With the release of The Interview coming up in a few days, preceded by the Sony hack and threats of a "Christmas surprise, what do you think about the movie itself. Obviously, the movie and it’s subject matter (a comedic blundering attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-Un) don’t justify violence or terrorism, but separate from that, what are your thoughts about making a movie that’s central plot is based on a plan to kill an existing real world leader.
My take is that Rogen and Franco are mostly knuckleheads who don’t really make very good movies, and I don’t expect The Interview to really be any good either. I also think it’s in really bad taste to make a movie about killing a real person who is still alive, and is still the leader of a foreign power. It’s probably also predictably dangerous to make that movie about one of our adversaries who we know doesn’t necessarily act rationally. I wonder what Americans would think about the N.Koreans or the Iranians making a feature film about a plot to kill President Obama (or President Bush if that’s your political bent). I expect it would be similarly labeled as terrorist propaganda, and we’d also probably have some fringe groups threatening violence in response. Hell, we had some uproar when Hollywood types made a movie about Pres Bush, and it didn’t even have anything to do with assassination.
Honestly, if someone made a movie about assassinated President Obama you’d have a hell of a lot of Americans cheering for it. We’ve had a well known figure(Ted Nugent) openly threaten to kill him, and not only did nothing happen, he was then invited to the State of the Union. There have been countless other groups threaten to kill or lynch him.
To your point, I hadn’t really thought about it but you make good points. I think Rogan and Franco are just a couple kids in adult bodies and probably figured no one would actually take them all that seriously anyway. As insane as Kim Jong Un is, is he dumb enough to actually start a war with the US? Its one thing when a terrorist does something, there’s no way to really respond, but the leader of a country does something, that entire country becomes a target.
All depends if its funny really. Team America and South Park are funny so I’ll happily forgive the inappropriateness of their content (Saddam as Satan’s gay lover was genius). I’m not that hopeful though. Rogen can be quite funny if directed well, but Franco’s lack of talent is matched only by his apparent belief that he is some sort of genius.
I wouldn’t have a problem with anyone making a comedy about killing anyone. Lampooning has a long history and the best response is open discourse, not hiding in fear because of a few ideologues who may be violent idiots. Refusing to make comedies, print cartoons, etc is the first step in conceding to terrorist demands that we all live under their tyranny of terror.
Eta: since none of has seen the movie, we don’t know if they are actually going to assassinate him. Based on a trailer I saw, I’m guessing that the dumb leader turns out to be a nice guy and they don’t want to kill him.
Refusing to make comedies, print cartoons, etc is the first step in conceding to terrorist demands that we all live under their tyranny of terror.
I’m not sure that exercising good taste and choosing not to make movies about killing other countries’ leaders is really “giving in to the terrorists.”
I agree it is in poor taste and should have been smashed by the film industry before the project ever got started. It is fairly irresponsible to produce such a move.
I do not think the US would have had near the reaction that North Koreans may have. We are not really taught to hate these other places like N Koreans are taught to hate the US so I suspect we would see a similar movie about a US President as poor taste, but it would not dominate much of a narrative.
One parallel is that I do not see the President or the State department condemning the movie as they condemned the “Innocence of Muslims” film. It would seem they should be similarly offensive, but there does not seem to be an official comment on the movie.
Refusing to make comedies, print cartoons, etc is the first step in conceding to terrorist demands that we all live under their tyranny of terror.
I’m not sure that exercising good taste and choosing not to make movies about killing other countries’ leaders is really “giving in to the terrorists.”
I agree that making a movie about killing a real person, a leader of another country nonetheless, is not in good taste. I don;t think this would go over well with just about anyone- save perhaps Hitler, but even back then a fictional movie based on non-fictional desire to murder wouldn’t be in good taste for him either probably.
If this is what passes for comedy then perhaps the well has run dry.
With the release of The Interview coming up in a few days, preceded by the Sony hack and threats of a "Christmas surprise, what do you think about the movie itself. Obviously, the movie and it’s subject matter (a comedic blundering attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-Un) don’t justify violence or terrorism, but separate from that, what are your thoughts about making a movie that’s central plot is based on a plan to kill an existing real world leader.
