Merry Xmas to all. Hope Santa was good to you.
(Maybe some of you found THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE under the tree. Or THE ICE DRAGON).
Those of you near one of the 300 independent theatres showing THE INTERVIEW today, do go and take in a show, and help us make a statement.
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Just got off the phone with Jon Bowman, the booker at the Jean Cocteau Cinema. Jon just got off the phone with Sony.
THE INTERVIEW will open at the Cocteau on Christmas Day. Four shows: 2pm, 4:30, 7pm, and 9:30.
We were otherwise going to be closed on Christmas. We're opening just for this film, and will devote the whole day to it.
We have booked a full run, so THE INTERVIEW will continue to run for two weeks, in rotation with the other films that we had already committed too before this all broke.
We may schedule some midnight shows if there's enough demand.
So come join us, and celebrate Christmas… and free speech… with Seth Rogen.
CHRISTMAS EVE ADDENDUM: All four of our Christmas Day showings are completely sold out. Tickets for the Friday shows are going fast, and those will probably sell out as well. We are adding extra shows on Saturday to accommodate the demand.
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Exciting news this morning. Sony has announced that it will show THE INTERVIEW on Christmas Day at "selected theatres."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/23/sony-the-interview-screenings_n_6373096.html
Our friends at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin have already booked it.
We at the Jean Cocteau are trying to do the same.
Watch this space for further details.
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Sony's stance on THE INTERVIEW seems to take a new twist every day.
Now we are told that, yes, they are going to release the film. They are just not sure how.
Of course, this all depends on who you believe.
THE NEW YORK POST says they plan to release it on Crackle, their own streaming internet service:
http://nypost.com/2014/12/21/sony-plans-to-release-the-interview-on-crackle-for-free/
Other sources say the POST is wrong:
http://www.slashfilm.com/interview-on-crackle/
Bit Torrent says that it is willing to show the film:
http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/21/bittorrent-tells-sony-its-happy-to-release-the-interview/
I don't know about any of this.
What I do know is that Sony's statement that it "had no choice" but to cancel the film's release is plainly false. It had plenty of choices, and still does.
The best of those choices, I believe, is to open THE INTERVIEW in theatres on Christmas Day, as originally planned. I have been in communication with the owners and operators of other independent cinemas and arthouses, and representatives of some of the smaller chains, and I know that hundreds of these venues would gladly screen this film, if only Sony will make it available. Regal and AMC and the megaplexes may have caved, but the independents have not. Sony could have the film on five hundred screens by Christmas, if it wants to. And I would love for the Jean Cocteau to be one of them.
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The Giants won. The Jets lost. Both teams have long been eliminated from playoff contention, so it did not truly matter in either case, but still… it was good to see the G-Men win, and it stung to see Gang Green lose again, especially to the hated Patriots.
The Giants pretty well dominated the St. Louis Rams from start to finish, though there were a few spots in the middle where the score got closer and I worried that Big Blue might be letting this one slip away. But no, though the defense was shaky at times, the offense looked great. It has become more than apparent that the Giants have a new star in Odell Beckham Jr. Barring injury, he may turn out to be the best wideout the team has ever had in its long and storied history. He already seems to be in a class with Megatron and Dez Bryant as one of the very best in the NFL, and he should be a cinch for Rookie of the Year. Next year, with Victor Cruz back to play beside him, the Giants' offense should be truly dangerous. But we need to do something in the draft and free agency to shore up the defense before Big Blue can hope to contend.
And yes, I think Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese should both be back.
One last comment on the game. I have never hated the Rams, the way I hate the Cowboys and the Patriots (though I certainly feared to play them when they were the Greatest Show on Turf), but under their present coaching staff, they have become the dirtiest team in the NFL. The late hits and general nastiness today were so flagrant even the commentators had to take note of it. I hope the NFL does as well. Big fines, please.
As for Jets v. Patriots… sigh… well, they blew another one. Or, to be more precise, Geno Smith blew another one. Some people were calling this a blowout, but Gang Green actually outplayed Evil Little Bill and his minions for most of the game, and held a slim lead late into the second half. Rex Ryan's defense played lights out, harassing Tom Brady all morning, sacking him several times, and Geno was playing decently on the other side of the ball. Until the fourth quarter, that is. Until it really counted. Then he served up an INT to set up the Patriots go-ahead touchdown. Still, New England was only ahead by one point, all the Jets needed was a field goal, and they drove down into field goal range, and things were looking good… until Geno took a sack on a crucial third-down play, and the game-winning 40-odd-yard field goal attempt became a 52-yarder. Which got blocked, of course. Game over.
