Please don't hate me for mentioning this film!

[Javakoala]

I bought and watched a movie a few months back. It continues to disturb me to this day. I'm completely serious when I say that.

The name of the movie is "They All Must Die!". The movie is about a white female author who rents an apartment in a notoriously rough black neighborhood so she can observe life there for her next book. She is immediately faced with 3 local young men who alternate between wanting to bang her and hurling racist comments at her. The landlord, also black, has read all her books and is obsessed with her. When she isn't keen on the creepy advances made by her landlord, he then lets the 3 young men into her apartment where they rape and beat her. Then you get a bit of "I Spit On Your Grave" revenge that isn't really what you are led to believe it is. This is followed up by a final scene with the landlord that is beyond insulting.

Here's the thing that disturbs me: Intercut, as subliminal images, are old photos taken of lynchings. Vile and graphic photos of smiling white people standing around mutilated black men. Add to this the fact that the person who made the film, Sean Weathers, is black. I've looked all around to find some reference to this and I found only the following in a review by Robert Barry Francos:

"I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere else, but throughout the film, there are actual photographs of murdered blacks in the south, usually surrounded by white men, including lynchings and burnings, shown nearly subliminally in quick flashes. If you blink, you will miss them (they seem to last about a half second). Most likely this release is Sean’s commenting on gentrification and re-colonialization of black (and other) neighborhoods, a practice that was especially enforced by Mayors Koch and Giuliani (and now Bloomberg, who destroyed an entire neighborhood in the borough to build an unnecessary sports complex that will be visited mostly by those not living in the area, similar to what happened in Atlantic City). "

Even with that explanation, which doesn't let the filmmaker off the hook for displaying black men as beyond redemption, I just don't get what is the reason for this film.

I don't get offended easily. Hell, I watched "A Serbian Film" and found it vile but ultimately flawed and inept, but never offensive. But this film...it's taken me months to work up the nerve to even post this because I almost feel like I'm tainted for even having seen this...thing.

Has anyone else seen this movie? If so, can you please explain why this film was made? Or am I just utterly missing something here?

[ChaosTheory]

Out of curiosity, how old is this movie?  Bearing in mind I haven't seen it - 
w/r/t the intercuts of lynching photos;  there were a lot of cases back in pre-integration days of black men being falsely accused of having raped white women and that's the excuse for why they got lynched/tortured.  The whole "keep away from our women" mentality was and still is a pretty prominent aspect of racism.  From what you're describing it might be a commentary on that attitude, but that's just a guess....it's extremely misguided if that's the case.

[Javakoala]

It's a fairly recent film, with a date of 1998 according to imdb.com. It has the look of early 90s to it. And it was clearly patterned after "I Spit On Your Grave".

But the fact the filmmaker is African-American is incredibly puzzling. So, you can look at its message from 2 angles:

1. It is intended as how the filmmaker saw African-American males acting, and he wanted to condemn it. But that makes the lynching images take on a meaning of hatred against his own culture and heritage, so I find that hard to believe.

2. He put those images in during scenes of brutal violence against the white female, so maybe he was attempting to provide justification for how she was treated. Still, she is never rude to any of the characters, and she only once uses a racial slur of "spooks" while having a phone conversation with her mother. Balanced against the non-stop insults hurled at her, it almost makes her out as saintly. And she is there for research to write a book about how society has forced African-American males into poverty. So I find even this view hard to accept.

Honestly, I have never had a movie trouble like this movie has. I guess I'm going to have to attempt to track down the filmmaker and ask him what it means.

[fulci420]

I have never heard of this film and not sure if I will ever seek it out unless just out of morbid curiosity. As to the filmmakers motives obviously I cannot speak to that but I did find this 30 plus minute interview with the director which should give you some ideas on what he is all about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8toxKF1rnp4
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[akiratubo]

I've seen this, quite a while ago.  I don't remember it much.  I do recall feeling a "take this, you b***h" vibe from the parts of the movie where the guys are harassing the woman.  Then I recall thinking that they wanted their cake and eat it too during the revenge segment.  "No, no, this movie isn't misogynistic.  See?  The woman gets revenge!"

I don't remember any split-second shots of lynchings.

[Javakoala]

At first, I didn't think anything of what appeared to be a glitch in the print. When I saw the second one, I went back and did a frame-by-frame scan and, yup, those images are in there. I may have missed some earlier in the film, but, you know, I don't care to ever go back to look for any. At the risk of offending any women here in the forum, I wasn't offended by the rape scene in this film. Yes, it was brutal and insanely long and uncomfortable to watch, but that scene isn't the reason for never wanting to see this movie again. It is the film taken as a whole that is so savagely offensive that puts me off of it. And in all my years of looking for something that would offend me, I have finally found a film that succeeded.

I actually went to the filmmaker's web site, and then sent an email asking for information about the film and reason for the tone and the subliminal images of lynchings. At this point, no response has shown up. I keep hoping.

So I'm stuck with this film. I won't sell it or give it away because...well, if someone wants to see this thing, I will not be a participant in that action (gives you an idea of how strongly I feel about this movie). I won't throw it away or destroy it because that's what ignorant people and groups do when they stumble across something they don't like and/or understand. Maybe I'll stick a note in it that says, "Please don't ever watch this." That way, if I die and someone gets all my movies, maybe it will persuade them not to open this particular Pandora's Box.

[JPickettIII]

I did not see this.  I read the write up on IMDB.  Sound like trash.  I assume some people will watch for the porn value, some will watch for the curiosity.  I will avoid this one.

Later,

John

[alandhopewell]

      Sounds like something I'd rather not watch, and can't really find a reason for its existence.

[voltron]

Sounds kinda interesting. I'm always on the lookout for "fringe" movies. The more offensive/disturbing the better I say. But that's just me.

[Javakoala]

Voltron, I really can't recommend it. If you really want disturbing, then knock yourself out. When I describe it as "disturbing", I want to make it clear that I'm not throwing these comments out as a challenge to thrill-seeking fans. I found it disturbing because of the delivery and context of the film. The actual acts of rape and brutality, in and of themselves, did not bother me so much, though I have to say that the rape scene is one of the more intense ones I've seen in exploitation films. It just goes on and on.

Still, you are on your own if you seek this thing out. I honestly do not want anything I've posted about it to ever inspire anyone's desire to watch it.

[Kaseykockroach]

How dare you bring up a bad film in a forum about bad films. :P

[Chainsawmidget]

Can I hate you for entirely different reasons instead? 

[Allhallowsday]

The last remark is lame and unfunny.  You're not funny. 

[Chainsawmidget]

They can't all be winners.

[Javakoala]

As long as you don't hate me for being beautiful, then, please, hate away.