VICE - North Korean Film Madness documentary

Sony And Theater Owners Discuss Pulling “The Interview”; Press Appearances Canceled Amid Threats

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday evening that Sony Pictures has indicated to movie exhibitors that the studio would not object if they pulled The Interview from their theaters. At least one exhibitor has told Variety, however, that they still plan on showing the film.

Carmike Cinemas, a Columbus, Georgia-based movie theater chain with theaters in 41 states, has elected not to show The Interview, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A rep for the chain did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.

The Interview movie premiere scheduled for Thursday in New York City has been cancelled, according to Deadline. The premiere was set to take place at Landmark Theatres’ Sunshine Cinema in Manhattan Lower East Side.

ArcLight Cinemas, an upscale movie theater chain based in Hollywood, will not screen “The Interview” due to hacker threats, an employee told Deadline late Tuesday.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jacelacob/seth-rogen-and-james-franco-cancel-all-press-appearances

Exclusive: Sony Emails Say State Department Blessed Kim Jong-Un Assassination in ‘The Interview’

CEO Michael Lynton showed a rough cut of the movie to U.S. officials before moving ahead. Now hackers are threatening to bomb any theater that shows it.

http://deadline.com/2014/12/the-interview-new-york-premiere-canceled-1201327757/

These 2 documentaries are good aswell.

Sony hackers’ terror threat prompts movie chains to pass on The Interview | Ars Technica

The nation's second- and fourth-largest cinema chains have decided not to screen Sony Pictures Entertainment film The Interview, following a terrorist threat Tuesday from hackers who said moviegoers could face doom while watching the comedy.

Carmike Cinemas, with 278 theaters across 41 states in the US, was the first chain Tuesday to pull the film slated for a Christmas release. Wednesday morning, however, the Los Angeles Times tweeted that AMC Theatres would also not show the movie.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...prompts-movie-chain-to-pass-on-the-interview/

Source: Top Five Theater Circuits Drop 'The Interview' After Sony Hack | The Hollywood Reporter

The country's top five theater circuits have decided not to play Sony's The Interview, a knowledgeable source tells The Hollywood Reporter.

Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Carmike Cinemas and Cineplex Entertainment have all decided against showing the film.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/source-top-five-theater-circuits-758843

Canada's Cineplex removes The Interview showtimes from website | The Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts...he-interview-from-its-lineup/article22118962/

Sony Should Release 'The Interview' For Streaming Instead Of To Theaters | Forbes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryma...terview-for-streaming-instead-of-to-theaters/

Sony cancels 'The Interview' Dec. 25 release | Associated Press

Sony Pictures has canceled the Dec. 25 release of "The Interview" after hackers threatened terrorists attacks and the largest multiplex chains in North America pulled the film from its screens.

In a statement Wednesday, Sony said it was cancelling "The Interview" release "in light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film." The studio, which has been shaken by hacker leaks over the past several weeks, said it respected and shared in the exhibitors' concerns.

"We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public," read the statement. "We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome."

Continued here:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c5e3.../top-theater-chains-cancel-interview-showings

CNN: U.S. to Name North Korea as Source of Sony Hack | The Hollywood Reporter

The U.S. government is set to name North Korea as the source of the damaging cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, according to CNN Justice reporter Evan Perez.

Anchor Wolf Blitzer announced the news break during a broadcast of The Situation Room. A news chyron on the cable channel read: "Sources: North Korean Leaders Ordered Attack On Sony."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cnn-us-name-north-korea-759025

Rob Lowe @RobLowe · 1h 1 hour ago
Wow. Everyone caved. The hackers won. An utter and complete victory for them. Wow.

Joseph Weisenthal @TheStalwart · 1h 1 hour ago
LOL: Theatre chains say they wouldn’t show it due to lack of support from Sony. Sony says they pulled it due to theatre chains not showing.

Rob Lowe @RobLowe · 1h 1 hour ago
Saw @SethRogen at JFK. Both of us have never seen or heard of anything like this. Hollywood has done Neville Chamberlain proud today.

Newt Gingrich @newtgingrich · 1h 1 hour ago
.@RobLowe it wasn't the hackers who won, it was the terrorists and almost certainly the North Korean dictatorship, this was an act of war.

Newt Gingrich @newtgingrich · 1h 1 hour ago
No one should kid themselves. With the Sony collapse, America has lost its first cyberwar. This is a very, very dangerous precedent.

