Men's rights documentary screening cut after online backlash

Tough break, Melbourne MRAs.

A cinema in Melbourne has cancelled a scheduled screening of so-called "sexist" film, The Red Pill, after an online petition demanded the screening be canned.

The feature documentary that focuses on the Men's Rights Activist (MRA) movement in the United States was called "misogynistic propaganda" by the creator of a Change.org petition, Susie Smith, after news broke that Men's Rights Melbourne would be showing it at the Palace Kino complex in the Australian city.

The petition collected thousands of signatures and "resonated" with cinema officials.

"The overwhelming number of responses [to the petition], many from regular Kino customers, has really resonated with us and has led us to reconsider the appropriateness of going ahead with the booking," the cinema wrote in a letter breaking the news to Men's Rights Melbourne.

Following the cancellation, the Men's Rights Melbourne representative David Williams started a counter petition, urging the cinema to reconsider their decision, which he said was influenced by "a small group of feminist agitators." Palace Cinema’s Facebook page has also been flooded with complaints.

The film was funded by a US$211,260 Kickstarter campaign, supported in part by MRA groups and publications such as the far-right political website Breitbart.

The film markets itself as the story of a feminist filmmaker who attempts to "document the mysterious and polarising world of the Men's Rights Movement." The work leads director Cassie Jaye to "challenge her own beliefs," exploring an "alternate perspective on gender equality, power and privilege."

Seems legit? Not so, petition leader Smith said. The Reddit "Red Pill community" that the film features is "the sexist cesspit of the internet" and "in a country where one in three women are victims of gender-based violence, it is repulsive to legitimise and promote this behaviour," she wrote on the petition page.

In addition to axing the screening, Palace Kino sought to distance itself from the film even further.

"Much of the feedback that we have received assumes that the choice of film was our curatorial decision rather than that of the cinema hirer, which is potentially damaging to our credibility," the cinema told Smith in a letter.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The Citizen report that director Jaye has weighed in on the cinema's decision by saying: "I believe if anyone at Palace Cinemas watches the film, they won't see any need to pull the film."

According to many film critics, watching the documentary could also mean losing two "agonizing hours [sic]" of your life that you'll never, ever get back.

Village Voice for example, say the film is essentially "propagandist" sputtering, in which Jaye "tumbles slowly down America's stupidest rabbit hole."

But it was Jaye's willingness to "twist herself in knots to justify the movement's misogynist rhetoric," that really offended the Los Angeles Times, who said the film is built on a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the basic principles of human rights and feminism.

But despite all that, Men's Rights Melbourne is seeking a new venue for the screening. Cue the next round of petitions!

Palace Cinemas have been contacted by Mashable for further comment.