A provocative trip to the ‘Gates of Hell’

Uncontrollably riveting and provocative! Be prepared to experience a fundamental paradigm shift.

– Troy Newman, Operation Rescue

It was cold and gray that day, and I was new to all of this. Rain was drizzling down and there I was, sitting on the back bench of a minivan with an AK-47 on my shoulder. The van's sliding door was open as we approached the parking deck and I spotted the targets, two men heading down the concrete steps to an office building across the street. The driver slowed, pointed them out and I took aim. I breathed in deeply and held it. Bla-ow! Bla-ow! Bla-ow! The AK-47 has a distinct report, a round cannon sound, and it's very loud.

"The police heard that, for sure," I thought to myself, and yes, they had.

As soon as the shots rang out, panic ensued. The first man dropped immediately; the second man turned and fled across the parking deck. I leapt through the vehicle doorway and into the driving rain, giving chase. Up the stairs, past the first man, who was lying on his back, motionless and to the top rail, where I could see the second man. He was already across the deck and headed for another set of stairs, when suddenly, he staggered backwards and dropped.

A black woman wearing construction gear emerged from the stairwell with two pistols thrust forward. It was my partner. She called herself "Sapphire." My other partners sprinted across the slick concrete to meet her with their guns at the ready, while I watched from behind my iron sights. They had checked the body and were running back in my direction, when I first heard the sirens. I rushed to get back to the minivan and managed to stash the rifle, just as two patrol cars pinned us in, one from behind and one in front.

Unlike my partners, black men and women in body armor and black masks, toting machine guns and shotguns, I looked fairly normal. I wasn't wearing a mask or body armor; I was wearing a sweater and khakis. I started to approach the first patrol car, the one blocking our forward movement, where a young, female officer was out of her vehicle and staying behind the driver's side door. She seemed relatively calm considering the scene; her left hand was on a radio attached to her shoulder and her right hand was holding the top of her door.

"It's OK," I yelled to her, with a big friendly smile. I outstretched my arms and beamed, "I'm a film director!"

For reasons still unknown, that ordinarily ingratiating set of words produced the opposite effect in this young woman, who suddenly developed a wild look in her eye as she reached for her sidearm.

Thankfully, she didn't shoot me that day. Everything was smoothed out; explanations were made.

That rainy afternoon in Cary, N.C., we were filming one of numerous terrorist scenes for our new movie, "Gates of Hell," a political thriller from the future, the year 2016, to be precise. And in this thriller, a band of black power terrorists called the "Zulu 9" wage guerrilla war on abortion providers for what they call "decades of black genocide." Stepping into the role of camera operator, I had been shooting blank rounds at actors with a camera attached to the rifle itself. At Illuminati Pictures, "guerrilla filmmaking" takes on a whole new meaning.

Of course, this incident was unusual. Most of "Gates of Hell's" production went smoothly. It took two years to craft the script and shoot it and another year of post-production, but we finally did it without any injuries or incarcerations.

Normally, films addressing abortion are terrible. They present gory visual collections of the procedure itself, endless, droning lectures about ethics or an equally unwatchable combination of the two. And perhaps worst of all, these films are almost always preaching to the choir. Conversely, our film abandons these devices and focuses on entertainment value and balanced opinions. Think of it as an episode of "24" where the bad guys are anti-abortion terrorists. You'll hear all sides, but the goal all along is to catch the bad guys, right? This way, we can address polarizing topics like abortion and civil rights without grossing people out or being didactic. Everyone will see something different in this film; they'll probably identify with a different character than the person sitting next to them.

And that's where the conversation begins.

What would happen if black Americans rediscovered that Planned Parenthood, in cahoots with the federal government, had placed nearly 80 percent of its clinics in minority neighborhoods for a reason? What would happen if the black community learned that the Black Panthers originally opposed abortion as a form of racist population control? What would happen if they learned that Jessie Jackson once told Jet magazine that "abortion is genocide" or that he changed his tune when Planned Parenthood started donating to his political career? Is it possible that a few of them might want revenge? And if they chose to take it, how would their violent actions affect the abortion conversation in America?

If this fictional film disturbs you because it is violent, just make sure the real violence of abortion disturbs you more.

– Trimelda, Former Black Panther

Of course, the goal of this film is not a call to arms, as some have suggested. It's worth mentioning that those detractors (most of whom are pro-life) have not even seen the film and are basing their opinions on trailers alone. Actually, everyone who has screened this film has given it glowing reviews. But "Gates of Hell" is designed to provoke the viewer. It explores areas that most pro-lifers have gone to great lengths to avoid. It presents a scenario pro-choicers will find quite terrifying. Members of our screening audiences have been upset at how ruthless the Zulu 9 can be; others have been uncomfortable with how likable the Zulu 9 can be. Simply put, "Gates of Hell" shatters pre-conceived notions about violence and civil rights. All we can promise viewers is this: Prepare for hours of intense debate with friends and family after you see it (which already happens when we screen it).

"Gates of Hell" will make you angry. The reason for your anger will surprise you.

– Matt Barber, vice president, Liberty Council Action

This February is Black History Month. And what better way is there to commemorate it than to release a movie about black history … from the future? Yes, "Gates of Hell" will be available on DVD this coming month in the WND Superstore and the "Gates of Hell" film website, but limited screenings will also hit theaters in different cities at different times this year. Check the "Gates of Hell" website (www.gatesofhellfilm.com) and our Facebook page for more on that.

Order your own DVD copy of "Gates of Hell" at the WND Superstore.