Autumn of Terror: Shocking Movies That Got Banned

By Geeky Gem

Here at All Geek To Me we have been known for running themed months, so far we have Avenged April and had fun with Summer Knights. That brings us to October or as we like to call it Autumn of Terror. Yes that’s right folks All Geek To Me is going for all out shock this month, I thought I would kick things off with a list of a few films that for one reason or another got banned here in the UK.

Here in the UK , as in ever part of the world, movies have be viewed by some people who then decide what age rating it shall have, every once in a while they come across a movie that is just to shocking they ban it. Now the ban doesn’t always last very long but during the ban more people tend to go out and try to see it. I know this because I have done that, as I said here is a small list of banned movies.

Battleship Potemkin

This movie was banned between 1925–1954, it was banned due to it’s “inflammatory subtitles and Bolshevist Propaganda”. It didn’t become unbanned untill after the death of Joseph Stalin.

Freaks

Freaks was banned between 1932 – 1963, it was rejected not just banned by British censors. Who then banned it due to disturbing content. It was again rejected for a cinema rating certificate in 1952, it only became available from 1963 but was then passed with an X rating.

The Wild One

The Wild One was banned between 1954–1967, well it was more than banned it too was rejected. The film was rejected for a UK cinema certificate in 1954 and 1955 by the BBFC and was finally granted an X rating in November 1967 after a 13 year ban.

The Last House on the Left

This movie was banned between 1972–2002, which if you ask me is a long ban. It was banned  by the BBFC until 2002 and not passed uncut until 2008. Released on home video in 2002, when the market was unregulated, but banned following the Video Recordings Act 1984.

A Clockwork Orange

Now this one is an interesting one, band between 1973–2000, well banned isn’t the right word really. Withdrawn is the real word I guess, it was withdrawn two years after its release by its own director, Stanley Kubrick. This was not because of the copycat violence allegedly inspired by the film, as commonly believed. Kubrick received death threats against his family, and arranged to withdraw the film from UK cinemas. It was not allowed to be shown again in the United Kingdom until after his death. Throughout the decades the film acquired a mythical status in the country, until Kubrick died in 1999 and the ban was finally lifted.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

This one was banned between 1974–1999, this was because the movie was rejected by the British film censors in 1975, but it did get a limited cinema release in the London. It was banned again in 1977, when the censors’ attempts to cut it were unsuccessful, (for the purposes of a wider release), then it was banned again in 1984, due to the growing controversy involving ‘video nasties’. In 1999, after the censors finally changed their policy, they took the plunge, and passed it uncut, for the cinema and video, after 25 years, since they first banned it.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist, now with this movie I wasnt allowed to see this. My parents had told me not too even after the ban was lifted, however me being me at the time when they told me not too I did. At the time I didn’t get why they were so scared by it, and I watched it and thought it was no big deal. They didn’t see it that why when I told them I had seen it. Anyway this movie was banned between 1986–1999, The theatrical version was passed, uncut, by the BBFC in 1974 and has always been legal. The home video of the film was released in 1979. The home video was not banned per se, but Warner decided not to submit the film for classification for a few years following the video nasty crisis (as they didn’t want to take any chances due to high probability of an official ban) and the implementation of the Video Recordings Act 1984 in 1986. It was not until 1999 that the video was finally submitted and passed, uncut, with an 18 rating.

Reservoir Dogs

This move was banned between 1992-1995, which isn’t that long when you look at some of the others on this list. This movie was submitted to the BBFC for a video release certificate in 1992 (it had previously been submitted for theatrical distribution, was passed uncut and shown widely in cinemas). Though the film was never formally refused a video certificate, one was not actually granted until 1995. Because of the BBFC’s statutory powers under the Video Recordings Act 1984, the delay amounted to a de facto ban during this period, during which a second theatrical release took place in 1994. It has been alleged that the delay was due to political pressure applied to the BBFC’s controversial director, James Ferman, resulting at least in part from the controversy over so-called video nasties that was precipitated by the murder of James Bulger in 1993.

There we have it just some of the movies that have been banned in the UK, I’ve seen nearly all of them and enjoyed them. If you havent maybe you should give them a try.