N Korea says Seth Rogen film is act of war

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The Verge

North Korea says Seth Rogen's new movie is an 'act of war'

Kim Jong-un's government warns of "merciless" retaliation if the US doesn't ban 'The Interview'

By Amar Toor on June 25, 2014 04:49 am Email @amartoo 235Comments

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The government of North Korea today issued an unsurprisingly harsh statement about Seth Rogen's upcoming film, The Interview, denouncing the action-comedy as an "act of war." In the movie, Rogen and James Franco star as two journalists who, after scoring an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, are ordered by the CIA to assassinate him. In a statement published by the state-run KCNA news agency, a foreign ministry spokesman characterized Rogen as a "gangster filmmaker" and called upon the US to block the film, according to a report from the AFP.

"The act of making and screening such a movie that portrays an attack on our top leadership... is a most wanton act of terror and act of war, and is absolutely intolerable," the spokesman said, adding that the US would face a "resolute and merciless response" if it fails to ban the film, which is slated for release later this year.

""it shows the desperation of the US government and American society.""

Kim Myong-chol, an unofficial spokesman for the North Korean government, was similarly critical of the film in an interview with the Telegraph last week. "There is a special irony in this story line as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society," Kim said.

"A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the US has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine," he added. "And let us not forget who killed [President John F.] Kennedy – Americans. In fact, President [Barack] Obama should be careful in case the US military wants to kill him as well."

The North Korean regime is certainly no stranger to belligerent rhetoric, having warned the US and its allies of "merciless" punishment on multiple occasions. Rogen, meanwhile, seems to have taken the criticism in stride.

I'm shaking in my boots.

[Purple]

Don't we have a megathread for these guys?

[Sidewinder]

The description of 'The Interview' is already arousing great anger and hatred towards the stereotypical "Hollywood liberal" who produces these types of films.

Seriously, the CIA has to resort to forcing journalists to assassinate a foreign head-of-government? People with ZERO training in the skills an assassin needs, whether combat, pharmaceutical (poisons), engineering (bombs), or psychology (encouraging a subject to commit suicide, as Hannibal Lecter does)? And if the journalists are decoys to draw attention from the REAL assassins, shouldn't a false flag be used? (Are CIA officers REALLY forcing Seth Rogen's character to assassinate North Korea's leader, or are FSB officers doing so while pretending to be CIA officers?)

99% of all conspiracy theories fall apart the moment you spend some time thinking, "If I were a conspirator who wishes to accomplish what the conspiracy is meant to accomplish, how would I go about it?" It's heartbreaking to know how few conspiracy theorists (or Hollywood film producers who propagate such conspiracy theories) actually do so.

[Channel72]

If I were a CIA conspirator who wanted to kill Kim Jong Un, the first thing I'd do is abandon my plan to kill Kim Jong Un, because he's a useless idiot who basically poses no thread whatsoever to US national security, and killing him likely wouldn't result in any serious reform in North Korea anyway.

How I miss the USSR... Hollywood just doesn't have any serious bad guys anymore.

[Ahriman238]

We have a North Korea thread, where this has already been raised.

[NecronLord]

Quite right.