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Summary
Thesci - figenre has been home to some controversial motion-picture show due to the many themes and topic that can be handle , and some were too much for sure audiences and ended up being banned . The world of sci - fi offers a circle of creative exemption for artists , as it ’s a genre that can mix with others to bring piquant and exciting stories that explore unknown worlds . This allows sci - fi movies to deal topics and base that can sometimes be too delicate or controversial , leading to some controversy and force studio to make change to these movies so they can be released .
It ’s not uncommon for sci - fi pic to undergo a dyad of changes in order for them to be released in as many commonwealth as possible , but in some cases , not even cut out a couple of scenes saved them from controversy . Various sci - fi flick have been bannedin different land and the grounds for that vary , range from political rationality , the themes addressed in the movies being too dark or tabu , or the movies have graphic scene that could n’t be bump off without affecting the story .
102012 (2009)
Banned in North Korea
Roland Emmerich ’s disaster movie2012follows a geologist and a novelist as they do their full to endure a serial publication of eschatological outcome that include seism , mega - tsunami , volcanic eruption , and more . The flick is establish on the “ 2012 phenomenon ” , as it was believed that the end of the world was going to fall out on December 21 , 2012 . However , in North Korea , the year 2012 had a completely different meaning that led to the picture ’s banning . harmonize toTelegraph , the then - leader of North Korea , Kim Jong - il , believed 2012 was travel to be the twelvemonth that North Korea would “ launch the grand gate to becoming a rising world power ” , and April 15 , 2012,marked the one C of the giving birth of the country ’s beginner , Kim Il - sung .
Emmerich ’s motion picture was banned in North Korea as the leader did n’t want their citizenry to watch a movie in which the planet was destroy by a natural calamity in the yr that was meant to be the most important for their nation . The North Korean agency took the ban very seriously and prosecute those caught in possession of copies of2012 .
9Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Banned in Finland & British Columbia
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinis a sci - fi horror comedy steer by Charles Barton . It follows Count Dracula ( Bela Lugosi ) as he team up up with Dr. Sandra Mornay ( Lenore Aubert ) to find a “ simple , pliable ” brain so he can reactivate Frankenstein ’s monster ( Glenn Strange ) . Despite its comedic tone and achiever , as it made way for a series of crossover voter movies , Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinwas banned in two parts of the world . First , it was banned in British Columbia but allow some time later after most of the scene with the Wolf Man ( Lon Chaney Jr. ) were cut .
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinwas also ban in Finland ( viaLibrary of Congress ) , as it scared children and theater owner even complained about crying nipper , holler women , and walkouts , andFinland was infamous back then for censoring horror comedies .
8The Hunger Games (2012)
Banned in Vietnam
The Hunger Gamesbrought Suzanne Collins ’ novel of the same name to life and took the consultation to a dystopian future where a male child and a girl from each district , between the age of 12 and 18 , were forced to fight to the death in the Hunger Games every year . The vehemence inThe Hunger Gameswas too much for some viewers , and in Vietnam , its covering was delay indefinitelyas the Vietnamese National Film Board view it too vehement . In the end , The Hunger Gameswas banned in Vietnam .
7Mad Max (1979)
Banned in New Zealand & Sweden
George Miller’sMad Maxfollows Max Rockatansky ( Mel Gibson ) a member of a police unit who becomes a vigilance man when the loss leader of a gang decide to avenge the death of a penis of his radical . Onescene inMad Maxwas enough for the whole picture to be banned in New Zealand and Sweden : the one whereGoose is burned alive inside his cable car . This view was , unintentionally , very interchangeable to an incident with a gang in New Zealand that happen shortly beforeMad Max ’s release . Mad Maxwas eventually exhibit in New Zealand in 1983 , but in Sweden , it was n’t until 2005 that the ban was lifted ( viaIndieWire ) .
Related : Mad Max ’s Original Biker Gang Was Scarier In Real Life Than The 1979 Movie
6District 9 (2009)
Banned in Nigeria
Neil Blomkamp’sDistrict 9explores an substitute 1982 where an exotic starship appears over Johannesburg , South Africa , and the malnourished alien are take by the government to an internment pack called District 9 . Two decennary later , one of the unknown strain to hightail it to return home but interbreed way of life with the bureaucrat lead their resettlement to another pack . District 9was banned in Nigeria , as according to Information Minister , Dora Akunyili , the movie portrayed Nigerians as “ cannibals , outlaw , and sporting lady ” ( viaVanguard ) . Akunyili orderedall copy ofDistrict9 to be confiscatedfrom local theatre and demanded an apology from Sony Pictures , which never happened .
5The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Banned in Egypt
The Matrix Reloadedis the second instalment intheMatrixsaga , and it continues Neo ’s ( Keanu Reeves ) mission as he seek to deliver the Keymaker and confronts the Architect . The Matrix Reloadedwas banned in Egypt not just because of its violent aspect but becauseit could cause “ crisis ” and “ harm societal peace”(viaBBC News ) as it “ handles the issue of world and cosmos , which are refer to the three divine religion ” . AsThe Matrix Reloadedtackled “ the issue of the creator and his creations searching the lineage of world ” along with the issue of “ compulsion and free will ” , Egypt decided to ban the movie to avoid societal conflict .
4Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Banned in various countries
Island of Lost Soulsis based on H.G. Wells ’ 1896 novelThe Island of Doctor Moreau , and it follows a sailor who finds himself stranded on an island occupy by the claim scientist , where the inhabitants are the result of his experiment to create human beings from animals . Island of Lost Soulswas banned in various countries due to itsdepiction of human evolutionthat many retrieve to be “ detestable ” and “ affected ” , and among the state that banned the plastic film are Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Singapore , Tasmania , Australia , the UK , and Latvia . The Bachelor of Arts in Nursing in the UK was lifted in 1958 , but the last of Dr. Moreau was cut , and many scene were edited out in other parts of the human race .
Banned in China
2E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Banned in Scandinavia
Steven Spielberg’sE.T. the Extra - Terrestrialtells the story of a young son who befriends the title extraterrestrial after he ’s pull up stakes behind on Earth , and along with his friends and sept , attempt to find a way to help his new friend pass to his home . AlthoughE.T. the Extra - Terrestrialis one of the most dear sci - fi motion-picture show ever made , Scandinavia decide to blackball the motion-picture show as it “ portrays adults as enemies of children ” ( viaThe Swedish Board of Censorship ) , andchildren immature than 11 were n’t allowed to ascertain it . This ended up backfiring as child protested the ban , and some even lied about their age so they could watch the moving-picture show .
1A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick’sA Clockwork Orange , based on Anthony Burgess ’ novel of the same name , follows Alex DeLarge ( Malcolm McDowell ) , a charismatic delinquent leading a pack of hoodlum and who invest various frightful crimes . A Clockwork Orangewas cited as having enliven imitator acts of force , and so it waswithdrawn from British cinemas at Kubrick ’s behest(viaThe Guardian ) . The ban was n’t raise until after Kubrick ’s death , and it was also ostracise in Singapore , Spain , Brazil , Ireland , South Africa , and more , though it was finally picture in most countries many years after its initial release .
Sources : Telegraph , Library of Congress , IndieWire , Vanguard , BBC News , Time , CNN , The Guardian .