In today's society, the United Kingdom is pretty open minded when it comes to cinema - but it hasn't always been the case.
Throughout film and TV history, there have been a number of titles considered either too violent, grotesque or disturbing for the general public to consume - leading to silver screen hits to be pulled and blacklisted, sometimes for decades at a time.
The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is in charge of deciding upon the censorship and subsequent fate of movies, deciding what age rating to give to new releases. But they've also been known to pull movies completely due to their graphic nature.
Most of these have been since reviewed and unbanned by the board, due to sensitisation levels across the UK dropping in recent times - but the movies you'll find on this list were considered too graphic for their time and were banished from movie theatres, VHS and other avenues of distribution across the nation.
10) Django (1969-1993)
A Western following a Union soldier-turned-drifter and his companion, who soon finds a bitter and destructive feud with a gang of Confederates and Mexican revolutionaries.
The film was banned due to concerns over 'excessive violence' within the film as well as the 'moral tone' - becoming completely rejected when the distributer refused to cut out the most distressing scenes.
It was subsequently released in 1993 rated 18 in its uncut form, later becoming a 15 in 2004 when the DVD released.
9) I Spit on Your Grave (1978-2001)
I Spit on Your Grave tells the story of a fictional writer from New York, who seeks revenge on four men after they sexually abuse her and leave her for dead. Due to its excessive violent nature, film critic Roger Ebert described it as "a vile bag of garbage".
The gore-fest was initially banned due to the high levels of sexual violence it contained throughout, but was subsequently cut and released in 2001 with an 18 rating.
8) Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994-2004)
The fourth entry in the Kickboxer movie franchise, made famous by Jean Claude Van Damme - although the Belgian doesn't star in this one. Martial arts in abundance as per usual as David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell) fights off one of Mexico's most powerful fictional drug lords.
The movie was rejected a certificate in 1994 due to beliefs that it was a 'celebration of extreme violence as entertainment'. It subsequently sat on the backburner until 2004, when it was passed uncut for DVD release.
7) The Human Centipede 2 (2011)
Often described as 'gore for the sake of gore' the Human Centipede II really didn't need to be made whatsoever - as the initial instalment was hard enough to stomach. It follows a deranged Englishman who makes a centipede out of 12 living humans.
The movie was initially banned due to highly explicit sexual violence, as well as an abundance of potential obscenity - forcing directors to make 32 cuts before it was released with an age certificate of 18.
6) A Clockwork Orange (1973-1999)
One of Stanley Kubrick's most notable films is A Clockwork Orange - a movie which follows the life and antics of Alex De Large, as fictitiously compiled by Anthony Burgess in a 1962 book sharing the same name. It features violent images, psychological trauma and juvenile delinquency throughout and is set in a futuristic and dystopian Britain.
Although many believe that the movie was banned due to copycat violence said to be inspired by the cult classic, it was actually taken down through the request of Kubrick himself. The director revealed that he and his family received death threats upon its release, and it was banned from the UK until his death in 1999.
5) The Evil Dead (1983-1990)
A supernatural horror movie telling the tale of five university students on vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. An array of spirits and demons are released after the group find an old audio tape, with onslaught, possession and all-round mayhem playing out.
Arguably one of the first ever films to be deemed as 'Video nasty' the Evil Dead was criticised heavily by the press, police, Trading Standards authorities and even religious leaders. The film was subsequently postponed in being released until the turn of the 90s.
4) Reservoir Dogs (1992-1995)
Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs follows a gang of diamond thieves whose heist of a jewellery ends in tragedy. It incorporates a number of motifs which have moulded Tarantino's legacy, including violent crime and heavy profanity.
Although the movie was submitted for grading in 1992, it never actually passed for three years. Once again, it is alleged that the BBFC delayed the grading of the movie due to the 'Video Nasty' concerns following gory murders which has taken place in the United Kingdom soon before.
3) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974-1999)
A 1974 American movie following a group of young friends who find themselves falling victim to a family of cannibals. Many believe that the film's antagonist, Leatherface, was based on the crimes of serial murderer Ed Gein.
Oddly enough, the film was actually banned after a one-year theatrical run in London for its gore, violence and disturbing nature. While the ban in Britain was in force for some 25 years, the word 'chainsaw' was also abolished from movie titles.
2) The Phantom of the Opera (1925-1929)
A 1925 American silent horror movie based on the Gastron Leroux novel of 1910, Le Fantome de l'Opera.
Starring Lon Chaney, a deformed phantom who haunts an opera house, the flick was way before its time. The movie was subsequently banned in the United Kingdom after being dubbed 'too horrifying' for general distribution.
How times change...
1) The Exorcist (1986-1999)
One of the most renowned horrors to this day is The Exorcist - a movie following the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother's battles to save her from the antichrist, enlisting in the help of two Catholic priests.
Although the theatrical version was passed in 1974, Warner decided not to submit the flick for grading in 1979 due to 'Video Nasty' complications. and worried that it may be banned outright if they chose to do so. The movie was finally submitted in 1999 and passed with an uncut rating of 18.
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