10 Banned Movies Now Considered Masterpieces

Inspiring terror in countries the world over, The Exorcist has been hallmarked as the epitome of horror cinema for over 40 years, and it isn't hard to see why. Bringing together some of the tightest story telling, intense themes, and of course, visceral, graphic violence - this grotty little movie is one of the few horror films to successfully tell a story as well as exploit its darker nature.

Telling the tale of a little girl inhabited by the demon Pazazu, it isn't long until we see Reagan spidercrawling her way through the house and getting creative with a crucifix, turning audiences to clutching at their pearls in no time. Won't somebody think of the children?!

The Exorcist was banned by numerous local authorities who refused to screen the blasphemous, gory, and downright disgusting movie in their areas - and was taken off of shelves for 11 years following changes to home viewing laws. Coming back in the late 90s, it's now widely available, and still revered as an incredibly important, if icky, piece of cinema.