1. Sam Peckinpah
Most Controversial Film: Straw Dogs Sam Peckinpah courted controversy his whole life as the legendary director is infamous for his volatile temper and alcohol abuse. Peckinpah was a renegade who made movies on his own terms and the results often shocked people as his films featured a level of violence that was uncommon at that time. Peckinpah is most renowned for his western masterpiece, The Wild Bunch, but his most controversial work is Straw Dogs, which was catastrophically remade a few years back. Straw Dogs is a ferocious and tough film and a piece of genius that was overshadowed by the outcry over the much debated rape scene. Peckinpah received accusations that the film was misogynist, sadistic and a fascist celebration of violence. In this writer's view, it is a grueling exploration of the psychology of violence but the controversy has never subsided since the film's release in 1971. Because of Peckinpah's persona, he attracted much more controversy than he perhaps deserved. His films were all about men and featured high levels of violence that repulsed much of right-wing America and Straw Dogs was only released unedited in the UK in 2002 after years and years of debate. Peckinpah was the catalyst for cult films and is rightly regarded as one of the finest American directors of all time, but also the most controversial as his abrasive personality mixed with difficult subject matter made him perfect for an assault from the censors and media.