Before last week nobody had ever heard of the movie The Interview. Now terrorist groups, world leaders, and every single person on Earth can’t stop talking about it. If this was all a publicity stunt… kudos.
Of course it’s disappointing to see that a work of art gets shelved for political reasons. It’s even more disappointing to say I get it. I get it. If the unthinkable happened (hardly unthinkable anymore), no amount of ticket and popcorn revenue could ever wipe Sony’s hands clean. It’s a business decision. I get it.
We say all the time that the United States of America “is a free country.” Of course it is. We can make fun of our leaders, political and otherwise, without (much) fear of retribution. Sadly this does not exist in most of the world today and hasn’t existed in most places at most times. This is a free country, not a free world.
So I’m more interested than ever in seeing The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. Knowing nothing about this particular movie, I think those two make a pretty good team. Rogen, especially, is one of the funniest acts in Hollywood.
I’ve seen recently two movies with a similar premise: thirtysomething parents still trying to be hip. Seth Rogen’s Neighbors is hilariously good, I think out-Superbad-ing even Superbad. But Sex Tape, with Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz? Resting on their laurels. Point is: Rogen still brings it and I can’t wait to see his latest.