My take is that Rogen and Franco are mostly knuckleheads who don’t really make very good movies, and I don’t expect The Interview to really be any good either. I also think it’s in really bad taste to make a movie about killing a real person who is still alive, and is still the leader of a foreign power. It’s probably also predictably dangerous to make that movie about one of our adversaries who we know doesn’t necessarily act rationally. I wonder what Americans would think about the N.Koreans or the Iranians making a feature film about a plot to kill President Obama (or President Bush if that’s your political bent). I expect it would be similarly labeled as terrorist propaganda, and we’d also probably have some fringe groups threatening violence in response. Hell, we had some uproar when Hollywood types made a movie about Pres Bush, and it didn’t even have anything to do with assassination.
“Fuckem’ if they can’t take a joke.”
Sophie Tucker via Bette Midler
I’m curious why whoever is behind the hacks and threats are more worked up about this movie than they were when Team America came out.
Of course it is on bad taste, it was meant to be. And they should be able to make the movie just like you should be able to one directed at a US leader.
But Rogen is a dipshit. I’m sure part of that is that he is Canadian. But he also has no experience in the real world. I’m sure it never occured to him that the dictator of North Korea could do anything to him. I’m betting someone asked if this is a good idea and he simply thought that Un is a joke and what can he do to me. Well, he can have people kill you for one.
Just because you should be ABLE to do something doesn’t mean you should actually do it.
what are your thoughts about making a movie that’s central plot is based on a plan to kill an existing real world leader.
I think Kim Jong Un is fair game for what you called a comedic blundering attempt to assassinate him.
I wonder what Americans would think about the N.Koreans or the Iranians making a feature film about a plot to kill President Obama (or President Bush if that’s your political bent).
I wouldn’t care. I’m able to differentiate real life from fiction, and especially comedy. I didn’t get upset with foreign (or even domestic) protests where the President was burned in effigy.
I expect it would be similarly labeled as terrorist propaganda, and we’d also probably have some fringe groups threatening violence in response.
Possibly, but by people bent on disingenuously labeling it something that it’s not.
Hell, we had some uproar when Hollywood types made a movie about Pres Bush, and it didn’t even have anything to do with assassination.
I also think it’s in really bad taste to make a movie about killing a real person who is still alive, and is still the leader of a foreign power. It’s probably also predictably dangerous to make that movie about one of our adversaries who we know doesn’t necessarily act rationally.
I agree with this. Bad taste.
Remember the re-make of Red Dawn? Originally, the invading army was from China. The studio caved to pressure from China and digitally altered the markings to North Korea. I thought that was ridiculous.
Making an existing country the bad guy is fine. Hell, in GI Joe, they had a scene entering North Korea. But, you cannot use real people and make them targets for assassination. Poor taste.
I meant the latter, of course. I’m not suggesting you think it would actually be reasonable for the leader of NK to order a hit on a schlock actor.
But personally, I wouldn’t put much stock in that fear. To the extent I did, it would tend to piss me off, and I’d be even more inclined to circulate the movie.
I’m getting pretty tired of idiots who live on the other side of the planet being granted any sort of power to influence what we here in 'Murica (and the West in general) are allowed to say, on threat of violence. Don’t like editorial cartoons of Mohammed? Well, hey, threaten some violence, and we’ll curtail our freedom for ya. Don’t like some goof in Florida burning the Koran? Same deal. Don’t like the idea of being made fun of in a slapstick comedy? I guess the implicit threat of killing an actor ought to preempt that in the first place.
Meh. I might have to go see the movie just on principle.
No one will see the movie anyway. Rogen by himself is funny, Rogen with Franco they both suck.
They really advertised this movie as from the makers of “This is the End” which was the worst movie I have seen in a long time. I like Rogen with others, but this movie is gonna suck.
There are many movies that are made that are in bad taste, but that does not diminish the right of filmmakers to make them. We do not have a Hays Code any longer, but the markets generally do a decent job as arbiters of taste for most films of any consequence (keeping in mind the large variation of tastes). Political parody has also been a staple in Hollywood for decades. “The Great Dictator”, “You Natzy Spy!”, and “I’ll Never Heil Again” all made fun of “dangerous”, living leaders. Like Hitler, Kim Jong-un is a caricature who easily lends himself to comedy, and the atrocities he commits against his own people make any semblance of respect for him as a “leader” a ridiculous notion. I am generally not a fan of these types of comedies, but I plan to see this one on principle alone.