(From syracusenewtimes.com)
I went to a real movie theater to see “The Interview” on Friday afternoon in Auburn, N.Y., and my dear wife Karen and I sat among 60 or so people who were clearly happy to be there on a snowy day, choosing this particular event out of many available theses or thoses available.
There were three full rows of young males who I pegged to be of college-student age that particularly appreciated the frat house humor trotted out by stars Seth Rogen, James Franco and Randall Park. I could tell by the way they stirred among themselves in their seats during when certain behavior played out on screen. When we left afterward, Karen spied them all piling onto a tour-type bus, making me wonder if perhaps they were a sports squad visiting a local college.
Ain’t that America?
I’m glad SONY released this spoof about a TV anchor and producer traveling to North Korea and tasked by the CIA to take out dictator Kim Jong-Un after the hackers and threats and major chains deciding not to put it on their screens because of fear of 9/11-scale violence.
You can read my review of the film on today’s installment of my weekly Film Review blog on the Syracuse New Times site by clicking the link below.
http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/part-america-go-see-interview/
Let’s say it will be a favorite of guys much like that bus load of movie-appreciators for years to come. Heck, with the publicity from the hackers’ threat and President Obama’s reaction to its initial cancelation, it will be a cable favorite, flat-out, for a healthy period.
Have you seen “The Interview” in its first two weekends of release, and if so, what did you think? Do you want to see it, and if so, why? Have you seen full buses of folks unloading to see any movie, and if so, what was it and did they behave well?
Mark Bialczak 
Bus loads of people for a movie…no, but I think I’d run away if I did. I have sat in line for hours to see a movie. Not my proudest moment, but my friend needed company.
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I bet the movie was outstanding! I hope the movie was outstanding. I hope your friend bought your ticket and the popcorn … 🙂 Nice friend you are, Aud.
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Well the movie was Twilight and she did buy me the ticket. Ha. As dar as good…well, I enjoyed her enthusiasm. 🙂
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Mark, cant wait for it to get here in Sweden. Hope we will be able to see it soon.
Just have to see it for the sake om DEMOCRACY I would say.
( I hear that its a really bad Movie- and I might not be the target Group from the beggining! But i do not like that a dictator should have that Power that democrat countries have to pull back Movies..)
Have a nice tuseday!
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You are not the target group, Anna, but it does make a statement against the dictator, for sure.
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We all have to stand up for freedom of speach and democracy!
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Thank you, Anna from Stockholm. 🙂
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Mark, is the I am Charlie movement as big and strong in the US?
( I watched the Golden Globe last night and it seems as if some of the actors showed the sign )
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It is true, Anna. You are right.
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( I just posted tomorrows cover on Charlie hebdo! )
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I’ll be looking, Anna!
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Hmm… tough question. I really wasn’t interested to see it in the first place, and after the hoopla, the thought of seeing it scares the crap out of me. And I see so many people on FB that post the “I did my part as an American and saw this…” bit that it makes me ever more afraid of what some sick terrorist might do. In fact me writing this comment makes me afraid that I’m opening myself to be a target.
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I hope you are wrong, Rachel. Otherwise I am a bull’s-eye.
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Me, too! 😦
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Just remember, I am one to take “err on the side of caution” a little (no, a LOT) too seriously. Hope that helps. 🙂
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You are a movie god, Mark. How do you fit it all in your head, all the movies you’ve ever seen? Do you have notes on all of them? When did you decide you wanted to be an entertainment reporter sort of guy?
Interview isn’t on my list, but Big Eyes has moved up to the Must See, possibly even in a theater.
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You should see “Big Eyes” in the theater for the beauty of San Francisco and the art of it, Liz. You’d lap that part up.
I don’t take any notes in the movies. The only record I have are the reviews I write that live on in blogworld. When I’m wrting them, I have the iMDB page up for spelling checks on director, actor and character names. If needed, I’ll click back to reference past performances. That’s it. In my concert reviewing days, I took a lot of notes during the performances, on the other hand. A concert performance is singular, changing every night. A movie is static, the same once it’s made. That’s my reasoning, anyway. And I like watching the movie with no pad and pen a lot better. Thanks for asking.
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Planning on going to see it asap!
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You’ll have to tell me what you think of it, Penny Lane. Please and thank you. Happy New Year, my friend. 🙂
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I have seen lines for a half mile to see the old Star Wars movies, to see the Hunger Games at midnight in our town… just around the place I was having a midnight drink out… I have seen a long line down by OSU campus and in an artsy theater to see the movie, “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” We would take our Cleveland Plain Dealer newspapers, in the 70’s with us, since you hold them up at a certain point in the movie. Fun times!
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Yes, Robin, I lived through the act-it-out “Rocky Horror” theater days, too, with newspapers for the “rain” and hot dogs and toast. The topper was a motorcycle that roared up the aisle one night. Holy cow that scared the bejeebers out of me.
