The Irish Film Classification Office has banned the re-release of 1978 cult horror I Spit On Your Grave.

Originally released as Day of the Woman in 1978, the film tells the story of Jennifer Hills, a New York magazine writer who retires to a secluded cabin in the woods to write her first novel. At the cabin, she is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead by four country boys.

The IFCO’s decision to ban the film is a result of the “acts of gross violence and cruelty (including mutilation and torture) towards humans.”

“It doesn’t surprise me that Ireland have decided to ban the film,” said director Meir Zarchi. “It has relentlessly continued to shock and offend audiences since 1978 when it was first released, and it still does to this date. However, with the level of graphic violence and horror available these days, it’s surprising that IFCO sees this 1978 film more offensive than some of the most daring and empty of content torture porn available today.

“Are we going through the "Lady Chatterley's Lover" syndrome all over again? The bottom line – thank you IFCO for promoting the film in Ireland.”

I Spit On Your Grave is re-released today on DVD and Blu-ray (in the UK anyway).