Newt Gingrich @newtgingrich · 1h 1 hour ago
.@RobLowe it wasn't the hackers who won, it was the terrorists, and almost certainly the North Korean dictatorship. This was an act of war.

The US Govt is trying to justify a war with N Korea. Sony is happy to help knowing this will make them more money.

This is worth reading:

The Evidence That North Korea Hacked Sony Is Flimsy | WIRED

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/evidence-of-north-korea-hack-is-thin/

State-sponsored or not, Sony Pictures malware “bomb” used slapdash code | Ars Technica

Analysis by researchers at Cisco of a malware sample matching the MD5 hash signature of the “Destover” malware that was used in the attack on Sony Pictures revealed that the code was full of bugs and anything but sophisticated. It was the software equivalent of a crude pipe bomb.

http://arstechnica.com/security/201...ony-pictures-malware-bomb-used-slapdash-code/

The Sony Hack Might Have Killed a Kind of Satire | Vulture

http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/sony-hack-might-have-killed-a-kind-of-satire.html

'Team America: World Police' Theater Screenings Canceled | The Hollywood Reporter

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/team-america-world-police-theater-759277

For North Korea's cyber army, long-term target may be telecoms, utility grids | Reuters

"North Korea's ultimate goal in cyber strategy is to be able to attack national infrastructure of South Korea and the United States," said Kim Heung-kwang, a defector from the North who was a computer science professor and says he maintains links with the community in his home country.

"The hacking of Sony Pictures is similar to previous attacks that were blamed on North Korea and is a result of training and efforts made with the goal of destroying infrastructure," said Kim, who came to the South in 2004.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/19/us-sony-cybersecurity-northkorea-idUSKBN0JX0JW20141219

Source: Hackers send new message to Sony | CNN

The hackers behind a devastating cyberattack at Sony Pictures have sent a new message to executives at the company, crediting them for a "very wise" decision to cancel the Christmas day release of "The Interview," a source close to the company told CNN.

The email message was received by Sony's top executives on Thursday night and was obtained by CNN.


The source said that the company believes the email was from the hackers because it followed a pattern of previous messages, sent to a list of particular executives and formatted in a particular way.

A Sony spokesman declined to comment.

The hacker message is effectively a victory lap, telling the studio, "Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy."

The message also says, "And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately."

It warns the studio executives that "we still have your private and sensitive data" and claims that they will "ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble."

The email was titled "Message from GOP." The anonymous hackers have called themselves "Guardians of Peace."

Continued here: http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/insde-sony-hack-interview/

FBI Says North Korea Was Behind Sony Hack | NBC News

The FBI said Friday that the North Korean government was behind the hacking that led Sony Pictures Entertainment to cancel the movie "The Interview."

"North Korea's actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves," the bureau said in a statement. "Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior."

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sony-hack/fbi-says-north-korea-was-behind-sony-hack-n271686

Elayne Boosler ‏@ElayneBoosler 10 minutes ago
Please, can't North Korea get them to pull Real Housewives?

North Korea says it can prove it had nothing to do with the cyber-attack on Sony and proposes a joint investigation with the US.
The North Korean news agency KCNA warned there would be "grave consequences" if the US refuses to take up the offer.
http://news.sky.com/story/1395262/north-korea-we-can-prove-hacking-wasnt-us

Lol people fearing North Korea.

Sony plans to release ‘The Interview’ on Crackle for free | New York Post

http://nypost.com/2014/12/21/sony-plans-to-release-the-interview-on-crackle-for-free/

Report: Sony Plans To Release 'The Interview' For Free On Crackle | Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/repo...ase-the-interview-for-free-on-crackle-2014-12

Creator of Kim Jong Un video game ‘Glorious Leader!’ launches crowdfunding campaign to complete, release game

Jeff Miller has no plans to cancel its video game release even after the North Korean cyberattack and threats of violence against Sony Pictures.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...nches-crowdfunding-campaign-article-1.2052641

Movie Trailers Updated with North Korea's Approval

North Korea denies Sony hack but warns worse is coming | CNN

North Korea is accusing the U.S. government of being behind the making of the movie "The Interview." And, in a dispatch on state media, the totalitarian regime warns the United States that U.S. "citadels" will be attacked, dwarfing the hacking attack on Sony that led to the cancellation of the film's release.

While steadfastly denying involvement in the hack, North Korea accused U.S. President Barack Obama of calling for "symmetric counteraction."

"The DPRK has already launched the toughest counteraction. Nothing is more serious miscalculation than guessing that just a single movie production company is the target of this counteraction. Our target is all the citadels of the U.S. imperialists who earned the bitterest grudge of all Koreans," a report on state-run KCNA read.

"Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism," the report said, adding that "fighters for justice" including the "Guardians of Peace" -- a group that claimed responsibility for the Sony attack -- "are sharpening bayonets not only in the U.S. mainland but in all other parts of the world."

Continued here:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/21/world/asia/north-korea-us-sony/

Internet 'totally down' in North Korea after regime threatens attacks on U.S. over ‘The Interview’

Internet connectivity in the isolated nation was 'totally down' Monday, sparking rumors that the U.S. had officially begun retaliating for threats made by the rogue regime. North Korean officials on Sunday posted a bizarre online rant on the nation’s state-run news agency labeling the U.S. a ‘cesspool of terrorism.''

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...tacks-white-house-interview-article-1.2053238

I wonder if its down because of this.

Or it could be SK.

Sony announces limited release for 'The Interview'

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced Tuesday a limited theatrical release of "The Interview" beginning Thursday, putting back into the theaters the comedy that prompted an international incident with North Korea and outrage over its cancelled release.

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said Tuesday that Seth Rogen's North Korea farce "will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day." He said Sony also is continuing its efforts to release the film on more platforms and in more theaters.

"While we hope this is only the first step of the film's release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech," said Lynton.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sony-announces-limited-release-interview-181022880.html

Ah brings back memories from 2002:

Eventually I did get a thank you from the Assistant of Defence Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ottawa.

Was FBI wrong on North Korea? | CBS News

Cybersecurity experts are questioning the FBI's claim that North Korea is responsible for the hack that crippled Sony Pictures. Kurt Stammberger, a senior vice president with cybersecurity firm Norse, told CBS News his company has data that doubts some of the FBI's findings.

"Sony was not just hacked, this is a company that was essentially nuked from the inside," said Stammberger.

While Norse is not involved in the Sony case, it has done its own investigation.

"We are very confident that this was not an attack master-minded by North Korea and that insiders were key to the implementation of one of the most devastating attacks in history," said Stammberger.

He says Norse data is pointing towards a woman who calls herself "Lena" and claims to be connected with the so-called "Guardians of Peace" hacking group. Norse believes it's identified this woman as someone who worked at Sony in Los Angeles for ten years until leaving the company this past May.

"This woman was in precisely the right position and had the deep technical background she would need to locate the specific servers that were compromised," Stammberger told me.

<snipped>

It's worth noting that the original demand of the hackers was for money from Sony in exchange for not releasing embarrassing information. There was no mention of the movie "The Interview," which will see a limited theatrical release on Christmas Day.

More here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-the-fbi-get-it-wrong-on-north-korea/

After Sony's about-face, 'The Interview' sells out in many U.S. cinemas | Reuters

"The Interview," the Sony Pictures film about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, opened in midnight screenings in a smattering of U.S. cinemas on Christmas Day, drawing moviegoers who said they supported the studio's decision to stand up to efforts to censor the low-budget comedy.

Seth Rogen, who co-stars in the film with James Franco, and co-director Evan Goldberg surprised patrons by appearing at the sold-out 12:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) screening of the movie at a theater in Los Angeles where they briefly thanked fans for their support.

The crowd outside the theater, holding cups of warm cider as they waited for the movie to begin, said they came to show their support for freedom of speech and freedom of choice.

<snipped>

The film was due to open in some 320 small, independent movie theaters across the United States on Thursday, with many of the screenings having sold out the day before as the controversy over the film made it front-page news around the world.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/25/us-northkorea-cybersecurity-youtube-idUSKBN0K210520141225

Hahahahaha!
http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/21/bittorrent-tells-sony-its-happy-to-release-the-interview/

How about Pirate Bay?

VICE Meets The Men Behind "The Interview"



The following interview with the cast and creators of The Interview — Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Evan Goldberg — was conducted by VICE on December 9, two days before the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles.

At that time, hackers calling themselves the "Guardians of Peace" had compromised SONY servers and leaked a trove of sensitive emails that exposed and embarrassed senior company officials. Nonetheless, the film was still on track to be released on Christmas Day.

On December 16, a new threat from the hackers promised a 9/11-style attack if the film was released as planned, and within hours the major theater chains across the country withdrew their support of the film. With no distribution, SONY announced that they had no plan to release the film.

Over the course of the following days, as SONY was pilloried in the media by high profile celebrities and politicians, including President Obama, for having caved in to the hackers, senior company officials were working behind-the-scenes to create an alternative release plan.

