I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Day of the Woman (original title)

Director:

Meir Zarchi

Writer:

Meir Zarchi (written by)

Release Date:

22 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The ultimate day of terror!

Plot:

An aspiring writer is repeatedly gang-raped, humiliated, and left for dead by four men whom she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Cabin | Rape | Hammock | Evil Man

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Camille Keaton	...	Jennifer Hills
Eron Tabor	...	Johnny
Richard Pace	...	Matthew Lucas
Anthony Nichols	...	Stanley
Gunter Kleemann	...	Andy
Alexis Magnotti	...	Johnny's Wife
Tammy Zarchi	...	Johnny's Daughter
Terry Zarchi	...	Johnny's Son
Traci Ferrante	...	Waitress
William Tasgal	...	Porter (as Bill Tasgal)
Isaac Agami	...	Butcher (as Isac Agami)
Ronit Haviv	...	Supermarket Girl

Directed by
Meir Zarchi

Writing credits
Meir Zarchi		(written by)

Produced by
Meir Zarchi	....	producer
Joseph Zbeda	....	producer

Cinematography by
Nouri Haviv		(director of photography) (as Yuri Haviv)

Film Editing by
Spiro Carras		(re-edited international version)
Meir Zarchi

Makeup Department
Armine Minassian	....	makeup artist
Joan Puma	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Michael Penland	....	post-production supervisor
David Schanker	....	post-production supervisor
William Tasgal	....	production manager (as Bill Tasgal)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Penland	....	first assistant director
Beriau Picard	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Michel Carton	....	sound mixer
Alex Pfau	....	sound effects editor
Steven Sklar	....	location sound recordist

Special Effects by
Beriau Picard	....	special effects
William Tasgal	....	special effects (as Bill Tasgal)

Camera and Electrical Department
John De Ruyter	....	grip
Andre Givolinsky	....	grip
Josh Karan	....	gaffer
George Liebert	....	grip
Louis McMahon	....	camera operator
Steve Miller	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
Jim Ettorre	....	assistant editor
Sol Fischler	....	assistant editor
Ray Karticki	....	assistant editor
Pamela Yates	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lou Kleinman	....	production coordinator
William Kruzykowski	....	production coordinator
Alexis Magnotti	....	continuity
Alex Pfau	....	creative consultant

Production Companies

• Cinemagic Pictures

Distributors

• Cinemagic (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jerry Gross Organization, The (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Wizard Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Astra Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• Astra Video (1982) (UK) (video) (Betamax)
• Video Star (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Wizard Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (big box reissue)
• VidAmerica (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• CMV Laservision (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Force Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Koch Vision (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Beyond Home Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• 101 Films (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• 101 Films (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Screen Entertainment (????) (UK) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• VidAmerica (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Video Power (19??) (Netherlands) (video) (Betamax)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• Magno Sound  mixing studios
• Montage Film Services  post-production services
• People of Kent, Connecticut, The  special thanks
• Videart Opticals  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Day of the Woman" - USA (original title)
"The Rape and Revenge of Jennifer Hills" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

101 min | Argentina:95 min | UK:93 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R (edited for re-rating) | USA:Unrated (uncut video version) | USA:X (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1980) | Finland:K-18 (2006) | Australia:(Banned) (1997-2004) | Australia:R (2004) (uncut) | Australia:R (original rating) (cut) | Italy:VM18 | Thailand:(Banned) | Singapore:(Banned) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Philippines:(Banned) | China:(Banned) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Norway:15 (uncut) (2006) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | Sweden:15 (uncut) (2006) | France:-16 | South Korea:18 (DVD rating: 2002) (uncut) | Italy:T (DVD) (special edition) | Peru:18 | Argentina:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) (video rating) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1998) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Iceland:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) (2004) | Norway:(Banned) (video version) (1982) | South Korea:18 (heavily cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2001) | UK:18 (heavily cut) | Ireland:(Banned) (2002) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Cinemagic Pictures

Trivia:

Any zoom shots in the film were achieved by placing the camera on a supermarket trolley.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the bag of groceries that Matthew is to deliver to Jennifer changes positions on the meat counter in the market before Matthew picks it up.

Quotes:

Johnny:That's so sweet, it's painful.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hunter: Rape and Revenge: Part 2 (#2.7)" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Sola Perduta Abandonnato

A pearl in this maligned genre

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is a straightforward rape/revenge drama with the tone of a documentary.

The coverage is plain, there is no music, there are no "stars", there are no concessions to a mainstream audience.

The exploitation film audience may be served, although the rape sequences are neither dynamic nor stylish.

Camille Keaton (Buster's granddaughter), a writer, drives to the country to stay at her house on the river. Local losers stalk her and rape her and rape her again.

The rest of the film details the victim's bloody revenge.

Labeled rubbish by the ignorant, this is very restrained exploitation that is often perversely effective and confronting.

The rape sequences are nasty and ugly, not enhanced by camera moves, rich sound effects or lurid angles.

On the other hand, the revenge sequences are more cinematically manipulative and poorly executed.

An intriguing document of merit.