Movies Too Controversial for the Screen
The 1990s produced plenty of movies that challenged audiences, but some attracted way more than angry reviews. The reality is that governments and local authorities actually went so far as to block films for all sorts of reasons, like graphic violence, inappropriate content, political satire, or fears about their social influence. While these five releases weren’t banned everywhere, each ran into restrictions somewhere in the world.
1. Natural Born Killers
Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers followed a murderous couple whose crimes turn them into media celebrities. Ireland banned the 1994 flick, while British officials delayed its home-video release, mainly due to concerns about violence and alleged copycat crimes. The Irish ban was eventually lifted, but the controversy never went away.
2. Kids
Few coming-of-age dramas caused as much alarm as Larry Clark’s Kids did in 1995. Its unflinching portrayal of underage intimacy, drug use, and HIV led South African authorities to ban it before an appeal allowed a restricted release in 1997. Even American distributors struggled with its rating before the movie reached theaters. It went without a conventional MPAA classification.
3. Crash
David Cronenberg’s 1996 drama Crash centered on people who develop a sexual fascination with car accidents and the injuries that follow. As you can imagine, Britain’s national classification board approved the movie for adults, but Westminster Council prohibited local theaters from playing it.
4. Kite
Animation didn’t make Kite any easier to watch when the Japanese production appeared in 1998. The violent story follows a teenage assassin who’s exploited by the corrupt adults controlling her, and it didn’t take long for Norway to ban it due to its graphic content involving a minor. Edited international versions eventually removed some of the most messed-up material.
5. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park was never afraid to push the envelope, and their movie proved it. Released in 1999, this musical comedy gleefully targeted censorship, profanity, celebrity culture, and international politics. Iraq reportedly banned the film after its portrayal of Saddam Hussein, but the uproar suited a movie built around people panicking over offensive entertainment.