On December 25, as promised, SONY released The Interview using a coalition of over 300 independent movie theaters across the country. Additionally the film was also released on the film's website "seetheinterview.com" and via a number of other digital platforms including Google Play, YouTube, and XBOX.

Today, CNN aired this:

North Korean defector to airdrop DVD, USB copies of The Interview | Ars Technica

A well-known North Korean defector has announced that he will launch 100,000 DVDs and USB sticks with copies of The Interview as part of his regularly scheduled balloon launches into the Hermit Kingdom. Sony Pictures pulled the theatrical release of the film in the wake of hacks against its corporate networks.

In an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Park Sang-hak said that his next launch is planned for late January.

"North Korea's absolute leadership will crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down," Park told the AP, which noted that the dispatched versions will have Korean subtitles.

Continued here:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...r-to-airdrop-dvd-usb-copies-of-the-interview/

Reality Series About Hackers In Works At Syfy | Deadline

On the heels of one of the biggest hacking scandals in US corporate history, the cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, Syfy is putting in development Hackers, a reality series, “which will take viewers deep inside the shadowy and dangerous world of high-tech hackers.” It comes from Relativity Television, which is behind another series about cyber dangers, MTV’s Catfish, based on the documentary film.

According to the network, Hackers will reveal the secrets behind the most infamous cyber-crimes ever committed, using sophisticated, digital graphics to create an experiential “hacking” scene that exposes what actually happens when a computer network is broken into – including what goes on inside the mind of the hacker. Each episode of Hackers will focus on the true stories — ripped from the headlines — of real-life hackers who turned entire industries upside down, featuring interviews with both the actual perpetrators and the law enforcement agents who tracked them down. The episodes will include profiles of the hacker, who will reveal how they committed the crime, from trolling the Internet to rooting out vulnerabilities inside the company websites.

Judging by the series description, the lineup is unlikely to include Sony hack, at least not for now, as no specific perpetrators in the crime have been named yet beyond FBI’s claim that North Korea was behind the attack and hacker group Lizard Squad’s claim that they’d played a small part in the operation.

http://deadline.com/2015/01/hackers-reality-series-syfy-1201341111/

Rape, torture and starvation: U.N. shines light on North Korea's human rights | CBS News

The U.N. Security Council shone an international light on North Korea's abysmal human rights situation Monday, with U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power calling the reclusive regime "a living nightmare."

The meeting appeared to be the first time that any country's human rights situation has been scheduled for ongoing debate by the U.N.'s most powerful body, meaning that the issue now can be brought up at any time. It also came amid U.S. accusations that North Korea was behind a devastating hacking attack.

"Today, we have broken the council's silence. We have begun to shine a light, and what it has revealed is terrifying," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said.

Continued here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rape-to...-n-shines-light-on-north-koreas-human-rights/

FBI Director: Sony's 'Sloppy' North Korean Hackers Revealed Their IP Addresses | WIRED

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/fbi-di...ckers-sometimes-failed-use-proxies-sony-hack/

The Imitation Game: The Interview’s Simultaneous Release Doesn’t Change Anything | BoxOffice News

By Patrick Corcoran, Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, National Association of Theater Owners

http://pro.boxoffice.com/latest-new...s-simultaneous-release-doesnt-change-anything

'The Interview' Lost Sony $30 Million, Says Theater Group | The Hollywood Reporter

By Pamela McClintock

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/interview-lost-sony-30-million-764366

NSA chief says Sony attack traced to North Korea after software analysis | Reuters

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) identified North Korea as the source of the recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment after analyzing the software used in the intrusion, NSA Director Admiral Michael Rogers said on Thursday.

Speaking to a Canadian security conference, Rogers explained that the discovery was part of the agency's efforts to develop software to counter cyberattacks.

"We ultimately ended up generating the signatures to recognize the activity ... used against Sony," Rogers said. "From the time the malware left North Korea to the time it got to Sony's headquarters in California, it crossed four different commanders' lines or areas in the U.S. construct."

Sony's network was attacked by hackers in November as the company prepared to release "The Interview," a comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The attack was followed by online leaks of unreleased movies and emails that caused embarrassment to executives and Hollywood personalities.

North Korea has described the accusation as "groundless slander."

