Film: 1971-1989

Censored Films1972- The Last House on the Left: Banned by BBFC until 2002 and not passed uncut until 2008

1973- The Excorcist: Not exactly banned, but was Warner decided not to submit the film for classification for a few years following the ‘video nasty’ crisis. It was not until 1990 that the film was finally passed with an 18 rating.

1974- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Banned and eventually passed uncut in 1999

1989- Visions of Ecstasy- Banned due to Blasphemy.

Laws and Policies1982: The BBFC’s certificates are overhauled by the introduction of PG, 15, 18 and R18. The first film that passed PG was ‘Return of the Soldier’.

1984: The video recordings act is passed following the introduction to video in the home. The BBFC was then made responsible for video classification.

1989: Tim Burton’s Batman becomes the first 12 certificate film in the UK.

‘Video Nastys’1984 - The infamous video nasty list was created to protect against obscenity. Films on this list were banned and distributors of the films were liable to be prosecuted.This list banned 74 films at one point in the mid-1980s; the list was eventually trimmed down, and only 39 films were successfully prosecuted.

The films were normally Italian and American made and were considered far too violent to be shown publicly. The press criticised them for their content, and they were therefore banned, however, still could be found on video cassette.

Social Panic Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was released in 1971, but shortly taken down 2 years after, not due to the content of the film, but due to the public. Kubrick was receiving frequent death threats to both him and his family due to his films unsettling, violent nature.

Clearly, in those times, the film was a step too far for society, but was considered not too harmful, as it was still passed by the BBFC.