it will be a free discussion of an adult
topic
a topic that we feel merits public
examination welcome to watch mojo and
today we're counting down our picks for
the top 10 movies banned in america but
not anywhere else i don't need to start
an argument or sound pretentious but
that's the way i feel about it i never
heard that before
well something we should go into
sometime for this list we'll be looking
at various movies that have faced bands
in the united states have you seen any
of these films what did you think let us
know in the comments
number 10 if you love this planet this
isn't really a traditional movie energy
equals the mass of the atom by the speed
of light squared
an incredibly profound
revelation rather it's a filmed lecture
given by prominent australian
anti-nuclear activist dr helen caldecott
caldecott's 30-minute lecture at suny
plattsburgh was filmed and distributed
by the national film board of canada
released at the height of cold war
tensions in 1982 it was meant to educate
the general population on nuclear
weapons the united states department of
justice was not happy with its content
and banned the film calling it quote
foreign political propaganda this was
met with derision and the ban was
eventually lifted don't take no for an
answer don't take no for an answer it
must be done
not only that but the film went on to
win best documentary short subject at
that year's oscars you will realize
that you're going to have to change the
priorities of your life
if you love this planet
number 9. two-faced woman this romantic
comedy was made as a desperate attempt
to save greta garbo's waning career well
if you don't want to ski mr blake you'd
better go back to the hotel and make
other arrangements oh but i do i do
instead it caused significant
controversy and was a box office flop
garbo plays a married woman who pretends
to be her fake twin sister in order to
woo her estranged husband it's
my wife's twin sister
really how quaint
the general plot and many suggestive
scenes were considered immoral in 1940s
america and the archbishop of new york
condemned it it was subsequently banned
in numerous american cities including
boston the movie underwent reshoots to
alter objectionable material and the
censored version was released without
incident you look radiant
as a matter of fact i'm better than ever
the original cut still exists but it is
exceedingly rare number eight the thorn
originally released as the greatest
story ever told the thorn is a religious
satire starring bette midler as the
virgin mary you're not mary i am from
god
oh thank god
how is she
following its premiere at the detroit
institute of art the movie was retitled
the divine mr j and released in new york
city the title was a reference to
midler's debut album the divine miss m
and midler wasn't happy she sued the
studio for using her intellectual
property in its title and marketing
midler won the case and the movie was
banned it was then re-released on vhs in
1984 now under the title of the thorn is
this the nativity scene
the one that they're going to be talking
about for years to come
however the title change wasn't enough
for the courts and the movie was again
banned it has remained so but a vhs rip
can easily be found online and here's a
diaphragm with a special prayer on it
called forgive me for i know not what i
do
number seven flaming creatures released
in 1963 flaming creatures is a short
experimental movie with a run time of
just over 40 minutes and it drew
immediate criticism for its sexual
content some cinemas refused to show it
and police raided one venue arresting
four people and confiscating the film
reel three of them were convicted of
obscenity charges although this was
overturned by the new york supreme court
[Music]
that didn't stop the police raids
however which continued throughout the
1960s it would be decades until the
controversial movie reemerged for public
showings number six portland expose a
film noir from the late 50s portland
expose stars edward bins as a tavern
owner who gets mixed up with union gangs
you ready to sign
i told you before i can hang on for a
year close tight
you'll be closed all right
the story was loosely inspired by the
criminal career of jim elkins a crime
boss who operated in the portland area
around the time of the movie's release i
suppose they would call my business a
racket
but if i hadn't run it somebody else
would
the movie was scheduled to open in
portland on august 14 1957 but dozens of
people allegedly involved in elkin's
criminal empire threatens to sue you
back again
that's right mr madison
according to the booking agent who
canceled the premiere up to 40
individuals came forward to make threats
the agent capitulated to their demands
and the movie was banned within a
30-mile radius of portland catch all of
it enough
those files we could be in front of the
grand jury tomorrow number five kiss
tomorrow goodbye this film really should
have worked but unfortunately the eighth
the man who motivated this whole vicious
and sinister crew
the most evil man of all
is not present
it was released at the height of the
film noir craze and it starred james
cagney who was fresh off the
oscar-nominated white heat unfortunately
it received poor reviews and faded into
obscurity this was quite a dour film for
its time filled with killings an amoral
and unlikable protagonist police
corruption and even hints of
sadomasochism it was all too much for
the ohio film board and the movie was
banned in the state
all i want is to be let alone
in their own words kiss tomorrow goodbye
was quote a sordid sadistic presentation
of brutality and an extreme presentation
of crime with explicit steps in
commission what are you so gloomy about
you're off the hook aren't you you don't
know anybody anything except maybe
society
number four promises promises this film
has a notable place in hollywood history
starring playboy playmate jane mansfield
it's the first sound movie to feature a
major star in the nude
[Music]
eyes just having a drink join me oh no
thanks it's not fun yet
nudity in film was explicitly banned
under the haze code a form of
self-censorship that all the major
studios adhered to however the code's
power had largely dwindled by the early
60s resulting in more risque productions
[Music]
mansfield's disrobing was the primary
draw for the film and she marketed her
movie by posing in playboy this in turn
resulted in obscenity charges against
hugh hefner although he was acquitted
the movie was similarly met with
controversy and banned in many u.s
cities i like the way you put that did
you
you're out of your mind number three
bicycle thieves often regarded as one of
the greatest movies ever made bicycle
thieves is considered a masterpiece of
the italian neorealist movement
[Music]
[Applause]
in 1950 it was honored with an oscar nom
for best screenplay and received an
honorary award for being the most
outstanding foreign language film
despite its recognition bicycle thieves
also caused considerable controversy in
the u.s
in march 1950 the motion picture
association banned the movie throughout
the united states for containing lurid
sequences these included scenes inside a
bordello and a sequence in which a
little boy urinates
number two birth control it's amazing
what 100 years can do what you're about
to witness is an unrehearsed uncensored
interview on the issue of birth control
the united states of 1917 is a pretty
alien place to us now not just
technologically but morally and legally
as well in that year sex educator
margaret sanger released birth control a
short documentary about family planning
i don't like to see people suffer
i don't like to see cruelty even to this
day
sanger was a prominent birth control
activist who opened the first clinic of
its kind in the united states educating
women about the use of diaphragms in
particular this documentary helped
spread her message but was met with
fierce condemnation two years earlier
the u.s supreme court had ruled that
movies were not protected under free
speech as such sanger's documentary was
banned in the interest of morality
decency and public safety and welfare
sadly it's been lost did you do this to
yourself
couldn't afford another baby right now
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number one the birth of a nation this
silent epic drama film remains one of
the most controversial movies ever made
while praised for its technological
advancements the movie received
widespread criticism for its revisionist
history and racist tone it seemingly
champions white supremacy by depicting
the ku klux klan as heroic and
portraying african americans as
unintelligent and violent the movie
helped contribute to racial segregation
in the u.s and even resulted in the
reemergence of the kkk which had
disbanded over 40 years earlier in
response to protests and racial violence
a few u.s states and cities ended up
banning the movie one of the efforts was
to try to get it shut down to see the
birth of a nation people look at this
film and they say this is what we are
fighting against
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