8 Movies That Inspired Online Protests

3. Machete

What They Said: “Machete is not satire. It is propaganda under the cover of an exploitation film,” wrote one viewer. “It strives to demonize Americans outraged over an open border and the influx of millions of illegal aliens each year.”

The feature length version of a spoof trailer from Robert Rodriguez’s earlier Grindhouse, Machete was billed as a comedic throwback to 70s exploitation fare, but the film’s critics were unamused by the film’s liberal approach to immigration.

Claiming the movie presented “an explicit threat to white folks”, a white nationalist group decided to protest at a Bay Area screening, armed (you guessed it) with machetes.

What Happened: Protests ain’t what they used to be – in the event, six people showed up to protest the screening, handing out fliers and describing the movie (which they hadn’t watched) as anti-white discrimination. According to the Mercury News, the only weapons in evidence were two cardboard machetes the leader wore around his neck.

The movie went on to gross $44 million worldwide, a respectable enough sum given its $11 million budget. A sequel, Machete Kills, appeared in 2013.