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James Franco, left, as Dave and Seth Rogen as Aaron in a scene from Columbia Pictures' "The Interview."Ed Araquel/The Associated Press

Due to a perceived terroristic threat, major theatre chains were scared off of The Interview, and Sony had initially shelved the zany buddy film before deciding on a limited release and making it available for streaming online. The comedy involves a plot to assassinate North Korea's Kim Jong-un, a supreme leader who isn't the first dictator to be spoofed while in power. Here's a rundown of notable authoritarian satire.

The Great Dictator (1940):

Charlie Chaplin raised a furor with his Hitler-mocking classic. During the film's production, the British government (which was not at war with Germany at the time) announced it would prohibit its exhibition in Britain. By the time the film was finished, Britain was deeply engaged in the Second World War, thus giving Chaplin's first talkie much propaganda value.

Herr Meets Hare (1945):

A Bugs Bunny wartime cartoon, in which Hermann Goering exclaims, "Oh, I'm a bad flooten-boy-glooten!," a Germanic take on a hilarious Lou Costello catchphrase. It is not known whether the seven-minute animated short made its way to the Bunker Multiplex in Berlin.

Bananas (1971):

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but the bearded, bespectacled, fatigue-wearing revolutionary leader in the Woody Allen comedy set in a fictional Latin American country sure looked like Fidel Castro.

Team America: World Police (2004):

From South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the 2004 puppet-happy feature satirizes big-budget action films and skewers Kim Jong-il, the late father of Kim Jong-un. A few theatres in the United States planned to screen Team America in place of The Interview, but Paramount cancelled those showings late last week.

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