Continued here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/19/us-nsa-northkorea-sony-idUSKBN0LN27Y20150219

North Korea, angered by drills, fires short-range missiles | Reuters

North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korean officials said, a defiant response to annual military exercises between South Korea and the United States but one which drew a swift protest from Japan. The firing came hours before the U.S.-South Korean military exercises were scheduled to begin, drills which the secretive North denounces as a preparation for war. The missiles hit the sea early on Monday morning after traveling for about 490 km (305 miles), according to South Korea's defense ministry.

Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said North Korea fired the missiles without designating any no-sail zones, which was regarded as a provocation. "If North Korea takes provocative actions, our military will react firmly and strongly so North Korea will regret it in its bones," Kim told a news briefing.

Pyongyang has escalated its rhetoric against the drills, with a spokesman for its army general staff saying Washington and Seoul "should be dealt with only by merciless strikes".

Japan quickly lodged a protest with North Korea over the latest missile launches, saying they posed a serious threat to safety at sea and in the sky. "The ballistic missile launches by North Korea are extremely problematic conduct in terms of aviation and navigation safety," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference. "We swiftly lodged a stern protest with North Korea."

Japan needs to tread a fine line between conveying its condemnation to Pyongyang while not derailing bilateral talks aimed at resolving the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago.

Continued here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/02/us-northkorea-missles-idUSKBN0LX1UI20150302

There's a related thread here:

WikiLeaks publishes the Sony Archives

https://whyweprotest.net/threads/wikileaks-publishes-the-sony-archives.125818/

North Korea Defence Chief Hyon Yong Chol 'Executed With Anti Aircraft Guns For Falling Asleep In Meeting'

Huffington Post UK, May 13, 2015

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly executed his defence chief for falling asleep during a meeting, in a brutal killing thought to have been carried out with an anti-aircraft gun in front of hundreds of people.

South Korea's spy agency said on Wednesday that it had "credible information" that People's Armed Forces Minister Hyon Yong Chol was killed for sleeping in a meeting, and also for talking back to Kim.

A large audience reportedly watched the killing, which was carried out with a heavy duty machine gun that would "pulverise" a human body according to to Greg Scarlatoiu and Joseph Bermudez Jr from the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), quoted in the Washington Post.

Anti-aircraft guns, usually used to shoot down and destroy planes, are extremely powerful. The killing of the country's head of defence took place at a shooting range at Kang Kon Military Academy in the capital Pyongyang in late April, according to the South Korean spy agency.

New satellite images released last month by the HRNK appear to confirm the use of the heavy weapons in the authoritarian state, which had previously been only a rumour. They show what appears to be a firing range on the outskirts of North Korea's capital Pyongyang, with a viewing area, heavy duty anti-aircraft guns and a line of targets - people - standing about 100 feet in front of them.

Continued here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...ef-executed-anti-aircraft-guns_n_7272258.html

Hyon Yong Chol executed with an anti-aircraft gun

Reuters, May 13, 2015

North Korea executed its defense chief by putting him in front of an anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, Seoul's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers, which would be the latest in a series of high-level purges since Kim Jong Un took charge.

Hyon Yong Chol, who headed the isolated nuclear-capable country's military, was charged with treason, including disobeying Kim and falling asleep during an event at which North Korea's young leader was present, according to South Korean lawmakers briefed in a closed-door meeting with the spy agency on Wednesday.

Continued here:
http://nation.com.pk/international/13-May-2015/hyon-yong-chol-executed-with-an-anti-aircraft-gun

Pictured - the fire Kim Jong-Un didn't want you to see: Images emerge of major blaze at showpiece North Korean hotel which officials refuse to admit happened | Daily Mail Online

• A bridge at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang went up in flames on Thursday
• Despite clear photographic evidence, officials refuse to confirm the fire
• Reports police reprimanded tourists who took photographs of the blaze
• No details given on whether people were injured or extent of the damage

Photos from inside the secretive state of North Korea show one of the country's best known hotels on fire - despite state officials refusing to admit there was even a blaze.

Plumes of black smoke were spotted coming from a bridge connecting the two 43-storey towers of the Koryo Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in the capital of Pyongyang.

As firefighters spent hours on Thursday putting out the flames police apprehended foreigners who tried to take pictures of the incident. But despite their best efforts people present at the incident were able to share images with the world.

North Korea is one of the world's most isolated and secretive countries, and despite the photographs there has been no mention of the fire in state media.

One source in Pyongyang said swarms of police, paramilitary, ambulances and officials from North Korean state security were outside the landmark hotel on Thursday when the fire sparked.

'Several foreigners were apprehended for trying to take pictures of the scene,' the source, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

Continued here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...an-hotel-officials-refuse-admit-happened.html