After all three major U.S. theater chains and Sony Pictures crumbled under pressure last week, we're starting to believe we'll get a chance to see The Interview after all. What we don't know yet is where. Will the movie hit video on demand, a streaming service, or leak online? Believe it or not, those aren't the only options. The Interview could also screen at independent theaters or even at the U.S. Capitol.
Art House Convergence, a large coalition of independent theaters, has petitioned Sony to let its members screen the controversial comedy. "Your art house motion picture colleagues wish to support you and your company," AHC director Russ Collins said in an open letter. "Circumstance has propelled The Interview into a spotlight on values, both societal and artistic, and in honor of our support, we want to offer our help in a way that honors our long tradition of defending creative expression."
Congressman Brad Sherman (D. Calif.) even offered to screen the film at Capitol facilities in a letter to Sony.
"We have a responsibility to stand up against these attempts at intimidation. Screening The Interview will demonstrate the U.S. Congress’s support of the freedom of speech. This is about our right to live without fear, and knowing that our values will not be compromised by the idle threats of a despotic regime. Good or bad, Americans should not be deprived of the opportunity to see this movie. It is now the responsibility of the U.S. government to allocate the necessary resources to ensure moviegoers’ safety. We must help Sony Pictures, movie theater owners, and moviegoers regain the confidence to go see The Interview."
Both of those options sound better than watching The Interview on Crackle, and watching Seth Rogen and James Franco at the United States Capitol, a building soon to be dominated by Republicans, would be outrageously funny. Marijuana has been legalized in Washington D.C., so you could even show up stoned.
