From Hackers to Terrorists - the west is piss weak

[Super Nova]

This is more capitulation from the west that encourages extremism, because it works. We should have the right to laugh at whomever we feel like.

"who had threatened to attack cinemas"

So now they move from being hackers to terrorists.......

I am definitely going to watch it now.

Korean hackers force Sony to pull film

Sony capitulated last night to a group of hackers who had threatened to attack cinemas. It scrapped plans to screen in America a comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korea’s dictator at the hands of the CIA.

It also emerged that US government officials had secretly given their blessing to The Interview. Executives had contacted the authorities after growing nervous of retaliation from North Korea. The film is estimated to have cost $44 million to make and as much again to publicise.

Federal investigators said last night that North Korea was “centrally involved” in the hacking of Sony’s computers.“In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show [The Interview], we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release,” Sony said in a statement. The date referred to the film’s release in the US. It was not clear whether The Interview would be withdrawn from cinemas worldwide.

Sony added: “Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale — all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like.”

It appears that Sony had feared some sort of retaliation for the comedy, which pokes fun at Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader. Leaked emails from Sony Pictures suggest that two officials from the State Department gave a thumbs-up to The Interview, which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, after the studio asked whether it might upset relations with North Korea.

The emails are among thousands leaked online by Guardians of Peace, a hacking collective that has wreaked havoc in Hollywood since it began releasing embarrassing and commercially sensitive information stolen from Sony Pictures’ servers a month ago.

In an email from June, Michael Lynton, the chief executive of Sony Pictures, wrote to Nicole Seligman, Sony America’s senior lawyer, saying that he had discussed the film with Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs.

“I explained that we wanted to act in a responsible fashion and that the film was designed to entertain and not to make a political statement,” Mr Lynton told Ms Seligman. “I also said that we did not want to be provocative for its own sake and we were concerned for the safety of Americans and American and North Korean relations.”

According to the email, Mr Russel “said that the North Koreans were going to do whatever they were going to do with or without the film, though they may use it as an excuse. He explained that this was not an area the US government would get involved in. He felt very strongly that this would not result in a nuclear attack by the Koreans.”

At the end of The Interview, Mr Kim’s helicopter is hit by a missile, causing his head to catch fire and explode as the Katy Perry song Firework plays in the background.

Mr Lynton, a board member of Rand Corporation, the foreign affairs think-tank, sent a copy of the film to Bruce Bennett, one of its senior defence analysts. Mr Bennett said that toning down the ending “may reduce the North Korean response”, but concluded that he would prefer to leave it alone.

“A story that talks about the removal of the Kim family regime and the creation of a new government by the North Korean people . . . will start some real thinking in South Korea and, I ­believe, in the North once the DVD leaks [there],” he said.

Mr Bennett said that he had consulted Robert King, the state department’s special envoy for human rights issues in North Korea. “I talked with King,” Mr Bennett told Mr Lynton. “Their office has apparently decided that this is typical North Korean bullying, likely without follow-up, but you never know with North Korea.”

Sony insisted that it stood by its filmmakers and their right to free expression. Others in Hollywood voiced concern. “This sets a hell of a precedent,” said one industry executive.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/worl ... 300546.ece

[mellie]

North Koreans have no sense of humour, we know this.

I'd like to see this film too now... perhaps this is just a pre-release publicity stunt SN?

[Super Nova]

North Koreans have no sense of humour, we know this.

I'd like to see this film too now... perhaps this is just a pre-release publicity stunt SN?

if so it has worked on me.

My point is if we keep capitulating to those that don't like something harmless and choose to be offended because they threaten to kill a few of us it threatens some of our core values and freedoms.

We began this slippery slope with cartoon of an unnamed prophet... now it goes on and on..... they create fear, we capitulate and they win and know how to control us.

This is getting worse and we need to take a stand.

[Neferti]

It scrapped plans to screen in America a comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korea’s dictator at the hands of the CIA.

A comedy about an assassination? What's so amusing about an assassination, regardless of which country's leader. Would the USA citizens like to have a comedy made about JFK, for example? I bloody doubt it.

[Black Orchid]

I just finished a book about the plotted assassination of Kim Jong Un by the CIA. David Baldacci (and fiction) but it gave a pretty accurate insight into the North Koreans, their labour camps and how they are brainwashed into submission. Strange lot.

[Super Nova]

It scrapped plans to screen in America a comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korea’s dictator at the hands of the CIA.

A comedy about an assassination? What's so amusing about an assassination, regardless of which country's leader. Would the USA citizens like to have a comedy made about JFK, for example? I bloody doubt it.

I agree but they would support their right to express it and no-one would threaten to blow them up for it.

Imagine if Monty Python instead of the Life of Brian... did the Life of Abdul....... can you.....

[boxy]

It scrapped plans to screen in America a comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korea’s dictator at the hands of the CIA.

A comedy about an assassination? What's so amusing about an assassination, regardless of which country's leader. Would the USA citizens like to have a comedy made about JFK, for example? I bloody doubt it.

Seinfeld did an episode, that was a pisstake on the JFK assassination.

[boxy]

I'd like to see this film too now... perhaps this is just a pre-release publicity stunt SN?

Wouldn't surprise me if it gets used to test direct release (via internet to home theatre) viability, to cut out the cinema.

[mellie]

I'd like to see this film too now... perhaps this is just a pre-release publicity stunt SN?

Wouldn't surprise me if it gets used to test direct release (via internet to home theatre) viability, to cut out the cinema.

True.

[Neferti]

I agree but they would support their right to express it and no-one would threaten to blow them up for it.

Imagine if Monty Python instead of the Life of Brian... did the Life of Abdul....... can you.....

In this scenario, is Abdul a Muslim?

I never saw Life of Brian ... no particular reason.