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The more extreme a horror movie is, however, the more likely it is to be banned for content reasons. Some movies violate rules about what can and cannot be shown on-screen, while others have disturbing messages or levels of violence that lead those with power to stop their distribution.
7) Saló (Or The 120 Days of Sodom)
Saló’s fight to be distributed has made it one of the most infamous movies of the 20th century. This 1975 movie was bound to run into problems with the censors of the time, as it was based on the writing of the Marquis de Sade, the notorious figure whose name led to the coining of the word “sadism.”
The film included graphic scenes of sexual torture, set in 1944 fascist Italy. This disturbing content earned it bans in 9 countries, including the United States. The controversy made the film notorious, and it is often the subject of heated debates despite not being able to be viewed easily.
6) A Serbian Film
2001’s A Serbian Film is banned in many European countries. This is another film that depends on graphic violence and disturbing situations to make its points, which is why it is often a candidate for censorship.
The film is about a porn star who agrees to make a film because of financial needs, only to discover the performers have been lured into a trap. The protagonist is forced to do depraved acts against his will, leading to an extremely uncomfortable experience for filmgoers. Additionally, the horror was so extreme that police investigated the film to make sure nobody was being abused in real life.
5) Cannibal Holocaust
Cannibal Holocaust earned a spot on the most-banned film list because of its gruesome plot and graphic imagery. The movie is about a film crew that accidentally stumbles across a group of cannibals in the Amazon jungle.
Although the violence against humans is staged in the movie, animals were harmed for real, which sparked outrage among many audience members. It makes Cannibal Holocaust one of the most controversial horror movies ever made. It is banned in the United States and several European countries.
4) The Poughkeepsie Tapes
The Poughkeepsie Tapes was based on real-life serial killers, so it was bound to be an uncomfortable film. This movie was the fictional story of someone who found footage of heinous and graphic murders in an abandoned house, but it was all too realistic for test audiences.
For this reason, the movie was banned shortly before its 2007 release. It was not available for several years after that and only came out on DVD a full decade later.
