Throughout film history there have been a lot of amazing films, but there have also been some films that have caused a lot of controversy whether it be politically, religiously etc.. With that being said I'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite controversial films of all-time. So without further ado...
10. The Twilight Zone: The Movie
This may not be as great as the television show, but it really does it justice and it caused a lot of controversy when several actors were killed on set during filming. Based upon the famed television series, this anthology film tells four separate stories of the supernatural, each overseen by a different director. The best known segment is the last, which focuses on a terrified flyer who glimpses a horrific creature on the wing of his plane. The Twilight Zone has a rating of 65% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. The Last Temptation of Christ
Director Martin Scorsese has faced a lot of controversy over the years, but I don't believe it's ever been worse than when this film was being made as it caused controversy for it's portrayal of Mary and it's depiction of the Crucifixion. Yes i know it is a fictional retelling of the story of Jesus but like I said before it's a movie people, focus on bigger issues than the ones that cinema presents. The film depicts a sometimes reluctant, self-doubting Jesus (played by Willem Dafoe), gradually coming to accept his divinity and the inexorability of his ultimate fate. The Last Temptation of Christ has a rating of 83% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Natural Born Killers
I absolutely love this film and it was written by my favorite director of all-time Quinton Tarantino, but it caused controversy for it's violence and depiction of the characters by the media in the film. Mickey (played by Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (played by Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Natural Born Killers has a 46% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. A Clockwork Orange
This film is freaky and comes from my favorite director of all-time Stanley Kubrick and it caused a lot of controversy for it's explicit violence and sexual abuse and for you to never listen to the song Singin' in the Rain ever again. Alex (played by Malcolm McDowell). who is a charismatic, sociopathic delinquent whose interests include classical music (especially Beethoven), rape and what is termed "ultra-violence". He leads a small gang of thugs (Pete, Georgie and Dim), whom he call his droogs (from the Russian word for friends or buddy). The film chronicles the horrific crime spree of his gang, his capture and attempted rehabilitation via controversial psychological conditioning . Alex narrates most of the film in Nadsat , a fractured adolescent slang composed of Slavic (especially Russian), English and Cockney rhyming slang. This film is a masterpiece and has one of the most brutal rap scenes in film history. A Clockwork Orange was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Film Editing, Director and Adapted Screenplay, it also has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. The Interview
This a really hilarious film and the best work that Franco and Rogen have done together, but it caused controversy for it planning the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and due to the Sony hacks theater chains were threatened by terrorists. Dave Skylark (played by James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (played by Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show "Skylark Tonight." When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (played by Randall Park) is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un. The interview has a rating of 51% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. The Passion of The Christ
While this is my favorite Easter themed film, it is also on a very short list of movies that I've cried while watching them It also caused a lot of controversy between religious groups for it's dramatic violence, shades of atheism and it's historical accuracy. The film is very powerful and Mel Gibson does an unbelievable job. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus (played by James Caviezel) is betrayed by Judas Iscariot (played by Luca Lionello). Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate (played by Hristo Naumov Shopov), the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demand his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. The Passion of the Christ was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Makeup, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score and it has a rating of 49% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park is one of my favorite shows and this film adaptation is one of my favorite films of all-time, but it caused a controversy for it's violence, language and depiction of Saddam Hussein. The third graders of South Park sneak into an R-rated film by ultra-vulgar Canadian television personalities Terrance (Matt Stone) and Phillip (Trey Parker), and emerge with expanded vocabularies that leave their parents and teachers scandalized. When outraged Americans try to censor the film, the controversy becomes a call to war with Canada, and Terrance and Phillip end up on death row -- with only the kids left to save them. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was nominated for 1 Academy Award Best Original Song and it has a rating of 81% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. The Exorcist
This is a magnificent horror film, but it caused a lot of controversy for it's religious themes and for the language used by 14 year-old Linda Blair. Suddenly prone to fits and bizarre behavior, Regan (played by Linda Blair) proves quite a handful for her actress-mother, Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn). When Regan gets completely out of hand, Chris calls in young priest Father Karras (played by Jason Miller), who becomes convinced that the girl is possessed by the Devil and that they must call in an exorcist: namely, Father Merrin (played Max von Sydow). His foe proves to be no run-of-the-mill demon, and both the priest and the girl suffer numerous horrors during their struggles. The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing while winning 2 (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing) and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Cannibal Holocaust
This film is a beautiful social commentary on native tribes that live in our world, but the film caused controversy for it's gruesome and violent scenes, plus the film made everyone think that events depicted were real. An anthropologist heads a rescue party into the South American jungle to find a missing film team making a documentary on cannibal tribes but can only return with their footage, which reveals their crueler intentions. Cannibal Holocaust has a rating of 65% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
My scariest horror film of all-time literally scares me every single time and it is considered as the film that started the slasher-horror genre, but it caused a lot of controversy for it's brutal violence. When a sister and her brother take a group of friends to visit the farmhouse of their deceased grandfather, they discover that just next door lives a whole family of repugnant psycho killers.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what are some of your favorite controversial films and what do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. The Twilight Zone: The Movie
