1) The Interview Was Banned….Sort Of
It’s been impossible to ignore the Sony hacking scandal in the news recently, as more shocking revelations hit the web on a daily basis. However, the controversy reached its peak when alleged bombing threats from North Korea prompted Sony Pictures to halt the release of Seth Rogen’s comedy, The Interview, from cinematic release. Turns out the communist state aren’t huge fans of American movies that involve the murder of their beloved leader Kim Jong-un.
After Sony announced they had “no further plans” for The Interview, including a halt to release on DVD and VOD, outrage spread worldwide, culminating in a statement from Barack Obama himself who called the cancelled release a mistake. In the following days, the studio finally reconsidered their stance, releasing The Interview Christmas Day on YouTube and a number of VOD platforms. The controversy may have prevented Rogen’s satire from enjoying a widespread cinematic release, but the publicity that’s been generated so far exceeds anything that The Interview could have attained otherwise.
Tell us, what do you think of our choices? Can you add any more surprising moments to the list? Share your thoughts and predictions for 2015 in the comments section below!