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Personally I find the movie very funny with great chemistry between Rogen and Franco, but the quality is not what this thread is about. When it came out a huge stir was raised over making a film poking fun at Kim Jong-Un and North Korean politics, especially since the plot involved a plan to assassinate him. But Team America already did this 10 years earlier, so why did this attract so much controversy?
Well, since it was the entire focus and not just a part of the story like in Team America, North Korea got pissed and banned it from release in their country. Not only that, but it also got pushback in the US, only allowed to run a few weeks in theaters before getting pulled.
What is the worst part though? It would struggle even more getting released today. Film companies have headed more and more into the direction of not wanting to piss off dictatorships, the hottest one at the moment being China. Damned be freedom of speech, we don't want to lose our precious sponsors!
So what on the surface is just another silly comedy starring Seth Rogen became an important statement against censorship and government oppression, whose staying power arguably only strengthened with the attempts to shut down its distribution. But it shouldn't stop at The Interview. Movies, hell, art in general challenging what dareth not be disturbed has to continue getting made. If we reach a sudden end of standing up against what's wrong, I fear more than ever for our future.
Well, since it was the entire focus and not just a part of the story like in Team America, North Korea got pissed and banned it from release in their country. Not only that, but it also got pushback in the US, only allowed to run a few weeks in theaters before getting pulled.
What is the worst part though? It would struggle even more getting released today. Film companies have headed more and more into the direction of not wanting to piss off dictatorships, the hottest one at the moment being China. Damned be freedom of speech, we don't want to lose our precious sponsors!
So what on the surface is just another silly comedy starring Seth Rogen became an important statement against censorship and government oppression, whose staying power arguably only strengthened with the attempts to shut down its distribution. But it shouldn't stop at The Interview. Movies, hell, art in general challenging what dareth not be disturbed has to continue getting made. If we reach a sudden end of standing up against what's wrong, I fear more than ever for our future.
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