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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2015)
Arts Culture & Entertainment January 5, 2015 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 How The Interview’s VOD grosses could change the game L (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) OS ANGELES — Sony appears to have a win-win with The Interview. Not only did the studio score a moral victory by releasing the film in the face of hacker threats, the movie made at least $15 million from more than 2 million digital rentals and purchases in its first four days. In late December, it seemed unlikely we’d ever know if the simultaneous — or “day-and- date” — strategy paid off. Now, it’s tempting to suggest this may be the start of a brave new world of distribution. Add in the $2.8 million from The Interview’s limited theatrical release and things aren’t looking so bleak for the R-rated comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. But the story is far from over and many are divided about its outcome. For some, The Inter- view’s impressive video-on- demand (VOD) performance is an anomaly. For others, it signals a revolution. “It’s a huge number and it’s one that is probably making the other studios salivate,” said Jeff Bock, a senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “Now there is something to put on the bulletin board that says, ‘Yes, VOD is definitely a viable option.’” But one might also post on the bulletin board that it’s standard industry practice not to release VOD figures. That’s why the (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Ed Araquel) By Lindsey Bahr The Associated Press UNCONVENTIONAL RELEASE. Actor Randall Park (left photo, center) portrays North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Columbia Pictures’ The Interview. In the right photo, a South Korean army soldier walks near a television screen showing an advertisement of the film at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. The Interview was never supposed to be a paradigm-shifting film. But unusual doesn’t even begin to describe the series of events that transpired last month, culminating in the truly unprecedented move by a major studio to release a film in theaters and on digital platforms simultaneously. public only hears about them have prospered with a Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist teen audiences, who were when they’re good. For instance, simultaneous theatrical and on VOD for $59.99 just three suddenly able to easily and 2011’s Bridesmaids, which had VOD release have been the ones weeks after its theatrical affordably access an R-rated already been released with the smaller budgets, opening, but theater owners movie. theatrically, made $24 million destined for art houses and balked and chains like Cinemark Bock thinks that even when from VOD in four months, independent theater chains. threatened to cancel their the extraordinary, awareness- allowing Universal to declare it For example, J.C. Chandor’s showings. Universal ended up boosting events surrounding The the most popular VOD release of Wall Street thriller Margin Call, scrapping the plan. Interview are taken into account, all time. But how many VOD a $3.5-million movie that Lions- Sony, meanwhile, only started the film’s hybrid opening still has bombs have there been? potential to change gate and Roadside Attractions pursuing digital options after the the Also, if Sony hadn’t been acquired for $1 million, was major theater chains dropped the everything, even if it takes years. hacked and this film wasn’t released in theaters and on film following hacker threats to “The truth is, the VOD pushed to the center of a national demand in the fall of 2011 and blow up theaters. obliterated the theatrical,” said conversation, it could have easily picked up around $5.4 million In addition, many exceptional Bock. “When you think about made $20 million to $25 million from theatrical and another $5 conditions factored into The what the real future of on opening weekend — not unlike million from VOD. Magnolia, Interview’s first weekend. It distributing films is, it’s got to be Pineapple Express, a similarly IFC, and Radius-TWC have all became an unlikely event movie, as easy as one click. If that’s as raunchy R-rated comedy starring had similar success stories. and seeing The Interview was quickly as you can get money Rogen and Franco. This would On the other hand, the major akin to asserting one’s freedom of from people, well, the studios are have come far closer than VOD studios haven’t had the option to speech. That’s buzz you can’t buy. going to listen. It’s just did to paying off The Interview’s even test day-and-date strategies “We don’t want to be told what economics.” $40-million production budget because it would jeopardize the we can and cannot watch,” said Others, like Dergarabedian, and roughly $10 million 90-day release window required Rentrak’s senior media analyst believe the old model will prevail, marketing cost. but with VOD growth. by big exhibitor chains. In 2011, Paul Dergarabedian. Historically, the movies that Universal tried to release their That also applies to underage Continued on page 15 South Korean to drop Sony film in North by balloon By Hyung-jin Kim The Associated Press EOUL, South Korea — A South Korean activist says he will launch balloons carrying DVDs of Sony’s The Interview toward North Korea to try to break down a personality cult built around dictator Kim Jong Un. The comedy depicting an assassination attempt on Kim is at the center of tension between North Korea and the U.S., with Washington blaming Pyongyang for crippling hacking attacks on Sony Entertainment. Pyongyang denies that and has vowed to retaliate. Activist Park Sang-hak says he will start dropping 100,000 DVDs and USBs with the movie by balloon in North Korea as early as late January. Park, a North Korean defector, said he’s partnering with the U.S.-based nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, which is financing the making of the DVDs and USB memory sticks of the movie with Korean subtitles. Park said foundation officials plan to visit South Korea around January 20 to hand over the DVDs and USBs, and that he and the officials will then try to float the first batch of the balloons if weather conditions allow. “North Korea’s absolute leadership will crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down,’’ Park said by telephone. If carried out, the move is expected to enrage North Korea, which expressed anger over the movie. In October, the country opened fire at giant balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets floated across the border by South Korean activists, trigging an exchange of gunfire with South Korean troops. But it is not clear how effective the plan will be, as only a small number of ordinary North Korean citizens are believed to own computers or DVD players. Many North Koreans would probably not risk watching the movie as they know they would get into trouble if caught. Owning a computer requires permission from the government and costs as much as three months salary for the average worker, according to South Korean analysts. Not everyone supports sending balloons into the North, with liberals and border town residents in South Korea urging the activists to stop. North Korea has long S demanded that South Korea stop the activists, but Seoul refuses, citing freedom of speech. Park said the ballooning will be done clandestinely, with the pace picking up in March when he expects the wind direction to become more favorable. Calls to the Human Rights Foundation were not immediately answered. The foundation says on its website that it works with North Korean defectors to use hydrogen balloons to send material across the border, as well as smuggling items through China and broadcasting radio transmissions to reach those who own illegal short- wave radios. O PEN HO USE 3 4 1 5 5 2 9 5 8 4 1 Difficulty EASY 7 3 8 8 9 2 7 3 8 9 8 6 Visit o ur sc ho o l to le a rn mo re a b o ut o ur la ng ua g e imme rsio n p ro g ra ms a nd o ur inq uiry-b a se d Inte rna tio na l Ba c c a la ure a te c urric ulum. 4 2 5 Ja nua ry 15, 5:30- 7:30pm 7 6 p re se nta tio ns with to urs b e g in a t 5:30 & 6:30 1 3 5 2 level: Easy #34785 # 6 Instructions: Fill in the grid so that the digits 1 through 9 appear one time each in every row, col- umn, and 3x3 box. Solution to last week’s puzzle Puzzle #34761 (Hard) All solutions available at <www.sudoku.com>. 8 6 5 1 9 2 4 3 7 3 1 4 6 5 7 2 8 9 9 7 2 4 3 8 5 1 6 4 8 1 3 6 5 9 7 2 6 2 3 7 1 9 8 5 4 7 5 9 8 2 4 1 6 3 1 3 8 9 4 6 7 2 5 2 9 7 5 8 3 6 4 1 5 4 6 2 7 1 3 9 8 Pre K- 5th • intlsc ho o l.o rg • 503- 226- 2496