back to article Sony releases Nork flick The Interview straight to DVD (digital video download)

In a shining example of how high culture* will always defeat the jackboot tactics of oppressive states like North Korea, the Seth Rogen/James Franco film The Interview is now available for viewing via multiple online streaming services. Google and Microsoft both announced that the flick – which surely cannot be any more …

  1. heyrick Silver badge

    Count to ten...

    ...and the information of everybody who downloads the film will end up on pastebin...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Count to ten...

      ...and the movie is available via p2p downloads. List that, master crackers!

  2. kainp121

    Wow, so the film is that crappy. Not even to DVD but straight to streaming. How long before it shows up on a torrent ?

    1. Steven Raith

      Straight to streaming....

      ..is how all films should be, period. I'd rather pay £5 (well, ideally £3) to watch a film at home on my telly (or more likely my computer, which has better sound setup and colour calibration....) than £8, and then £2 for popcorn, £2 for a drink, etc, in a room filled with braying retards who all deserve to die.

      And by that, I mean the average cinemagoer.

      But then, this isn't to defend the film. I mean, Seth Rogen? About as funny as an industrial accident involving thinners, pornography and a circular saw. Eugh.

      Steven R

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Steven Raith - Re: Straight to streaming....

        Or you can do as I do, wait a few years and you'll see it for free on regular TV. Yes, it will be interrupted by adverts but you can't avoid them in the theater and on DVD(isk) either.

        1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

          Re: "you can't avoid them [..] on DVD(isk) either"

          I suggest you invest in a better DVD player that lets you skip whatever you want.

          Or, buy the film, then torrent the ad-free version.

          If you have bought the film, it's not piracy.

      2. Handy Plough

        Re: Straight to streaming....

        Frankly, with your "social" skills, I'd rather you stayed in too. Merry Christmas!

        1. Steven Raith

          Re: Straight to streaming....

          It's OK, it's only drunken hyperbole :-)

          I still avoid the cinema though, I've never managed to enjoy a film in one, ever - it's always been interrupted by Those Kind Of People. How hard is it to sit quietly for a couple of hours, anyway?

          Steven R

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good marketing ploy... create awareness, and a bit of hype, and I'm sure Sony make a much better profit margin on the streaming than they would on cinema showings!

  4. Andy Tunnah

    Oh look!

    On torrents already.

    Slam them as much as you want, pirates are a bloomin' efficient bunch!

  5. Mark 85

    Hmm.... the hijackers* have been strangely silent...

    So, Sony, the NK's and the US government are all in a free-for-all right now. The hijackers* have been silent. Are they worried? Or sizing up their next target? Or will everyone who streams the video now be attacked?

    We need a popcorn icon for when we want to sit back and watch what happens next.

    *Sorry, I'm old school and hacker was a term of pride once.

    1. Martin-73 Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Hmm.... the hijackers* have been strangely silent...

      * due largely to the new breed of hardware hackers, the word hacker finally IS being reclaimed, slowly :)

    2. chivo243 Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Hmm.... the hijackers* have been strangely silent...

      @Mark 85

      I read the hacker/data thief has already shot the wad. Dumped all the data in one go. The hack was done to embarrass Sony, this shit storm over the film is media manufactured, and the 3 letter gangs are slurping it up. I don't think this is a state attack. Maybe Sony needs to look within.

      1. Cipher

        Re: Hmm.... the hijackers* have been strangely silent...

        The North Koreans didn't do this

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is the Sony rootkit included ?

    you know, to prevent piracy...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is the Sony rootkit included ?

      How do they know this IS the movie? Could it not have been replaced in the time the PCs/Systems were under attack?

  8. skeptical i
    Meh

    End run to the bank.

    As AC pointed out ~two hours ago, Sony likely will make far more money going the release it, cancel it, select release it route than if they'd released it "for real" as originally planned. As I type the local news station is reporting that our independent "art house" theater will be showing _The Interview_ tomorrow (25th) as a way to stand up for artistic freedom. So yay, good for them, I am sure they will sell out every showing they have ("U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!") and they deserve some gravy for their good work bringing quality (and enjoyably "kwality") films to the community over the years. This is happening in other towns as well, so the one diamond in an otherwise turd sandwich has been found, hallelujah.

    However.

    I'd feel MUCH better about the whole episode if the movie involved were worth the effort. Plenty of films have been made that have been censored, un-distributed, and otherwise kept from the public eye, and many of those likely have something to say (agree, disagree, but at least a discussion has been started). I just can't shake the sense of wasted opportunity, or the vague uneasy feeling that we've all been played, said Alice to herself, stating the obvious.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      One possibility

      Sony could have made the bomb threats themselves for the publicity. I have no evidence at all, but far too much cynicism.

  9. This post has been deleted by its author

  10. Allan George Dyer
    Black Helicopters

    Anyone think that the hack was backed by the CIA, to create patriotic fervour, and any American not doing their duty and watching the film will shortly be visiting Guantanamo Bay?

    1. Slawek

      No, no one. It's only you.

      1. Allan George Dyer
        Black Helicopters

        OK, thanks. That explains a lot.

  11. Mitoo Bobsworth
    Meh

    "Sony releases Nork flick The Interview straight to DVD"

    and ... I still don't care.

  12. jonfr

    Blu-ray release

    Since I don't have any streaming option available to me (limited bandwidth, download caps and so on). I do hope they release it on blu-ray soon so I can buy it.

    1. wahankh

      Re: Blu-ray release

      Sounds like your using BT. Ditch them and get a real ISP!

      1. jonfr

        Re: Blu-ray release

        >Sounds like your using BT. Ditch them and get a real ISP!

        Not in the UK, but living with my parents for now (until I get my own place again) and they only got bad 3G connection with download quotas and that is the best connection they got. Iceland in general has download quotas (in downloads outside Iceland) and I do consider that a bad thing, but they are worst at Siminn that now has download quotas on every (inside and outside Iceland) they sell and in many places (smaller towns) the only way to get 50Mpbs speed to is to deal with them. There largest package has 3TB download limit, but it counts both UL/DL in it, so it burns up fast for any active internet user.

    2. ElReg!comments!Pierre

      I do hope they release it on blu-ray soon so I can buy it.

      Why would you want to do that in the first place is beyond me. A fabricated bomb threat or five about My Little Pony 45: return of the brightly-coloured dragonfly would not have me buy it either -or watch it for free, for that matter.

  13. Grahame 2
    Coat

    Sony really know how to get the most out of a turkey.

    I guess it's Christmas, title says it all.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sony really know how to get the most out of a turkey.

      Nooooooooooooooooo

      You'll give them ideas

      don't let them re-release Give My Regards To Broad Street

      Nooooooooooooooooo

  14. J 3
    Coffee/keyboard

    Why is he complaining?

    From the screen grabs I've seen, Sony has at least made the Supreme Leader look much better in the film than he actually does in real life...

  15. iRadiate

    I've been honey dicked

    After watching the film last night I have a feeling I may have been honey dicked.

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