Swap Shop Drive-In Becomes The Latest Theater To Show The Interview

Add South Florida to the list of cities that will screen the previously pulled Seth Rogen comedy "The Interview" starting this Thursday. The 13 screen Swap Shop Drive-In located at 3291 Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale will begin showing the film at 7 p.m. on Christmas Day. Preston Henn, the...

By Ryan Yousefi

December 23, 2014

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Add South Florida to the list of cities that will screen the previously pulled Seth Rogen comedy "The Interview" starting this Thursday. The 13 screen Swap Shop Drive-In located at 3291 Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale will begin showing the film at 7 p.m. on Christmas Day.

Preston Henn, the owner of the landmark drive-in, says he isn't worried about threats made by North Korean hackers. "I wouldn't be playing it if I did," Henn said. "I'm a Republican, but I was very proud of what President Obama said about the threats. Who's afraid of that North Korean ass -- anyway?"

The movie -- which was originally pulled by Sony over threats of violence -- is now scheduled to show at various smaller, independent theaters around the Country. Now South Floridians can watch the movie from the comfort of their own car while eating Twizzlers and drinking a six-pack of Pabst they smuggled in. This round goes to America, sorry Kim Jong-un!

The surge in theaters deciding to carry the movie on the day it was originally scheduled to be released seems to have started after President Obama expressed his displeasure that Sony would allow outside forces to censor the American voice in anyway.

In a press conference President Obama criticized Sony for pulling The Interview from theaters on Christmas Day:

"We can't have a society where some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States," said Obama. If they hacked Sony over a silly movie, "imagine what they will do when they see a documentary they don't like, or a news report."

Larger chains like AMC and Regal heavily influenced Sony's decision to pull the film after they announced they wouldn't be screening it, but Alamo Drafthouse theaters jumped at the chance to be the first to step forward and show the movie today -- and soon after many followed. Once it was announced that Sony had indeed changed course and decided to allow some theater locations to air the movie, the White House issued a statement on the news.

JUST IN: White House statement on Sony's decision to release 'The Interview' on Christmas Day in some theaters pic.twitter.com/uy99LqWt8j
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) December 23, 2014

Follow @NewTimesBroward

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Ryan Yousefi is a freelance writer for Miami New Times, a lover of sports, and an expert consumer of craft beer and pho. Hanley Ramirez once stole a baseball from him and to this day still owes him $10.

Contact: Ryan Yousefi

Follow:

Twitter: @rizzmiggiz