This spineless reaction has gone far enough. And I don't know about you, but I am no longer going to take this lying down.
Today, Sony Pictures has decided to withdraw their new Franco/Rogen film, The Interview, from it's anticipated Christmas Day release due to anonymous and unsubstantiated threats to movie theaters and their attendees. A group of hackers naming themselves the "Guardians of Peace" hacked Sony Pictures' computers and downloaded 12 terabytes of data, including films, emails, and the personal information of executives and acting talent. They have been slowly leaking information onto torrent sites, all the while threatening a 9/11-type response to any theater that shows the film.
And, because some random computer nerds made this threat, the movie won't be released (as planned, anyways).
When did this country become filled with yellow-bellied cowards?! When did we start cowering to random messages of retribution?! This is a country that rebuilt the World Trade Center after TWO separate terrorist attacks! We scoff at extremist terrorists when they tell us that they'll kill us, our children, and anyone else that helps us, yet we cow toe to hackers? HACKERS?!?!?!
I DEMAND to see The Interview. We MUST see The Interview. Not because we think it'll be funny, or because we just LOVE to make fun of North Korea, or even because we have a man-crush on Jimmy Franco. We must see it because if we don't, we set a terrifying precedent for future forced censorship.
Can you imagine if the USSR/East Germans did this to stop Stripes from playing in theaters? What about if British hackers tried to stop Mr. Bean? Perhaps if ISIS wanted to stop American Sniper? "Hey, terrorists can make any threat that they want, but HOLY CRAP if they hack a movie company's computers AND send a threat... Well, I guess we have to listen to them now!"
This movie will be released eventually. And when it is, I'll be watching it. Not because I love comedies, or want to see some sweet Franco action, but because I refuse to let some random stranger on the internet dictate what I can and cannot do.
I refuse to tremble in fear. If you want to curl up in the corner and pass on the film, that's your prerogative. It isn't mine.