THE EXORCIST.

• Author: Slade, Stephanie
• Position: MOVIE

Sometimes called the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist provoked controversy from its 1973 release. The Motion Picture Association of America shocked Roger Ebert when it gave the film an R rating, allowing minors to view it in theaters when accompanied by an adult.

The U.K. equivalent of that body took a harder line. There, the movie-which graphically depicts the travails of a girl suffering demonic possession-got an X certificate, prohibiting viewing by anyone under 18. In 1988, the British Board of Film Classification...