The first film gained recognition as one of the sickest, most disgusting films of all time, and the straight to DVD release of the sequel in the UK this year now seems to have come to a halt after the BBFC(British Board of Film Classification) rejected the film completely, banning it from ever being sold physically or downloaded in the UK.
Empire Online released an article stating the reasoning behind the films ban, which I will display below, but be warned that it does contain some pretty disgusting spoilers from the film that may not be suitable for everyone or anyone in fact!
I agree that I won’t be offended. Show the content.
The first film dealt with a mad doctor who sews together three kidnapped people in order to produce the ‘human centipede’of the title. Although the concept of the film was undoubtedly tasteless and disgusting it was a relatively traditional and conventional horror film and the Board concluded that it was not in breach of our Guidelines at ‘18’. This new work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), tells the story of a man who becomes sexually obsessed with a DVD recording of the first film and who imagines putting the ‘centipede’ idea into practice. Unlike the first film, the sequel presents graphic images of sexual violence, forced defecation, and mutilation, and the viewer is invited to witness events from the perspective of the protagonist. Whereas in the first film the ‘centipede’ idea is presented as a revolting medical experiment, with the focus on whether the victims will be able to escape, this sequel presents the ‘centipede’ idea as the object of the protagonist’s depraved sexual fantasy.
The principal focus of The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is the sexual arousal of the central character at both the idea and the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, and murder of his naked victims. Examples of this include a scene early in the film in which he masturbates whilst he watches a DVD of the original Human Centipede film, with sandpaper wrapped around his penis, and a sequence later in the film in which he becomes aroused at the sight of the members of the ‘centipede’ being forced to defecate into one another’s mouths, culminating in sight of the man wrapping barbed wire around his penis and raping the woman at the rear of the ‘centipede’. There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience. There is a strong focus throughout on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between pain, perversity and sexual pleasure. It is the Board’s conclusion that the explicit presentation of the central character’s obsessive sexually violent fantasies is in breach of its Classification Guidelines and poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers.
David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: “It is the Board’s carefully considered view that to issue a certificate to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Board’s Guidelines, would risk potential harm within the terms of the VRA, and would be unacceptable to the public.
“The Board also seeks to avoid classifying material that may be in breach of the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 (OPA) or any other relevant legislation. The OPA prohibits the publication of works that have a tendency to deprave or corrupt a significant proportion of those likely to see them. In order to avoid classifying potentially obscene material, the Board engages in regular discussions with the relevant enforcement agencies, including the CPS, the police, and the Ministry of Justice. It is the Board’s view that there is a genuine risk that this video work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), may be considered obscene within the terms of the OPA, for the reasons given above.
Empire Online also spoke to director Tom Six for a response to the films ban, to which he replied angrily at the fact the BBFC released spoilers of the film and that viewers should be able to make their own decision on whether or not to watch the film.
Thank you BBFC for putting spoilers of my movie on your website and thank you for banning my film in this exceptional way. Apparently I made an horrific horror-film, but shouldn’t a good horror film be horrific? My dear people it is a f****cking MOVIE. It is all fictional. Not real. It is all make-belief. It is art. Give people their own choice to watch it or not. If people can’t handle or like my movies they just don’t watch them. If people like my movies they have to be able to see it any time, anywhere also in the UK.
The film is only the 11th film to receive a ban in the UK, and if what the Guardian newspaper is reporting is true, they claimed the BBFC released a statement saying “no amount of cuts would allow them to give it a certificate.” The filmakers have six weeks to appeal against the ban.
Even if the film is illegal to watch in the UK or not, all this hype over this banned movie is only going to make those of us who like this sort of messed up movies want to see it more, and I am almost certain it will be one of the most pirated films of 2011 if it is not available legally.
After seeing the first one and just how vile it was I was kind of looking forward to seeing how they would make the second one top that, but it seems as though they have done that and gone too far for the BBFC, and maybe even too far for me. The idea of watching The Human Centipede idea in the form of a sexual pleasure doesn’t sound too appealing to me if I’m honest, so maybe it’s a good thing it’s banned so I won’t have the choice of seeing it.
What do you all think of the ban? Good? Bad? Would you even want to see this film if it was available in the UK? Let me know your opinions below.
I liked the human centipede.
I’m pretty miffed that im being told im not allowed to watch the other one because its banned.
they will be able to watch it in other country’s I want to watch it. Wheres my human right?
I liked the human centipede.
I’m pretty miffed that im being told im not allowed to watch the other one because its banned.
they will be able to watch it in other country’s I want to watch it. Wheres my human right?
I liked the human centipede.
I’m pretty miffed that im being told im not allowed to watch the other one because its banned.
they will be able to watch it in other country’s I want to watch it. Wheres my human right?