some form if they wanted to recoup whatever would be potentially be paid to Sony.

Had Sony allowed this to be released "On Demand" or streaming only, then it would not be a total loss and they couldn't get as much from an insurance claim.

 

[bono_212]

George Clooney has a VERY interesting take on all this, you can read his interview on Nikki Finke's site, Deadline Hollywood.
Deadline | Hollywood Entertainment Breaking News

The article is called "Hollywood Cowardice"

Regardless of whether you're a Clooney fan or not--and I confess I'm generally meh--my respect for him just shot up leaps and bounds. He's the only one in Tinseltown (or the media, for that matter) who seems to grasp the profoundly frightening implications of what just happened here. The questions he raises are of the huge importance and nobody is asking them right now. Worth a read.

Interesting tidbit from the article: When Nixon went to China, he was asked why the US supported South Korea, and he said it was because we (America) were the guardians of peace.
Think about that.
I mean, really think about that.
And wonder why the White House has responded the way it has so far, and why it is pledging a continued limited response. They must know more than they are willing admit, about who did this.

Link wasn't working for me, but here you go:

Hollywood Cowardice: George Clooney Explains Why Sony Stood Alone In North Korean Cyberterror Attack | Deadline

 

[corianderstem]

Was reading a comment string on Gawker about how perhaps the decision came from Sony in Japan (i.e., the poppermost of the toppermost). That would be interesting and could change the narrative quite a bit here. Japan's relation to NK is different than ours.

Thoughts?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Was reading a comment string on Gawker about how perhaps the decision came from Sony in Japan (i.e., the poppermost of the toppermost). That would be interesting and could change the narrative quite a bit here. Japan's relation to NK is different than ours.

Thoughts?

Combo of this + Mrs Garrison above, but still some TBC there.

 

[DaveC]

(i.e., the poppermost of the toppermost).

 

[DaveC]

Well, the terrorists/hackers were right, the world is indeed denouncing "the SONY".

 

[LemonMelon]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/12/19/sony-the-interview-hackers-gop/20635449/

We don't negotiate with terrorists.

 

[AllIWantIs]

President Obama seems to be a James Flacco fan.
I have no idea who that is.
Obama Says 'James Flacco.' The Internet Says, Thank You : The Two-Way : NPR

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

Obama said he was sympathetic to the damage and threats Sony has dealt with. " "Having said all that, yes I think they made a mistake," Obama said.

"We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," he said. "Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don't like or news reports that they don't like."

Even worse, Obama said, "imagine if producers and distributors and others started engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended."

"That's not who we are. That's not what America's about," he said.

Agreed, except, whatever happened to those pictures of Bin Laden with a bullet in his head, brah?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Obama overall is obviously completely right, but not about the studios position, which is pretty silly, including saying 'they should have talked to me', when before he gave that opinion perhaps someone should have talked to them. Again (as Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton has been out and about making clear since Obama's press conference) the decision on how/when with the film has not been made, it was only pulled from the Dec 25 theatrical release because... there effectively wasn't one, and that wasn't their decision.

The studio still badly wants to get it out *somehow*, even if many/most possible distribution partners are shaky on it, and even if Tokyo really, really just wants it all to go away, and really just wants to claw back whatever cash they can. That - from the studio - has been consistent, and doing so will likely mean further significant financial loss and either more trouble or embarrassment via more stuff being leaked. It's the opposite of 'giving in'. Hopefully it works out.