Secret Cinema announces censorship protest screenings
In light of censorship protests against Sony’s decision to cancel the release of The Interview, Secret Cinema announces one-off film screenings on December 21st.
Secret Cinema announces censorship protest screenings
Secret Cinema protests censorship
In protest of Sony’s withdrawal of the film, Secret Cinema has just announced simultaneous one-off screenings of an as-yet unspecified film. The immersive cinema company have confirmed a screening in a secret location in East London on Sunday 21st of December, as well as simultaneous screenings in San Francisco and Rome, and call out for people across the world to host their own screening. This may be the chance to see the banned film parodying the assassination of North Korean president Kim Jong-Un
Tickets available here from 4pm 19th December
The Interview
Never has a film's poster been so prophetic. Above the smooth planes and cuddly curves of James Franco and Seth Rogen's respective profiles loom missiles bearing a slogan, written in Korean, that reads 'War will begin.' An unexpected tagline for the latest comedy courtesy of America's favourite frat-pack duo, but one that rings true now that The Interview has earned its place as the most controversial film of the year.
So what is it about this comedy that has provoked one of the biggest breaches ever in online security, and motivated a threat of terror? The set-up is simple enough. Franco plays idiotic talk-show host Dave Skylark, Rogen his feckless producer Aaron. Given the opportunity to interview North Korea's Supreme Leader (and Skylark super-fan) played by Randall Park, this unlikely duo is tasked with assassinating Kim Jong-Un by the CIA. Getting wind of this, North Korea reportedly hacked into Sony's computer system, leaking emails, unreleased material and sensitive documents. A terrorist threat was made against venues planning to show The Interview, American cinema chains began to withdraw it from their programs. Sony cancelled the film's worldwide release soon afterwards.
Whether Sony was right to pull the plug is unanswerable by anyone not directly responsible for public safety, yet whilst the threat to safety is uncertain, the threat to freedom of expression has been proven. It’s likely that, with the studio under fire, pulling the film was their only viable option. Nonetheless, the success of the viral attackers has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many who would see it released.
In protest of Sony’s withdrawal of the film, Secret Cinema has just announced simultaneous one-off screenings of an as-yet unspecified film. The immersive cinema company have confirmed a screening in a secret location in East London on Sunday 21st of December, as well as simultaneous screenings in San Francisco and Rome, and call out for people across the world to host their own screening. This may be the chance to see the banned film parodying the assassination of North Korean president Kim Jong-Un
Tickets available here from 4pm 19th December
The Interview
Never has a film's poster been so prophetic. Above the smooth planes and cuddly curves of James Franco and Seth Rogen's respective profiles loom missiles bearing a slogan, written in Korean, that reads 'War will begin.' An unexpected tagline for the latest comedy courtesy of America's favourite frat-pack duo, but one that rings true now that The Interview has earned its place as the most controversial film of the year.
So what is it about this comedy that has provoked one of the biggest breaches ever in online security, and motivated a threat of terror? The set-up is simple enough. Franco plays idiotic talk-show host Dave Skylark, Rogen his feckless producer Aaron. Given the opportunity to interview North Korea's Supreme Leader (and Skylark super-fan) played by Randall Park, this unlikely duo is tasked with assassinating Kim Jong-Un by the CIA. Getting wind of this, North Korea reportedly hacked into Sony's computer system, leaking emails, unreleased material and sensitive documents. A terrorist threat was made against venues planning to show The Interview, American cinema chains began to withdraw it from their programs. Sony cancelled the film's worldwide release soon afterwards.
Whether Sony was right to pull the plug is unanswerable by anyone not directly responsible for public safety, yet whilst the threat to safety is uncertain, the threat to freedom of expression has been proven. It’s likely that, with the studio under fire, pulling the film was their only viable option. Nonetheless, the success of the viral attackers has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many who would see it released.
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