One more game on the schedule, then the house cleaning begins. Win or lose next week, I think Rex Ryan should be retained as Jets coach. THe team still plays hard for him, he's a great defensive mind, and … most crucially… I don't see where the Jets are going to find anyone better. Evil Little Bill is not leaving his Evil Empire to coach the NYJ. Bill Parcells is not coming out of retirement. Vince Lombardi is not returning from the dead. I would rather have Rex than the latest phenom from the college ranks, or the hot coordinator from some playoff team.
I do, however, hope that John Idzik gets his walking papers next Monday. And they need to get rid of Geno Smith and Michael Vick as well. The Jets will never contend with either of them at quarterback.
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Discussions of North Korea, cyber war, the corporate cowardice of Sony Pictures, and THE INTERVIEW have been taking over the airwaves these past two days, and millions of words have been devoted to the issues. I won't try to rehash them all here.
The most important words, and the truest words, were those spoken by the big man, President Obama.
<lj-embed id=”528″ />
I agree with everything the President said there.
One of the most important bits, in my opinion, is toward the middle, where he talks about the chilling effect the cowardice of Sony and the big movie chains could have on other filmmakers going forward. This is a point that very few of the talking heads on television seem to be addressing. It is not theoretical. THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. The damage has already extended well beyond THE INTERVIEW itself. Paramount, a studio that has NOT been hacked, and has NOT been threatened, has already reacted by pulling TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE from all the theatres that wanted to show it as a substitute for THE INTERVIEW. They have made no public statement as to their reasons, but I think their reasons are plain… they are afraid of drawing down the wrath on North Korea and the hackers. Meanwhile, New Regency and Fox — neither of them part of the Sony hack, neither of them theatened — have scrapped plans forPYONGYANG, a Steve Carrell movie about North Korea, based on a popular graphic novle.
http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/good-north-korea-movie-pyongyang-guy-delisle.html
This a textbook example of "chilling effect." Nothing could be more clearcut. Not just one Seth Rogen/ James Franco ( or Flacco) movie has been impacted, but three different projects, one ten years old, one still in preproduction.
Of course, Sony has taken issue with the president's declaration that they "made a mistake." (A very mild way of putting it, in my opinion.) No, no, they did not make a mistake, they are insisting, they had no choice. Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton instead tried to shift the blame to Regal, AMC, and the other movie chains who announced that they would not not screen the film. "We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered, and we haven't backed down. We have always had the desire to have the American public see this movie," Lynton said.
Sorry, but that's bullshit. Sony did have a choice. They still do. They can release the film tomorrow, if they want.
Sony is correct in one regard: the big movie chains are getting off way too easy here. All the discussion has focused on Sony, but in fact the cowardice started with Regal, with AMC, and the other monarchs of the multiplex who decided to bow to the threats and pull THE INTERVIEW from their screens. But for Sony to suggest that once that happened they "had no place to show the film," is disingenuous.
I have already stated that the Jean Cocteau Cinema will show THE INTERVIEW here in Santa Fe, should it be made available to us. And yes, we're a tiny little arthouse, only 125 seats… but the crucial point is, we would not have been alone. According to NATO (the National Association of Theatre Owners, not the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), there are 39,662 movie screens in the United States. Regal, the largest and most powerful of the chains, has 7318 of those. The other big chains have thousands too, but…
Do the math. There are still THOUSANDS of screens out there not under the control of the mega-chains. Smaller chains, regional chains, arthouses, and many many many small independent movie theatres like my own… theatres that would have jumped at the chance to show a big Christmas movie, an opportunity not often afforded them. Regal may have been intimidated, but I don't think Alamo Drafthouse would have been. I suspect Quention Tarantino and his New Beverly Theatre in LA would have stepped up, he's no stranger to controversy. And there are thousands more. So don't give us this "boo hoo, we have no choice, no one would have showed our movie" okey-doke, Sony, because it's not true. The INDEPENDENTS would have showed your film. We still will. Release it, and see.
Rachel Maddow did an excellent story last night about the parallels between THE INTERVIEW case and the SATANIC VERSES incident, when Iran declared a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, threatening to kill not only the author but also his editors and publishers. It is worth remembering that, in that case as in this, the big chains were the first to cave. Waldenbooks, B. Daltons, and Barnes & Noble all responded by announcing that they would not be selling THE SATANIC VERSES. But… here's the important part…Rushdie's publishers did not flinch, but stood firm for the book, the author, and the principle of free speech. And who stood with them? The independent bookstores. All the shops around the corner, the specialty stores, the mom-and-pop operations came forth and said, almost as one, "We'll sell your book." And they did, in unprecedented numbers. THE SATANIC VERSES was a huge bestseller, not because of the chains, but in spite of them.
