I would suggest also cleaning up your code as follows:

 
foreach my $banned ( @bannedF ) { 
  return BANNED if ( $folder eq $banned ); 

  if( $mode == INC_SUBDIRS ) { 
     $folder =~ /^($banned).*/; 
     print "$_ out of $#bannedF - $banned - regex value: $1\n";
     return BANNED if ($1); 
  }
}
[download]

I think it's much easier to read that way.

-----------------------------------
Frank Wiles <frank@wiles.org>
http://frank.wiles.org