The Interview Dvd

The Interview is a 2014 American political satire action black comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following This Is the End (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Sterling, based on a story he co-wrote with Rogen and Goldberg. The film stars Rogen and James Franco as journalists who set up an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), and are then recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The film is heavily inspired by a 2012 Vice documentary.

Plot

Dave Skylark is the host of the talk show Skylark Tonight, where he interviews various celebrities about personal topics and gossip. After Skylark and his crew celebrate their producer Aaron Rapaport’s 1,000th episode, Rapaport is upset by a producer peer who criticized the show as not being a real news program. Rapaport reveals his concern and urge for change, to which Skylark agrees. Later, Skylark discovers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of Skylark Tonight, prompting Rapaport to arrange an interview for him. Rapaport travels to a place outside Dandong, China to receive instructions from Sook-yin Park, a propaganda minister, and Rapaport accepts the task of interviewing Kim on behalf of Skylark.

The next day, CIA agent Lacey shows up at Skylark and Rapaport’s place, proposes the duo to assassinate Kim using a transdermal strip that will poison Kim with ricin via handshake; they reluctantly agree. Skylark carries the ricin strip hidden inside a pack of gum. Upon their arrival in the presidential palace in Pyongyang, they are introduced to security officers Koh and Yu; Koh discovers the strip and chews it, believing it to be gum. That night, Lacey airdrops them two more patches from a drone, but in order to smuggle it back to their room, Rapaport has to evade a Siberian tiger and then hide the container in his rectum. Later, Kim shows up and introduces himself to Skylark.

Skylark spends the day with Kim by playing basketball, hanging out and partying together. Kim persuades Skylark that he is misunderstood as both a cruel dictator and a failed administrator, and they become friends. At dinner, Koh has a seizure due to the ricin poisoning and accidentally shoots Yu before dying. The next morning, Skylark feels guilty and discards one of the ricin strips, then thwarts Rapaport’s attempt to poison Kim with the second strip. After another dinner mourning the death of Kim’s bodyguards, Skylark witnesses Kim’s malicious side as he threatens war against South Korea and everyone who try to undermine his leadership. Skylark leaves and after taking a walk, he discovers that a nearby grocery store is merely fake and realizes that Kim has been lying to him. At the same time, during attempted sex with Rapaport (who still has the ricin strip in his hand), Sook-yin reveals that she despises Kim and apologizes for defending the regime. Skylark, Rapaport and Sook-yin plan to break Kim’s cult of personality by causing him to cry on air. Before the broadcast starts, Kim gives Skylark a puppy as a gift to keep.

During the internationally televised interview with Kim, Skylark addresses increasingly sensitive topics (including the country’s food shortage issues and economic sanctions imposed by the US) and challenges Kim’s need for his father’s approval. Meanwhile, Sook-yin and Rapaport seize control of the broadcasting center and attack guards trying to cut off the broadcast. Despite his initial resistance, Kim eventually cries uncontrollably and soils himself after Skylark sings “Firework” by Katy Perry (having learned of Kim’s fondness of Katy Perry earlier), ruining his reputation. Betrayed and humiliated, Kim shoots Skylark (who survives due to a bulletproof vest) and goes into a violent rage, vowing to get his revenge by preparing a nuclear missile launch. Skylark then regroups with Rapaport and Sook-yin to escape the presidential palace with the puppy in tow. After a security guard helps them escape, the trio hijack Kim’s personal tank to get to their pickup point. Kim boards a helicopter and attacks the group alongside his army. Before Kim can issue the command to launch the nuclear missile, Skylark fires a shell from the tank and shoots down Kim’s helicopter, killing him and holding off the nuclear threat.

With the immediate threat over, Sook guides Skylark and Rapaport to an escape route where they are rescued and loaded onto a rescue craft by SEAL Team Six members disguised as Korean People’s Army troops, while Sook goes to Pyongyang to ensure political stability. Back in the United States, Skylark writes a book about his experience while North Korea becomes a denuclearized democracy with Sook-yin as an interim leader.

Cast

James Franco as Dave Skylark
Seth Rogen as Aaron Rapaport
Lizzy Caplan as Agent Lacey
Randall Park as Kim Jong-un
Diana Bang as Sook-yin Park
Timothy Simons as Malcolm
Reese Alexander as Agent Botwin
Anders Holm as Jake
Charles Rahi Chun as General Jong
Ben Schwartz as Darryl