Vintage Movie Scenes That Were Too Hot For Today’s Viewers 

By Sarah Norman | May 22, 2023

Elizabeth Montgomery as the lead character in 'The Legend of Lizzie Borden' (1975)

Are you ready for the ultimate list of the most paused movie scenes of all time? Get ready to hit pause on your own movie nights, because we've scoured the internet and compiled a list of the most iconic, jaw-dropping, and just plain bizarre movie moments that have viewers hitting pause to catch every detail. From heart-pounding action sequences to mind-blowing plot twists, these are the movie scenes that have left audiences pausing and rewinding for decades

test article image
(CBS Television Distribution)

Murder mysteries are a genre whose popularity has remained consistent throughout the generations. Tales of murder often lend themselves to questions about ethics, revenge, justifiable violence, psychology, and so on, and can often be controversial in how they ask these questions as well as being quite explicit. The 1975 film The Legend of Lizzie Borden was an example of this. The film follows a still unsolved murder from the 1890’s in New England. The prime suspect was played by Elizabeth Montgomery, who was depicted committing the murders in the film sans clothing, which was censored for American viewers. 

Cybill Shepherd Turned Heads In 'The Last Picture Show'

test article image
(Columbia Pictures)

The counterculture and post counter-culture years of the late 1960’s and 70’s led to movies and other art taking a more critical look at the decades that came before, such as the 1950’s, when explicit films were far more taboo. An example of this is the 1971 teenage coming of age drama The Last Picture Show. The film followed a group of high schoolers in Texas during the early 1950’s and the latter stages of their teenage years. It generated some controversy due to it’s sexual content, but overall, is regarded as an excellent film that portrays the slings and arrows of adolescence well. Famed critic Roger Ebert even named it the best movie of 1971.