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Oh, I guess I did not say if I would go to see the Interview. If it comes to Delaware, I may or I might see this on my daughter’s computer one day. She likes to show me pirated movies… I like the main characters who play slackers usually with a lot of fun. I enjoyed your review and laughter is always good…
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It doesn’t look like one I would even borrow to watch Mark. Just not quite my type of movie, even though I’m not sure I have an actual “type” because I like all kinds of movies. This is just too, um, political? stupid? sophmoric? fill in the blanks? Probably more like the last catagory–fill in the blanks.
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You have it, Angie.
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So like the Kardashians it was all hype and not much substance.???
Wow cannot wait to see this on one of the many tv channels we have, in aust., Guess it will be tucked in btw all the Jean claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan, Eddie Murphy, chick flick, Steven Seagal etc.re runs we get over the holiday seasons. ha ha ha,
(oops my tongue seems to be stuck in my cheek).
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You will get it on your TV soon enough, I think, Louise.
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The reviews don’t excite me but I would watch it on Netflix, I guess. We just got Netflix, Mark, woohoo, entering the modern age!!
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NetFlix is fun to surf around and watch the old, I mean vintage, stuff, Barbara. Enjoy the modern age of movies and TV from when we were young. 🙂
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Thanks for the low down, hermano. I likely won’t make it to the theater until Cinderella is released in March. Oliva has already announced she wants to see that movie (Cinderella, not the Rogen flick). Looks like that might be her first trip to the movies. I’ll let you know how it goes. 😉
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I think your Princess’ first theater film should be Cinderella, for sure, mi hernanita! Not Rogen, no. 🙂
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I don’t know anyone who has seen it outside of the online world. It is coming to a theater here but this was already on my “Netflix or lesser” movie priority list, so there you go. Either I see it if it gets there eventually, or not at all 🙂
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It is enjoyable in that realm, my friend. I hope it gets there for you.
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I have no drive to go see it Mark. I’m glad you reviewed it though. I may see it one day by accident. Meaning I walk in to a room that I cannot find my way out of. I’m glad it was released. I wouldn’t have gone to see it before the hoopla, the hoopla didn’t entice me much. But again, glad it was released.
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You may someday be a captive audience, in other words. If that indeed happens, Colleen, you must tell me if it in turn captivated you, or turned you away aghast.
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I’ll probably pull out my phone and reply to blog comments. 😉 But if it entertains me I will let you know!
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That would be replying to a blog comment, so it would fit yur definition and my definition, Colleen!
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We work well together Mark!
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i think low-brow is okay in low doses and it always seems to have a ‘don’t have to think’ kind of appeal to it. sony had to release the film with so much invested, and i’m glad they did. not really driven to see it, though i may watch it on cable one day. it sounds like the busload were the perfect target audience and the story behind the release of this film, will be told for years to come –
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Yes, this film has its own history that only is peripherally connected to the film at all, Beth. If you see it on cable someday, let me know what you think.
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I am only into happy movies right now, Mark. Some of the graphic violence in some movies is just too much for me. Great post, my friend. Love, Amy
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Yes, there is a lot of violence available on movie screens everywhere, Amy. I hope you can find happy movies forevermore, nevertheless, my cousin. 🙂
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That I do try to do. Sometimes I slip in a thriller that gets the blood going and my mind going …. LOL but mostly movies with a message born out of Love. Hope all is well your way, cousin, and you and your lovely wife, Karen, are staying warm. (((HUGS))) Amy
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It is so cold tonight, Amy. That first dip back down. Ouch! We are getting old for the big freeze up here, aren’t we, cousin? :-0
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Too old. Single digits here. Freezing bitter cold. This hurts and it is not fun. Dreaming of sand beach and palm trees. Big sigh…
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Seems like negative reviews for some movies, even though this was a different kind of negative review, makes it that much more tantalizing for the movie goers.
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That happens, PJ, you are correct. You-know-what draws flies and movie-goers to see if it stinks for themselves. 🙂
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haha!!
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There’s no way around right and wrong and what side North Korea is on. I am glad that it is being seen; what a shame to make a movie and scrap it. Bad publicity is still publicity after all, and this one is getting seen. You mention graphic violence and hoo-has and ho-hos, which will keep me away. I do hope, however, that someone will take out Kim Jong-Ugh. Soon.
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Most Seth Rogen movies have all of those things visually inferred so strongly, Kerbey, not actually, like … you know. The violence was there. And the broad politics. I thought it was better than a lot of critics, who bashed it within an inch of its life. I guess I did not expect it to be a discerning poli-sci textbook case for future generations, and thus was not greatly disappointed in that arena.
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I haven’t seen it yet. I am interested because of all the hoopla but have also heard so much about how it really just isn’t a great film. Usually if I don’t catch it in a theater, it’s Netflix for me and I don’t think it will end up out on Netflix, do you? Anyway, realistically, that’s probably the only way I’ll end up seeing it.
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Netflix is getting more movies I never thought would end up on Netflix, Marissa, so who knows? This weekend I watched “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Anchorman 2” on NetFlix. I never would have eithr of of those pegged there.
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Guess we’ll have to see.
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