UPDATE: Good news for those looking to flip Kim Jong-un the freedom bird but who don’t want to (or can’t) drive to Fortuna: Sony has announced that The Interview is also available to stream online. As of 10 a.m. you can rent the movie in high definition via Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s XBox Video or this dedicated website. (Though that last one doesn’t seem to be working for us.) It’s an early Christmas present.
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Original post:
The Fortuna Theater will be one of just 200 or so theaters nationwide to screen the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy that sparked a geopolitical skirmish with North Korea.
Sony Pictures had pulled The Interview from its scheduled Christmas Day release after major theater chains opted not to screen it in light of threats invoking Sept. 11. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was not amused by the movie’s plot, which revolves around trying to execute him. He called the movie an “act of war” and vowed merciless retaliation should it be released. The North Korean government has been linked to a massive hack into Sony Pictures’ servers.
Sony reversed its decision and opted to release the movie after all in the face of public backlash, a tsk-tsk from President Obama and an online petition from independent theater owners.
The Fortuna is part of the Petaluma-based Cinema West, whose owner, Dave Corkill, told a Sacramento Fox TV affiliate, “Freedom of speech is an important thing in our country, and it shouldn’t be up to a single foreign person sending an email that threatens something in our country to bring our economy down to a grinding halt, whether it be movies or any other product. If it’s not movies what will it be next?”
All together now: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.! … .”