Some film fans drive a distance to catch ‘The Interview’ in Delaware

     Some fans spent part of Christmas Day with Seth Rogen and James Franco in

    Some fans spent part of Christmas Day with Seth Rogen and James Franco in "The Interview." / AP Photo/John Minchillo

    At last Seth Rogen fans and others curious about the controversial film The Interview got a chance to see it in theaters Christmas day, but many had to drive a long way for the pleasure.

    Penn Cinema in Wilmington, Del., is the only theater in the Delaware Valley carrying the comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.

    Sony Pictures originally decided not release the film after cyber threats of violence. But the company reversed course after getting criticism from Washington and Hollywood. It’s now available digitally and in a limited number of theaters.

    Several moviegoers traveled a half hour or more to Wilmington to catch the 1 p.m. show, the first of the day.

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    Jenny Shulbank, who drove with her family from Swathmore in Montgomery, said she was more than happy to make the trip down I-95.

    “We’re very happy that Sony reconsidered and is releasing the film,” Shulbank said. “It sounds kind of silly, but we almost feel like it’s a patriotic gesture to come see it.”

    Standing in the lobby of the Madison Street multiplex, Dave Ernay agreed. He said he never considered not seeing the movie.

    “We’re going to live our lives. We’re not going to let terrorism get in the way,” he said.

    U.S. officials believe North Korea is behind the so-called “cyber-vandalism” that initially prompted Sony to pull the plug on the $40 million movie.

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