Writing on the Thrillist web site, Jennifer M. Wood presents an excellent article outlining 50 major films that were initially rated X but which were not pornographic. Her analysis dates back to the early days of the American ratings system when "X" initially just meant adult fare that children could not be admitted to view. Acclaimed films such as "Midnight Cowboy" and "Last Tango in Paris" were released under the "X" rating but ultimately the porn industry made the "X" synonymous with hardcore sex films. Eventually, the studios adopted the "NC-17" rating in the hope that it would revive interest in mainstream, adult fare that had an edge to it, but ultimately the strategy largely failed. Some of the classic movies initially rated "X" or "NC-17" were ultimately re-rated to "R" including a 1994 re-release of "The Wild Bunch"!
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