15 Banned Films That Shocked The World

5. The Exorcist (1973)

Banned: UK, Singapore, Malaysia The Exorcist was banned in the UK for many, many years at the behest of the late James Ferman, chairman of the BBFC. He just plain hated the film and vetoed the notion of its release in the UK in any shape or form. Of course, as soon as a new head of the BBFC was elected after Ferman retired, the film was given its long overdue theatrical and DVD release in Britain. Probably the most notorious horror film of all time, The Exorcist was considered to be blasphemy in many countries around the world and of course there are all of the apocryphal tales of when The Exorcist was first released in cinema theatres €“ people throwing up, passing out, running screaming from the cinemas. So its fearsome reputation precedes it and when people watch it for the first time, they expect to be scared silly. The film is more disturbing than it is scary. Scenes which surely contributed to its banning revolve around the possession of Regan €“ especially the crucifix masturbation sequence which is truly shocking. This scene alone got the film banned in many countries. The film likely got into hot water because the possessed character is a little girl. Thus when she yells obscenities, pukes pea green soup, levitates, turns her head 180 degrees, scuttles down the stairs like a crab, and generally acts like a demonic brat, it is more perturbing to the viewer than if a grown adult was suffering such indignities. The climactic exorcism sequences are well handled by director William Friedkin, and again, these are very tense and disturbing to watch. A serious horror film, The Exorcist is a well thought out and capably directed piece of cinema. This is probably what contributed to the ban €“ the film€™s sober intent, rather than being a €˜bad movie€™ or silly piece of exploitation.The latter two can be dismissed as trash, but a well made film is verboten when it depicts the kind of sensitive subject matter like the Exorcist possesses,