The films listed below are (in)famous for arousing controversy on their initial release, be it for explicit scenes of violence, sex or extreme political beliefs . The best films in this collection use their notorious elements not merely to shock, but to provoke ('Salo' uses its disturbing sequences, borrowed from Sade, as a comment on Fascism, whilst the sickening rape scene in 'The Accused' rightly refused to soften the depiction of this despicable crime). The following films can still cause impassioned debate, in some cases decades after they were made... See also the category 'Asia Extreme'. Right: One of the most shocking debuts 'Man Bites Dog'.
Pasolini's final and most controversial film has been banned, censored and reviled the world over since it's first release. The film is based on the M... Read more
Nazi-Fascist Northern Italy, 1943-44. Four senior members of government, aided by henchmen and Nazi soldiers, kidnap a group of young men and women. T... Read more
A controversial and vivid story of the violence and mindless cruelty inside a government borstal. The brutality of the officers creates pressure on th... Read more
One of the most elaborate productions ever mounted in Thailand, this is a candy-coloured Western made in the high-energy style that characterizes much... Read more
A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, Thanatomporphose (Hellenic word meaning the visible signs of an organism's decom... Read more
A young woman is gang-raped in a bar while onlookers cheer on the attack. The subsequent court trials question her 'easy' lifestyle and whether she in... Read more
AKA 'La Bete'. Passing New Zealand censors for the first time, Walerian Borowcyzyk's official director's cut of his controversial film can finally be... Read more
An epic tale of the Civil War which many consider to be the single most important film in the development of cinema as an art. It is a stunning summar... Read more
Three depraved criminals kidnap 16-year-old Candy (Susan Sennet) and bury her alive, demanding a ransom from her father. When Dad refuses to pay, the... Read more
After "El Topo" and with the production assistance of John Lennon and ABKCO Films and the desire to become "the Cecil B. De Mille of the underground",... Read more