When the MPAA, the trade association that represents the six major Hollywood studios, isn’t lobbying to protect creative content from piracy, preventing copyright infringement, and rating films (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17)… they like to ban movie posters. From The People vs Larry Flynt to The Little Mermaid, here are the top banned movie posters.
WARNING: The banned movie posters in this article were censored by various organizations. Depending on your workplace, many of them are NSFW. If you are at work now, then you might want to read this article later.
The People vs Larry Flynt (1996)
The critically acclaimed 1996 film, The People Vs Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton), is a biographical drama about the life of Hustler magazine publisher, Larry Flynt. The main theme of the film is censorship. Ironically, the poster for the film… got censored. More irony. The United States was the only country that banned this sexy movie poster. The imagery is actually very clever and symbolic. Once you get past the nudity and the American flag diaper, you might notice Woody Harrelson is being crucified and posing like Jesus on the cross.
The film’s director, Miloš Forman, said at the time: “Only a few countries where censorship is rampant will reject the original art… What MPAA President Jack Valenti basically said to me is, ‘I will have to protect more important freedoms for us through self-censorship so that we don’t provoke very conservative forces.’ I respect it, but I don’t like it.”
Why it was banned: nudity, religion, sexy movie poster
Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983)
The original title of the Star Wars film “Return Of The Jedi” was “Revenge Of The Jedi.” But after much contemplation, George Lucas decided to dial back the implied violence in the word “revenge” and changed the title to Return Of The Jedi. After all, Star Wars became a major toy line with millions of young fans. However, thousands of these iconic posters were already printed with the old title, so Lucas decided to sell them to Star Wars fan club members for $9.50 each. If you bought one, it was a great investment. Today, Revenge Of The Jedi posters sell on eBay for $1,000-$10,000 each depending on their condition.
Why it was banned: It wasn’t banned by censorship groups. The poster was self-censored by George Lucas before it’s official release due to the implied violence of the word “revenge.”
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
If there’s one thing that the MPAA hates, it’s nipples. The sequel to Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller‘s Sin City series, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, had film poster showing nipples. In the poster, actress Eva Green is standing in the shadows, holding a gun, and wearing a sheer white gown. The MPAA banned this sexy movie poster because of the “curve of under breast and dark nipple with an areola visible through the sheer gown.” The MPAA was fine with the gun, just not the “under the breast” part.
Why it was banned: nudity
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The original movie poster for David Fincher‘s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo depicts Daniel Craig (James Bond, Layer Cake) and actress Rooney Mara topless with her nipple ring only slightly covered by semi-transparent text. Very provocative. Very banned.
Why it was banned: nudity, exposed nipple
Spider-Man (2002)
In preparation for the 2002 summer debut of the Sam Raimi directed film, Spider-Man, SONY Pictures released a teaser trailer and movie poster. Nothing about either the poster or the trailer was controversial in itself. However, they both prominently featured New York City’s Twin Towers.
After the September 11th terrorist attacks, SONY asked all theaters to destroy the original poster and entire scenes in the film featuring the Twin Towers had to be removed. The updated final posters instead featured Spider-Man climbing generic buildings or other areas in New York City.
Why it was banned: terrorism
Final Destination 5 (2011)
Apparently, the poster for this installment of the Final Destination franchise proved to be too distressing for small children. Thirteen complaints was all it took to get the Final Destination 5 poster banned in the United Kingdom by the British Advertising Standards Authority (BASA). The poster featured a skull being torn apart by steel rods.
The British Advertising Standards Authority in the UK, released this statement clarifying their ban of the Final Destination 5 poster, “We considered the image was likely to catch the attention of children, especially because it was shown on a poster on the Underground, where it was an un-targeted medium. Because very young children might view this ad depicting violence, it was likely to cause fear and undue distress to children.”
Why it was banned: violence
Saw II (2005)
The gory gross-out horror movie franchise, Saw, revolves around a fictional character named Jigsaw who traps and tortures his victims. For the sequel, the Saw 2 poster art featured two female severed fingers. The MPAA did not approve and banned the grisly poster. The design of the Saw 2 movie poster was later reworked, and the fingers were moved off the frame to hide the stumps.
Why it was banned: violence against women
The Little Mermaid (1989)
About a year after the Disney film, The Little Mermaid (1989) was released, a rumor started about a pen!s in the movie poster’s design. If you look closely at the spires in the castle, there is a spire that looks like a phallus.
According to the rumor, a disgruntled Disney designer added the pen!s when they found out that they were being laid off. However, the truth is the spire’s resemblance to a phallus was a coincidence. Nonetheless, Disney took action and changed the design. The new poster for The Little Mermaid removed the controversial castle shapes and instead displayed an underwater scene with Ariel and her sea creature friends.
