'The Pizzagate Massacre' film takes a conspiracy theory to the next level — and sends Trump fans into a rage
A filmmaker is fielding death threats after creating a low-budget satirical look at the "Pizzagate" conspiracy taken to the extreme. A review from Vice News describes The Pizzagate Massacreas an examination of interdimensional lizard people controlling humans from the basement of a pizza parlor.
The film is from John Valley, a filmmaker out of Austin, Texas, and paints protagonist Duncan Plump as "a long haired and serial-killer glasses-wearing militiaman," who "asks a friend to do research on the reporter. He wants to help, but he doesn't trust her yet," described Vice.
"This film sets out to explore the toxic nature of conspiracy theories and fantastical thinking writ large," Valley said in a statement. "Using elements of the original PizzaGate narrative, the film attempts to shine a light on those who weaponize misinformation for profit and those who carry water for such pursuits."
While the film addresses the way extremists "weaponize misinformation for profit," Valley takes the story to the extreme with every character deeply enthralled with the likes of Alex Jones and other far-right personalities. Duncan even thinks he could be the son of cult leader David Koresh. He's featured as someone deserving of empathy for being so easily manipulated into believing the most absurd ideas imaginable.
As news of the film spreads, Valley is being plagued by QAnon conspiracy theorists offended by the portrayal of those who bought into the idea that former Secretary Hillary Clinton had a secret child abuse ring in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, which doesn't even have a basement. The theory resulted in a man showing up to the family-friendly establishment with a gun trying to liberate the children. He never was able to find them and now he's in prison.
Now that the satirical film is loose, the QAnon crowd is sending death threats to Valley and those who participated in the film. It wasn't a surprise to Valley, who expected to infuriate ardent conspiracy believers.
"We knew when we made the movie it would draw some heat," he told Motherboard. "But then when it actually starts happening it's a whole 'nother story. It freaked me out a lot more than I thought it would."
"We've kind of been getting a lot of that kind of pushback ever since," he said. "The trailer definitely opened the floodgates."
READ MORE: Newsmax turns against right-wing conspiracy theories — and hire 'straight news' Fox producers
The positive for Valley is that the threats have raised the profile of the film and given him legitimacy.
"Everybody started taking the movie more seriously. One QAnon guy ripped the trailer and it blew up for us. It's frustrating but also relieving in a way," he said.
Valley's brainchild came in 2016 as Trump rose to power. When a gunman appeared at Comet pizzeria looking for the Clinton Satan worshipers, Valley "was more shocked at people's reaction than he was to the incident itself," Vice explained. The film was born.
"They think they're right just like we think we're right. If there's a clean and sober conversation, you can see which side of the story is fake. But that doesn't change the fact that these people believe what they're doing is correct," Valley said of Q followers.
READ MORE: This psychological factor explains the QAnon movement better than political ideology: scientists
But the tragedy comes from those manipulated and used for political power.
"When you saturate that part of the brain long enough, you can do anything with it, which is what I think people like Alex Jones, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and Trump do," Valley said. "They all seized on it. They know what they're doing. They know the trick they're pulling on people, which is what makes me so angry at them."
Watch the video below to see the trailer:
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