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Entertainment Weekly's 25 Most Controversial Films

post #1 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:27am
Thread Starter 
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/comment...4_1_0_,00.html

Ho-hum list, but hey, lists are fun.

25 ALADDIN
DIRECTED BY RON CLEMENTS AND JOHN MUSKER (1992)

24 CALIGULA
DIRECTED BY TINTO BRASS (1980)

23 KIDS
DIRECTED BY LARRY CLARK (1995)

22 DO THE RIGHT THING
DIRECTED BY SPIKE LEE (1989)

21 BONNIE AND CLYDE
DIRECTED BY ARTHUR PENN (1967)

20 CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
DIRECTED BY RUGGERO DEODATO (1985)

19 BASIC INSTINCT
DIRECTED BY PAUL VERHOEVEN (1992)

18 I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW)
DIRECTED BY VILGOT SJÖMAN (1969)

17 FREAKS
DIRECTED BY TOD BROWNING (1932)

16 UNITED 93
DIRECTED BY PAUL GREENGRASS (2006)

15 TRIUMPH OF THE WILLDIRECTED BY LENI RIEFENSTAHL (1935)
Directed by LENI RIEFENSTAHL (1935)

14 THE WARRIORS
DIRECTED BY WALTER HILL (1979)

13 THE DA VINCI CODE
DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD (2006)

12 THE DEER HUNTER
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL CIMINO (1978)

11 THE MESSAGE
DIRECTED BY MOUSTAPHA AKKAD (1977)

10 BABY DOLL
DIRECTED BY ELIA KAZAN (1956)

9 LAST TANGO IN PARIS
DIRECTED BY BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI (1972)

8 NATURAL BORN KILLERS
DIRECTED BY OLIVER STONE (1994)

7 THE BIRTH OF A NATION
DIRECTED BY D.W. GRIFFITH (1915)

6 THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE (1988)

5 JFK
DIRECTED BY OLIVER STONE (1991)

4 DEEP THROAT
DIRECTED BY GERARD DAMIANO (1972)

3 FAHRENHEIT 9/11
DIRECTED BY Michael Moore

2 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
DIRECTED BY STANLEY KUBRICK (1971)ICHAEL MOORE (2004)

1 THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
DIRECTED BY MEL GIBSON (2004)
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post #2 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:27am
meh

Birth of a Nation is the only one on there that I could see still being controversial today.
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post #3 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:33am
KIDS? What's controversial about being wildly funny?
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post #4 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:48am
This list is incomplete, for they forgot Irreversible and Straw Dogs.
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post #5 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:51am
I've never seen an EW list that was worthwhile. This one is no different.
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post #6 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Pedersen
This list is incomplete, for they forgot Irreversible and Straw Dogs.
You know I just saw Irreversible the other day for the first time.......goddamn now that was a brutal movie. I don't know if I'd say controversal, but but brutal yes.
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post #7 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert_Squirrel
You know I just saw Irreversible the other day for the first time.......goddamn now that was a brutal movie. I don't know if I'd say controversal, but but brutal yes.
Sure it was brutal - but utterly gratuitous. The themes of hollow revenge and dissolution of happiness or whatever you may have gotten from it have been done far, far better in other films.

Aside from the hard-to-stomach violence and showy direction (early on), there wasn't much there.
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post #8 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:03am
I recently bought the Unrated Straw Dogs, and I had heard it was controversial, but looking back, I can't for the life of me figure out why. Was that kind of bloody violence unheard of when it came out?
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post #9 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soybomb42
I recently bought the Unrated Straw Dogs, and I had heard it was controversial, but looking back, I can't for the life of me figure out why. Was that kind of bloody violence unheard of when it came out?
Pretty much - the controversies around Straw Dogs, Bonnie and Clyde, and The Wild Bunch involved violence that wouldn't get a second look today.

Counterpoint that to what would happen if a Deep Throat achieved the box office returns today that it did then.
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post #10 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:34am
I would have guessed that Lindsay Anderson's 'if...' would have made this list. Great movie, with an ending that could NEVER be made in today's world. As controversial as the movie was then, it would be even moreso now if it had a proper dvd release.
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post #11 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soybomb42
I recently bought the Unrated Straw Dogs, and I had heard it was controversial, but looking back, I can't for the life of me figure out why. Was that kind of bloody violence unheard of when it came out?
It's the rape scene, and the implication that she might be enjoying it.
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post #12 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:14am
Aladdin?
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post #13 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
Aladdin?
There was the mild kerfuffle when it was released about how all the heroic characters were "whitewashed" and all of the villainous characters were Arab caricatures. Still a weak reason to call it one of the most controversial films of all time.

