Obama: Sony 'Made a Mistake' By Pulling 'The Interview' Movie

[M-Dent]

I’m not sure what costs and consequences could be imposed on an isolated regime?

Obama: Sony ‘Made a Mistake’ By Pulling ‘The Interview’ Movie

President Barack Obama said Friday that Sony Pictures Entertainment “made a mistake” by nixing the release of a comedic film after the company was hacked and received cyber threats.

“Sony’s a corporation. It suffered significant damage. There were threats against some of its employees,” he said “I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced. Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake.”

In a year-end press conference, Obama said that he wishes Sony had spoken to him before deciding to back down on the film “The Interview,” which depicted a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

If somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like, or news reports that they don’t like," he added.

“That’s not who we are,” he said. “That’s not what America’s about.”

nbcnews.com/politics/barack-obama/obama-sony-made-mistake-pulling-interview-movie-n271786

“As a result of our investigation, and in close collaboration with other U.S. government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,” the FBI said in a statement.

“North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves,” it said. “Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior.”

“Working together, the FBI will identify, pursue, and impose costs and consequences on individuals, groups, or nation states who use cyber means to threaten the United States or U.S. interests,” said the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Investigation

reuters.com/article/2014/12/19/us-sony-cybersecurity-usa-idUSKBN0JX1MH20141219

This idea would rattle NK’s cage…but not a good idea.

Romney: Release ‘The Interview’ for free online

Mitt Romney, the Republican’s 2012 presidential nominee, wants Sony Pictures to release its controversial comedy, “The Interview,” for free online.

Hours later, the former Massachusetts governor tweeted at Sony.

“.@SonyPictures don’t cave, fight: release @TheInterview free online globally. Ask viewers for voluntary $5 contribution to fight #Ebola.”

thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/227521-house-dem-release-the-interview-on-dvd

 

[Cider]

He wishes the people at Sony had spoken to him first? Is he running Sony Pictures now?

 

[KevinAK]

He wishes the people at Sony had spoken to him first? Is he running Sony Pictures now?

Not yet, but give him time. He thinks government should run everything.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this whole drama was nothing but a hoax to use as an excuse for Sony to bury this potential bomb.

 

[J_Peterson]

He wishes the people at Sony had spoken to him first? Is he running Sony Pictures now?

You don’t see why the President would want to be consulted when a foreign nation (who is our enemy) is forcing a company to do their bidding?

 

[oldcatholicguy]

You don’t see why the President would want to be consulted when a foreign nation (who is our enemy) is forcing a company to do their bidding?

You mean like how the Administration told the producers of that anti-Islamic film they should stand firm against pressure to shelve their film?

 

[Cider]

You mean like how the Administration told the producers of that anti-Islamic film they should stand firm against pressure to shelve their film?

Exactly. Wait, didn’t we bring one the American’s involved in that up on charges?

 

[RosslynV]

Obama is right on. Sony has bowed down to terrorism. However, there’s a greater dynamic at work here. Sony is a Japanese company so in that sense the japs have different outlook and other geopolitical concerns.

 

[DeniseNY]

Obama is right on. Sony has bowed down to terrorism. However, there’s a greater dynamic at work here. Sony is a Japanese company so in that sense **the japs **have different outlook and other geopolitical concerns.

Seriously?

 

[Ositokc]

Bravo to Obama and Romney!

In a show of unity, I can say that I agree completely with them both!

Leave it to a comedy to unite us

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Bravo to Obama and Romney!

In a show of unity, I can say that I agree completely with them both!

Leave it to a comedy to unite us

I am biased because I so wanted to see that movie, but I don’t think they should have bowed down to the crazies.

 

[RosslynV]

Seriously?

Are you trying yo censure me? Lol

 

[Crossbones]

Maybe he’s just getting in a dig for the “What movie you think’d the President would want to see? Django. 12 Years.” Yuck. Yuck.

Big picture: he’s right. President GW Bush, who I have no love for, certainly didn’t act like a wimp in the face of terrorism, wanting to go back to Washington immediately after hearing of the attack (once he had a chance to get out of the awkward situation of that poor kid reading the book to him).

 

[ringil]

Obama is right, but, as usual nothing he says or does is seen positively around here.

It wouldn’t matter his words or actions.

Now if this were a GOP President. . . . . . .

 

[tomarin]

Not yet, but give him time. He thinks government should run everything.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this whole drama was nothing but a hoax to use as an excuse for Sony to bury this potential bomb.

Hey, that sounds like a great idea for a movie!

 

[Cone]

You mean like how the Administration told the producers of that anti-Islamic film they should stand firm against pressure to shelve their film?

+1

 

[ucfengr]

The driver behind Sony pulling “The Interview” was Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Cineplex Entertainment and Carmike Cinema deciding not to run the film at their theatres. There’s no way they could have had a successful opening with that many theatres off the table.

 

[pensmama87]

I figured the movie would be dumb, but still entertaining.

Now that it has been pulled, I noticed I was a lot more interested in seeing it. I wonder if the people at Sony have considered that there might be more viewers like me out there, who are now curious about just what might be in the film that is so controversial that it couldn’t be shown.

(I bet nothing, and that it’s just the basic plot line, but still. If they ever do release it, a lot more people are probably going to see it.)

 

[M-Dent]

The driver behind Sony pulling “The Interview” was Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Cineplex Entertainment and Carmike Cinema deciding not to run the film at their theatres. There’s no way they could have had a successful opening with that many theatres off the table.

This is what the CEO of Sony has said in a response given today,

Sony CEO Michael Lynton said he would be “fibbing” to say he “wasn’t disappointed” in Obama’s remarks.

“I don’t know exactly whether he understands the sequence of events that led up to the movie not being shown in the movie theaters,” Lynton said. “Therefore I would disagree with the notion that it was a mistake.”

“We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered, and we have not backed down. We have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie.​

In this instance, the president, the press, and the public are mistaken on what actually happened,” Lynton told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. “We do not own movie theaters, we can not determine whether or not a movie will be played in movie theaters.”

But he also said that no “major video on demand distributor” has been “willing to distribute” the film. “We don’t have that direct interface with the American public, so we need to go through an intermediary to do that.”

money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

thewrap.com/sony-ceo-responds-to-president-obama-the-president-the-press-and-the-public-are-mistaken/

 

[Pat_Payne]

Are you trying yo censure me? Lol

Actually, yes. Yes s/he is.

cen·sure
ˈsen(t)SHər/
verb
verb: censure; 3rd person present: censures; past tense: censured; past participle: censured; gerund or present participle: censuring

1.
express severe disapproval of (someone or something), typically in a formal statement.
"a judge was censured in 1983 for a variety of types of injudicious conduct"

If you meant “censor”, then no. No s/he was not. However, the word “j*p” kinda went out of vogue post-Nagasaki, dontchathink?

 

[Crossbones]

I figured the movie would be dumb, but still entertaining.

Well, you’re half right.