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Sony Releases 'The Interview' Online

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Last week we were all freaking out because we thought The Interview would never see the light of day. Now, you can watch the controversial movie right from the comfort of home.

Sony Pictures just confirmed that the movie — believed by some but not all to be the motivation behind the massive hack of its network earlier this month — will be available as an online rental starting today at 1 p.m. Eastern in the U.S., NBC Nightly News reported. The movie will be available to rent on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video, and the website www.seetheinterview.com for $5.99. You can also purchase the movie in HD for $14.99.

Apple, meanwhile, reportely declined Sony's request to offer The Interview on iTunes.

"It has always been Sony's intention to have a national platform on which to release this film," Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton was quoted as saying by NBC Nightly News. "With that in mind, we reached out to Google, Microsoft, and other partners last Wednesday, Dec. 17, when it became clear our initial release plans were not possible. We are pleased we can now join with our partners to offer the film nationwide today."

He added that "it is essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech." Sony is currently continuing to seek out other partners and platforms that might want to offer the movie.

"This release represents our commitment to our filmmakers and free speech," Lynton continued. "While we couldn't have predicted the road this movie traveled to get to this moment, I'm proud our fight was not for nothing and that cyber criminals were not able to silence us."

The announcement comes after Sony last week axed the release of The Interview following pressure from hackers — believed to be acting on behalf of North Korea — who threatened 9/11-style violence on any theater that showed the movie, which depicts a plot to kill Kim Jong-un. Sony's decision to stop the movie's release garnered scrutiny from fans, the media, and even President Obama, who said "we cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the U.S."

Sony's decision to release the movie after all follows a widespread Internet outage in North Korea earlier this week, though the cause of that downtime has yet to be made public.

 

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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