10 Movies That Spent Decades In Development Hell (And Still Lived Up To The Hype)

Stanley Kubrick's deeply controversial A Clockwork Orange generated more debate than any of his previous releases. Following the scary performance of Malcolm McDowell as the young delinquent Alex was a far cry from the traditional good-natured protagonists of the time.

For the UK however, it was not to be as the film was immediately banned close to release. Those who wanted to see Kubrick's latest masterpiece were kept waiting as the severe violence and sexual content caused it to be withdrawn from theatres and physical media shortly after its premiere. The director chose to remove the film himself, feeling it would stir up massive outrage.

Inaccessible in the UK for twenty-seven years after its original release, when British audiences finally got to experience A Clockwork Orange, it was every bit as brilliant as Stanley Kubrick's other work. It would take the director's passing in 1999 and the turn of the new millennium for the film to be viewed legitimately.

Luckily, with opinions having shifted and the censorship lifted, A Clockwork Orange made its mark. The cruel and callous nature of its protagonist was entirely intentional with the film's twist offering a reversal of the audience's sympathies. Its questioning of ethics, brainwashing and dealing with criminals made it an intelligent effort.