Why it was banned: nudity
Ali G Indahouse (2002)
English comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen, has made a career out of shocking audiences. His first feature film, Ali G Indahouse, went on to be a breakout hit in 2002. But the original poster for the film was banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. And that was likely the filmmaker’s intent. The poster depicted Cohen’s hand on/in the crack of a woman’s butt with the tagline “Tax Da Panty.” People were outraged. An updated version of the official poster put a thong on the female model and moved Cohen’s hand from her butt to her leg.
Why it was banned: nudity
The Zero Theorem (2014)
It’s not hard to figure out why many of the posters in this article were banned. But it might take you a few extra moments with the poster for Terry Gilliam‘s 2013 sci-fi film, The Zero Theorem. Look closely. The great poster has a tiny image of actor Christoph Waltz‘s butt. It’s hardly even noticeable, but the MPAA wasn’t happy and banned the movie poster for nudity.
Why it was banned: nudity
Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008)
Like the poster for The Zero Theorem, it might take you a moment to figure out why the poster for director Kevin Smith‘s 2008 comedy, Zack And Miri Make A Porno, got banned. Then it will hit you. Obviously seeing Seth Rogen on either end of oral sex grosses everyone out. The MPAA basically considers this to be a porn movie poster.
Why it was banned: sexual content
Shame (2011)
The 2011 film Shame, starring Michael Fassbender, was released with a wave of controversy. The film is about sex addiction and has a full-frontal nudity scene with Fassbender. But the Hungarian poster for the film attracted an insane amount of outrage. Why? The gooey font. The poster was later banned in Hungary.
Why it was banned: sexual content
Teeth (2007)
In the 2007 horror-comedy Teeth, actress Jess Weixler‘s character is afflicted with “vagina dentata.” A movie poster for the film’s UK release shows an x-ray image with the extra teeth. Vaginal teeth obviously was a little too much for the UK population to deal with and the x-ray poster was banned.
Why it was banned: sexual content
Rules Of Attraction (2002)
What does the MPAA have against a bunch of stuffed animals? Nothing, as long as they aren’t in sexually graphic positions. This poster for the film, Rules Of Attraction, was banned in the U.S., but not Canada or the U.K.
Why it was banned: sexual content
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
The 1984 horror film, Silent Night, Deadly Night, caused one of the earliest controversies in horror cinema. The poster for the film depicts an ax-wielding Santa climbing down a chimney. Not only were the posters banned, but the theatrical release was picketed by angry parents. After a storm of protests and controversy, the film was eventually pulled from theaters and added to the banned movies list.
Why it was banned: violence
Bereavement (2011)
The original poster for the 2011 film, Bereavement, depicted a child holding a large knife. The poster was banned, and a new version was made where the knife is moved to the adult’s hand thanks to some Photoshop wizards.
Why it was banned: violence
The Outlaw (1943)
The next entry has the oldest release date on this list. The 1943 Howard Hughes film, The Outlaw, was blocked from being released because censors thought it featured too many shots of actress Jane Russell‘s cleavage. So what did Hughes do? He released this very controversial poster to help create audience interest and demand. Guess what? It worked! The Outlaw went from the banned movies list to a theatrical release all because of a movie poster. The poster is barely PG-rated by today’s standards, but in the conservative 1940s it was very risky. The poster was banned, but the film was released.
Why it was banned: sexual content
The Road to Guantanamo (2006)
Part documentary, part dramatization, the 2006 documentary film, The Road to Guantanamo, chronicles a terrifying first-hand account of three British Muslims, who were held for 2 years without charges in the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The original poster for the film depicts torture, but it’s a documentary about torture. Didn’t matter. It was banned by the MPAA.
Why it was banned: violence
Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
The 1984 film, Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter, was supposedly the final film in the Friday The 13th series (8 more Friday The 13th films were produced). Symbolizing the end of the film’s antagonist, Jason Voorhees, a bloody knife was placed through the eye of his hockey mask in the poster.
The spine-chilling image was considered too extreme for audiences and an alternate version without the knife was created. Even so, it’s still considered to be one of the most iconic horror movie posters ever created.
Why it was banned: violence
I Spit On Your Grave (2010)
Sex and blood… they are never a winning combination in the eyes of the MPAA. The 2010 film, I Spit On Your Grave, is about a woman who seeks revenge against a group of men who brutally rape her. The MPAA deemed the original poster very distasteful. They felt that this controversial movie poster sexualized violent assault, and it was banned.
Why it was banned: violence, sex
What Did You Think Of These Banned Movie Posters?
How was our collection of the greatest movie posters of all time? Were any of them inappropriate posters? Do you know of any memorable banned movie posters that you think should be listed here? Have you seen any of these movies in theaters or have you streamed them on Netflix before? Please leave a comment and let us know. Thanks for reading!
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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why was Zero Theorem banned? so stupid.
Great movie too!
Larry Flynt poster is awesome