Maybe the Genie was gay?
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post #14 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
Aladdin?
I had to google that as well, before I even noticed that it was explained in fabfunk's link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin...29#Controversy
Quote:
One of the verses of the opening song "Arabian Nights" was censored because of political sensitivity. Following protests from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, (ADC) the lyrics were changed in July 1993 from "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home," in the original release to "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home." The new change was seen on the 1993 video release of this title. The original lyric was intact on the initial CD soundtrack release that predated the movie's theatrical release and subsequent protests. The soundtrack was re-released at the time of the DVD release of the film; on the re-released soundtrack, the edited lyric is used.
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post #15 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez
Pretty much - the controversies around Straw Dogs, Bonnie and Clyde, and The Wild Bunch involved violence that wouldn't get a second look today.

Counterpoint that to what would happen if a Deep Throat achieved the box office returns today that it did then.
Excellent point. Our culture seems to have gotten increasingly accepting of depictions of violence while our tolerance for sexuality hasn't expanded all that much since the 70's. A director can show an autopsy, as long as the body is partially covered for decency's sake.

Deep Throat is an anomaly in cinema/cultural history. The movie came along as hedonism was hitting its stride in the USA - a brief period when this one porn film tried to be marketed to the mainstream. Strange times.
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post #16 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:49am
That is weak. Temple Of Doom was more controversial.
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post #17 of 71
6/13/06 at 10:07am
I remember my mom talking about the "cut off your ear" lyric when it caused a stink. I wish I could remember it in the theater.

So glad I still have my VHS copy with the "Good teenagers take off their clothes" line still intact. I noticed that was dubbed out for the DVD.
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post #18 of 71
6/13/06 at 10:14am
I guess EW is playing the whole middle east racism angle because it's relevent today. But shit, if you're looking for a controversial Disney flick, look no further than Song Of The South.
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post #19 of 71
6/13/06 at 10:16am
What about THE LITTLE MERMAID? A minister has a boner!
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post #20 of 71
6/13/06 at 10:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
I guess EW is playing the whole middle east racism angle because it's relevent today. But shit, if you're looking for a controversial Disney flick, look no further than Song Of The South.
Or the long excised scene from Fantasia featuring "Sunflower", the black caricature centaur with cornrows and buck teeth.
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post #21 of 71
6/13/06 at 10:25am
That's awesome. Never heard of that one.
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post #22 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:14pm
There's some 500 pound elephants missing from this list, some of which have been mentioned already. I think the biggest is Song of the South, which has been "blacklisted" for decades and is still not available for us to view for ourselves. In this day and age, I don't think a Disney cartoon is going to cause race riots.
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post #23 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti
What about THE LITTLE MERMAID? A minister has a boner!
knobby knee.
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post #24 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:31pm
More importantly, how can a movie designed to pander to 80% of the population EVER be considered controversial, much less "the most controversial movie ever made"?
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post #25 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:32pm
I don't buy that knee argument. That dude was sportin' major wood. No child of mine will ever watch THE LITTLE MERMAID. Though I don't think that will be a problem since I'm homely and barren.
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post #26 of 71
6/13/06 at 1:35pm
This is a list of controversial films for people who think staying up to watch Nip/Tuck is the height of debauchery.
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post #27 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti
No child of mine will ever watch THE LITTLE MERMAID.
I'm going to bite and ask if this part was semi-serious. Long shot, I know.

If so, would it just be because of a debatable boner? Mine can watch all the Disney films, 'cause I love'em.
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post #28 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:32pm
I think they should swap #1 with #3.

