The movies sparked panic, particularly in the UK during the 1980s, with fears that children would be able to access the films because of the rise in popularity of home videos. They were readily available to the public and because they were not distributed through Hollywood channels, were uncensored. These movies were produced and distributed outside of the Hollywood movie machine and featured heavy doses of nudity, explicit sex, gruesome violence and drug use.

Public lobbying was a huge response to the rise of exploitation movies during the 1960s and 1970s. Some movies cause such outrage from particular groups that lobbying from the public to get a film banned can often be successful. Some films cause public moral panic because a filmmaker has exploited the current social fears whereas others simply do not meet the required censorship guidelines set out in that particular country. Movies that get banned say a lot about the social climate of the country the film is being prohibited in at that particular time.