Screenings of movie that sparked controversy attract sell-out crowds

Critics and early viewers agree that The Interview is less than a masterpiece. But thanks to threats from hackers that nearly derailed its release, it has become an event.

Hundreds of theaters, from The Edge 8 in Greenville, Alabama, to Michael Moore's Bijou by the Bay in Traverse City, Michigan, made special arrangements on Thursday to screen the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy depicting the assassination of Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Sony Pictures had initially called off the release after major theater chains dropped the movie that was to have opened on as many as 3,000 screens.

But with US President Obama among others criticizing the decision, Sony officials changed their minds. The Interview became available on a variety of digital platforms on Wednesday, including Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and a Sony website. Meanwhile, Sony and independent theaters agreed to release it in over 300 venues on Christmas Day.

"We are taking a stand for freedom," said theater manager Lee Peterson of the Cinema Village East in Manhattan, where most of Thursday's seven screenings had sold out by early afternoon. "We want to show the world that Americans will not be told what we can or cannot watch. Personally, I am not afraid."

Security was light at many theaters, with the occasional police officer on hand. The possibility of violence was taken more seriously by the movie industry than by government officials. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying there were no credible threats.

Meanwhile, Darrell Foxworth, a special agent for the FBI in San Diego, said on Wednesday that the agency was sharing information with independent movie theater owners showing The Interview out of "an abundance of caution" and to educate them about cyberthreats and what help the FBI can offer.

Kim Song, a DPRK diplomat to the United Nations, condemned the release on Wednesday, calling the movie an "unpardonable mockery of our sovereignty and dignity of our supreme leader." But Kim said Pyongyang will probably limit its response to condemnation, with no "physical reaction".

Online services down

Decisions to show the movie through the Internet could open up companies to hacking. Xbox and PlayStation's online gaming services were down on Thursday afternoon, but the cause was unclear.

A hacking group called the Lizard Squad claimed it was behind the disruptions, but the claim could not be verified. Meanwhile, YouTube and other Google products were not experiencing any disruption.

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed the Xbox outage but declined to comment further. Sony PlayStation representatives did not immediately respond to inquiries.

A few dozen people lined up early outside Tempe, Arizona's Valley Art theater, where tickets for all five showings on Thursday had sold out. "There are a lot of people going crazy over (the controversy). It's bigger than the movie," said Omar Khiel, 20.

At the Cinema Village theater in Manhattan, the 10 am screening was near capacity. Derek Karpel, a 34-year-old attorney, said that "as many people as possible should go see it. In fact, the government should subsidize tickets to make that possible".

But he did not say that The Interview was a great movie.

"No one should go in expecting it to be a serious commentary on politics," he said. "But it's fun. People should go."

AP - Reuters - AFP