This may not be as great as the television show, but it really does it justice and it caused a lot of controversy when several actors were killed on set during filming. Based upon the famed television series, this anthology film tells four separate stories of the supernatural, each overseen by a different director. The best known segment is the last, which focuses on a terrified flyer who glimpses a horrific creature on the wing of his plane. The Twilight Zone has a rating of 65% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. The Last Temptation of Christ
Director Martin Scorsese has faced a lot of controversy over the years, but I don't believe it's ever been worse than when this film was being made as it caused controversy for it's portrayal of Mary and it's depiction of the Crucifixion. Yes i know it is a fictional retelling of the story of Jesus but like I said before it's a movie people, focus on bigger issues than the ones that cinema presents. The film depicts a sometimes reluctant, self-doubting Jesus (played by Willem Dafoe), gradually coming to accept his divinity and the inexorability of his ultimate fate. The Last Temptation of Christ has a rating of 83% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Natural Born Killers
I absolutely love this film and it was written by my favorite director of all-time Quinton Tarantino, but it caused controversy for it's violence and depiction of the characters by the media in the film. Mickey (played by Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (played by Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Natural Born Killers has a 46% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. A Clockwork Orange
This film is freaky and comes from my favorite director of all-time Stanley Kubrick and it caused a lot of controversy for it's explicit violence and sexual abuse and for you to never listen to the song Singin' in the Rain ever again. Alex (played by Malcolm McDowell). who is a charismatic, sociopathic delinquent whose interests include classical music (especially Beethoven), rape and what is termed "ultra-violence". He leads a small gang of thugs (Pete, Georgie and Dim), whom he call his droogs (from the Russian word for friends or buddy). The film chronicles the horrific crime spree of his gang, his capture and attempted rehabilitation via controversial psychological conditioning . Alex narrates most of the film in Nadsat , a fractured adolescent slang composed of Slavic (especially Russian), English and Cockney rhyming slang. This film is a masterpiece and has one of the most brutal rap scenes in film history. A Clockwork Orange was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Film Editing, Director and Adapted Screenplay, it also has a rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. The Interview
This a really hilarious film and the best work that Franco and Rogen have done together, but it caused controversy for it planning the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and due to the Sony hacks theater chains were threatened by terrorists. Dave Skylark (played by James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (played by Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show "Skylark Tonight." When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (played by Randall Park) is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un. The interview has a rating of 51% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. The Passion of The Christ
While this is my favorite Easter themed film, it is also on a very short list of movies that I've cried while watching them It also caused a lot of controversy between religious groups for it's dramatic violence, shades of atheism and it's historical accuracy. The film is very powerful and Mel Gibson does an unbelievable job. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus (played by James Caviezel) is betrayed by Judas Iscariot (played by Luca Lionello). Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate (played by Hristo Naumov Shopov), the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demand his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. The Passion of the Christ was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Makeup, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score and it has a rating of 49% on rottentomatoes.com.
South Park is one of my favorite shows and this film adaptation is one of my favorite films of all-time, but it caused a controversy for it's violence, language and depiction of Saddam Hussein. The third graders of South Park sneak into an R-rated film by ultra-vulgar Canadian television personalities Terrance (Matt Stone) and Phillip (Trey Parker), and emerge with expanded vocabularies that leave their parents and teachers scandalized. When outraged Americans try to censor the film, the controversy becomes a call to war with Canada, and Terrance and Phillip end up on death row -- with only the kids left to save them. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was nominated for 1 Academy Award Best Original Song and it has a rating of 81% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. The Exorcist
This is a magnificent horror film, but it caused a lot of controversy for it's religious themes and for the language used by 14 year-old Linda Blair. Suddenly prone to fits and bizarre behavior, Regan (played by Linda Blair) proves quite a handful for her actress-mother, Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn). When Regan gets completely out of hand, Chris calls in young priest Father Karras (played by Jason Miller), who becomes convinced that the girl is possessed by the Devil and that they must call in an exorcist: namely, Father Merrin (played Max von Sydow). His foe proves to be no run-of-the-mill demon, and both the priest and the girl suffer numerous horrors during their struggles. The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing while winning 2 (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing) and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Cannibal Holocaust
This film is a beautiful social commentary on native tribes that live in our world, but the film caused controversy for it's gruesome and violent scenes, plus the film made everyone think that events depicted were real. An anthropologist heads a rescue party into the South American jungle to find a missing film team making a documentary on cannibal tribes but can only return with their footage, which reveals their crueler intentions. Cannibal Holocaust has a rating of 65% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
My scariest horror film of all-time literally scares me every single time and it is considered as the film that started the slasher-horror genre, but it caused a lot of controversy for it's brutal violence. When a sister and her brother take a group of friends to visit the farmhouse of their deceased grandfather, they discover that just next door lives a whole family of repugnant psycho killers.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what are some of your favorite controversial films and what do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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