Maybe Regal is afraid is to show THE INTERVIEW. The CEOs in the corporate suites are too scared by what their lawyers are whispering in their ears about potential liability. But mom and pop have more guts, I'd bet. Release THE INTERVIEW, Sony, and hundreds of small chains and indy theatres will snap it up all across the country.
And hey, Paramount, we'd snap up TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE as well. So climb out from underneath your desks, and make it available for us to book.
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Amazon is running a special "Stocking Stuffer" sale on selected items for the month of December. 10% off.
The selected specials include the HEDGE KNIGHT and SWORN SWORD graphic novels from Jet City Comics.
Go here for details.
And happy shopping to all.
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The cowardice is contagious, it would appear.
In the comments to my last post, several of my readers suggested that we follow the lead of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin and show TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE at the Cocteau, since Sony has wimped out and pulled THE INTERVIEW.
It sounded like a great idea, so we took immediate steps to do so.
Only to learn that Paramount has now decided to withdraw TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE from exhibition. We won't be allowed to show the film, and neither will Alamo, nor any of the other independent venues that wanted to use TA:WP to replace THE INTERVIEW.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-team-america-to-screen-in-place-of-the-interview-at-texas-theater-20141218-story.html
Regal. AMC. Cinemark. Sony. And now Paramount. Where does it end?
I guess I should contact our new North Korean masters to ask them what movies we will be allowed to show at the Cocteau.
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This one is surreal.
In a stunning display of corporate cowardice, Regal, AMC, and every other major theatre chain in the United States have cancelled their plans to show the new Seth Rogen/ James Franco comedy THE INTERVIEW, because of — yes, seriously, this is not a SOUTH PARK sketch (though I expect it soon will be) — threats from North Korea.
Not familiar with THE INTERVIEW? Here's the trailer:
<lj-embed id=”526″ />
I mean, really? REALLY?? These gigantic corporations, most of which could buy North Korea with pocket change, are declining to show a film because Kim Jong-Un objects to being mocked?
The level of corporate cowardice here astonishes me. It's a good thing these guys weren't around when Charlie Chaplin made THE GREAT DICTATOR. If Kim Jong-Un scares them, Adolf Hitler would have had them shitting in their smallclothes.
Even Sony, which made the movie, is going along. There are thousands of small independent theatres across the country, like my own, that would gladly screen THE INTERVIEW, regardless of the threats from North Korea, but instead of shifting the film to those venues, Sony has cancelled its scheduled Christmas rollout entirely.
I haven't seen THE INTERVIEW. I have no idea how good or bad a film it is. It might be hilarious. It might be stupid and offensive and outrageous. (Actually, I am pretty sure about the 'outrageous' part). It might be all of the above.
That's not the point, though. Whether it's the next CITIZEN KANE or the next PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, it astonishes me that a major Hollywood film could be killed before release by threats from a foreign power and anonymous hackers.
For what it's worth, the Jean Cocteau Cinema will be glad to screen THE INTERVIEW (assuming that Sony does eventually release the film for theatrical exhibition, rather than streaming it or dumping it as a direct-to-DVD release), should it be made available to us. Come to Santa Fe, Seth, we'll show your film for you.
POSTSCRIPT: DECEMBER 20
Not content with pulling the film, Sony has now pulled the trailers as well, so the YouTube video I embedded above no longer works.
Here's a replacement from YouTube that's dead on point:
<lj-embed id=”529″/>
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… again.
First the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER named me the third most powerful writer in Hollywood.
And now, yes indeed, Barbara Walters has included me as one of her Ten Most Fascinating People of 2014. The third, actually. Though I am not sure the order actually matters.
LiveJournal is not letting me embed the video, for some reason, but for those of you who missed the show, here's a link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/game-thrones-author-george-martins-rise-success-27599428
(Look closely, and you can catch a glimpse of Parris, of Gardner Dozois, of various other friends).
It is gratifying to know that I am as fascinating as I am powerful (this year, at least). Plainly it must be the Autumn of George (obligatory SEINFELD reference).
Sad to say, however, I failed to win the triple crown. I may be fascinating, and I may be powerful, but somehow, unaccountably, PEOPLE magazine failed to name me Sexiest Man Alive to complete the sweep. They went with Thor… er, Chris Hemsworth… instead. And, yeah, okay, he's all rugged and muscle-y and stuff, and his hammer is bigger than mine, but really… PEOPLE did not even include me in the list of runners up, although Kit Harrington and Richard Madden were both included (and congrats to both of them).
But that's the way it goes with triple crowns. The Belmont always breaks 'em.
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