Keep Telling Yourself It’s Only A Movie: Horror’s Most Controversial Films
By Aaron Posey
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by horror heavyweight Tobe Hooper, who recently left us but his legacy still lives on. Sally Hardesty and her van full of friends stumble across a chainsaw wielding, human face wearing behemoth who is attempting to slaughter everyone he comes across.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was banned in Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and what was West Germany at the time. The film had several walkouts during screenings in San Francisco. Police also threatened two theaters to stop showing it or be charged with obscenity. Not only was this film banned in Britain but the Board of Film Censors even banned using the word “chainsaw” in the title.