FH/911 was a far bigger watter-rippler.
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post #29 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stew
There's some 500 pound elephants missing from this list, some of which have been mentioned already. I think the biggest is Song of the South, which has been "blacklisted" for decades and is still not available for us to view for ourselves. In this day and age, I don't think a Disney cartoon is going to cause race riots.
It's not being withheld by anyone but Disney. I don't blame them. Why on earth would they want to invite such trouble?
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post #30 of 71
6/13/06 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti
I don't buy that knee argument. That dude was sportin' major wood. No child of mine will ever watch THE LITTLE MERMAID. Though I don't think that will be a problem since I'm homely and barren.
http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/minister.htm
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post #31 of 71
6/13/06 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark
It's not being withheld by anyone but Disney. I don't blame them. Why on earth would they want to invite such trouble?
Would it really be such trouble? I'm not saying promote it on TV and sell it in Wal-Mart with a great big cardboard display. But it's a cartoon. Racially questionable, sure, but you can buy "Birth of a Nation" pretty much anywhere. That's not even counting the scores of racially insensitive films that are "acceptable". Disney caved to pressure from Maya Angelou and some other influential black leaders and put it in the vault. I'm not saying I "blame them", I just think surely the world could now handle a Disney cartoon. Put a documentary on it featuring the people that wanted it banned or something, explain the controversy, but let the public see it. They've got one of their most famous Disney World attractions based on it, but it can't be seen? If they would do it respectfully, it would be fine. Some would bitch I'm sure, but I can't think of any other films of its stature that are still "in the vault" in Hollywood.
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post #32 of 71
6/13/06 at 3:38pm
It wasn't as popular as Dumbo or even the Fox And The Hound. There's no demand outside of geeks like us. They would just lose money and gain a lot of bad press.
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post #33 of 71
6/13/06 at 4:18pm
If there's no demand then I doubt they have much to lose. Disney has weathered all the stupid lawsuits and half-assed boycotts you can imagine, so I don't think releasing a Brer Rabbit cartoon is going to sink the Mouse House. I'd like to think that outside of a few articles and a few hyperbole filled rants from Al Sharpton, this is one "controversy" that could just be skipped.
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post #34 of 71
6/13/06 at 4:22pm
This is all making me want to dust off my VCD of Superman Vs. The Japoteurs.
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post #35 of 71
6/13/06 at 4:36pm
The fact that you can't buy Song of the South but you can buy a nice re-mastered deluxe edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's complete with Mickey Rooney's monumentally offensive Asian stereotype completely intact absolutely baffles me.
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post #36 of 71
6/13/06 at 5:43pm
I had a film class that spent an entire week on "The Jazz Singer", and it's on the "AFI 100 Best Films of All-Time" list. Al Jolson performs in black face. The examples abound. I can buy "Birth Of A Nation" at Best Buy, but the battle lines are drawn over a Brer Rabbit cartoon? It's just pointless, and at this point, I'd like to be able to see the thing and judge for myself.
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post #37 of 71
6/13/06 at 5:47pm
I'm sure you would, but Disney has nothing to gain from it.

EDIT: Is this what you're looking for?
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post #38 of 71
6/13/06 at 7:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad Millette
Maybe the Genie was gay?
No, just Robin Williams, which is offensive in its own special way.

While the list is pretty weak (I don't think EW has caused anyone to debate anything other than why they just bought an issue of EW), the claim that Freaks made a woman miscarry is fucking hilarious. I'm keeping that insult in my pack pocket next time a terrible film comes along.
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post #39 of 71
6/13/06 at 7:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by soybomb42
I'm sure you would, but Disney has nothing to gain from it.
Except maybe all the people who want to buy it. Throngs of collectors are always bemoaning its lack of release, so they already have a built-in audience there.
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post #40 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:17pm
By the way, if anyone was interested, here's more information on "Sunflower", the deleted racist caricature from Fantasia.

http://www.thememoryhole.org/arts/sunflower.htm
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post #41 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:30pm
How come there isn't a bigger deal made about the indians in PETER PAN? Maybe there was a big deal made and I missed it but that whole part of the film is, well, a lot more red than POCAHONTAS.
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post #42 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Pedersen
This list is incomplete, for they forgot Irreversible and Straw Dogs.
SALO as well.
Althought most Entertainment Weekly readers have probably never heard about this classic shit eating film.
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post #43 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:36pm
I don't know. At the time of Peter Pan's release, I don't think anyone really cared what Native Americans much thought of anything. There's also the fact that Peter Pan is a fairly beloved children's story, so people will generally cut it more slack than something like Song of the South, or Fantasia.
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post #44 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:42pm
Yeah, I know. It's a good question, but I just don't have an answer for you.

Edit: Should've come after the following post.
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post #45 of 71
6/13/06 at 8:43pm
I recall all the protests that were big many years ago about the logos for the Redskins, the Cleveland Indians, and the Braves but with all the different VHS and DVD releases of PETER PAN there's never been a peep about that sequence. They sing a whole song devoted to their skin.
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post #46 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:03pm
Didn't the original version of The Manchurian Candidate get pulled from release for a good many years? That's gotta count more than some pale(ish) Arabs in a Disney cartoon.
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post #47 of 71
6/13/06 at 9:14pm
That was at the request (or demand) of Frank Sinatra after Kennedy was assassinated.
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post #48 of 71
6/14/06 at 2:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson
The fact that you can't buy Song of the South but you can buy a nice re-mastered deluxe edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's complete with Mickey Rooney's monumentally offensive Asian stereotype completely intact absolutely baffles me.
Sarah Silverman explains this in Jesus is Magic. White people are afraid of black people, not Asians.

Also, you're right about not including Temple of Doom. It was the biggest reason the MPAA invented the PG-13 rating. That should count as controversy.
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post #49 of 71
6/14/06 at 4:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson
The fact that you can't buy Song of the South but you can buy a nice re-mastered deluxe edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's complete with Mickey Rooney's monumentally offensive Asian stereotype completely intact absolutely baffles me.
Too true.
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post #50 of 71
6/14/06 at 4:48am
I'm just disgusted that the DaVinci Code made the list at all - much less beat out Triumph of the Will.

Dan Brown's book was "controversial." The movie was just a fizzling bore.

Seriously - more controversial than the fucking Nazi Glory movie?
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