Human Centipede Banned in U.K.
By The Editors at IndieWire
Posted Jun 6th 2011


In probably the best piece of marketing “The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” could receive, Empire reveals that the BBFC—British Board of Film Classification—has rejected the sequel to the cult film, effectively barring any screenings or DVD release for the film in the country.





In case you’re just playing catch up, director Tom Six unleashed “The Human Centipede” on the world last year and those who have seen it have certainly not forgotten.

The film centered on a mad scientist who kidnapped and drugged his victims in order to create the titular centipede, connected mouth to anus in a diabolical surgical experiment. Yes, the movie is as gross at it sounds and the sequel seems to take it up a notch.

In the board’s lengthy reasoning—which you can read in full below—they reveal the sequel centers on a new character who watches a DVD of the first film and is inspired to do the same. The sticking point for the BBFC however, is the line drawn between sexual arousal of the main character that runs parallel to the increasingly horrific acts he perpetrates on his victims (again, detailed below).

It appears it’s the overall thematic arc that is the issue—and it’s graphic depiction—that is the cause of concern. While the filmmakers have six weeks to appeal the decision, it remains to be seen if they can (or will) edit the film in a manner that will cut muster with the censors.

While this writer certainly won’t be lining up to see “The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” it’s always troubling when a government body starts making decisions about what films or other material adults can and cannot see. It’s the beginning of a slippery slope—and while the BBFC didn’t make this decision lightly—it’s always a hard line to decide what is truly harmful or illegal for the public (which is a totally subjective determination anyway) and what is distasteful to one or even a good handful of individuals.







"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."











Update:

Director Tom Six has responded to the BBFC in Empire Magazine:


"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."

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_human_centipede_ii_full_sequence_banned_in_the_u.k/

The Human Centipede: Full Sequence Drama: UK Distro Eureka Responds
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
By: MrDisgusting


The dramatic storyline continues to unfold as the UK distributor, Eureka Entertainment, responds to the banning with a iron fist.



"Within the last week, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) announced that it had rejected and was unable to classify for release on DVD, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence).

Bounty Films, and its UK distribution partner Eureka Entertainment Ltd., are disappointed by the decision of the BBFC to deny the film a classification certificate. While both companies respect the authority of the board, we strongly disagree with their decision.



In support of their decision, the BBFC issued a press release that gave an unprecedented level of detail regarding certain scenes contained within the film. Whilst it appears customary for the BBFC to issue press releases in support of its decision making, the level of detail provided therein does seem inconsistent with previous releases where the statements have been more concise. We are concerned this may be prejudicial to our forthcoming appeal.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is adult entertainment for fans of horror films. If a film of this nature does not seek to push boundaries, to challenge people and their value systems or to shock, then it is not horror. The subject matter of this film is in line with not only the genre, but other challenging entertainment choices for adult consumers.





We respect those who have different opinions about both the film and the genre, and whose opinions may differ to our own, but we hope that the opinions of the adults for whom this product is intended will also be considered. The adult consumers who would watch this film fully understand that it is fictional entertainment and nothing more.

Classifying and rating product allows the public to make an informed choice about the art and media they wish to consume. Censoring or preventing the public from obtaining material that has not been proven to be harmful or obscene, is indefensible in principle and is often counterproductive in practice. Through their chosen course of action, the BBFC have ensured that the awareness of this film is now greater than it would otherwise have been.





Having taken advice on these matters, and in accordance with BBFC guidelines, we will be submitting our appeal to the Video Appeals Committee in due course."

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/24952

I agree- banning is the best advertisement a horror film can get. That's why you had horror films proclaiming "Banned in 26 countries!" , also some films probably would have been forgotten had they not been put on the infamous Video Nasty List back in the 80's. Horror films like Silent Night Deadly Night, the original I Spit On Your Grave, and Bloodsucking Freaks were protested during their releases...and what did the protestors accomplish? They gave the films they were protesting free advertisement, and drew more attention to the films.


I enjoyed the first Human Centipede.

New Human Centipede 2 Trailer Crawls Online
By Harley W. Lond
Posted Sep 5th 2011


The Human Centipede 2: (Full Sequence) is due for release on Oct. 7th.

The third part of the trilogy, The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence), is due some time next year or possibly in 2013.



The plot of the second film is about a man who was so sexually aroused by the first movie, The Human Centipede, that he wants to go out and create a "human centipede" of his own.

He abducts 12 victims and decides to stitch them all together.



The film has been banned in The U.K. which is sure to pump up the promotion.





VRTFsLFzDrE

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/09/05/new-human-centipede-2-trailer-plot/

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) Gets Horrifying U.S. Trailer
By Christopher Rosen
Posted Sep 7th 2011


Who knew that Wednesday would become Human Centipede day here at Moviefone HQ?

On the heels of the news that the Tom Six-directed horror show sequel will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, comes the U.S. trailer for The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence).



Good news: it's decidedly different from the international trailer that pinged around cyberspace earlier this week. (This time, there is actual footage from the film!)

Bad news: it's horrifying!



Watch ahead... if you dare...

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/09/07/the-human-centipede-2-full-sequence-gets-horrid-u-s-trailer/

A More Perfect Union: Tom Six Discusses The Human Centipede II
Sept. 21, 2011
by Dave Itzkoff


It is entirely possible — maybe even likely — that you know the plot of Tom Six’s horror movie The Human Centipede (First Sequence) without having seen a single frame of it.

After receiving a modest theatrical release in the United States last year, the film has become a cult sensation as a video-on-demand offering and been referred to on mainstream shows like "South Park" and "The Colbert Report" because of its simple, memorable and thoroughly unnerving premise: a mad doctor who surgically combines three human captives into a single organism by stitching them together, mouth to anus.






Mr. Six’s sequel, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), about an obsessed Human Centipede fan, Martin, who tries to recreate the original movie’s “experiment” in a dingy London warehouse, is already notorious, weeks before IFC Films plans to release it on Oct. 7.

When it was presented over the summer to the British Board of Film Classification, the equivalent of the Motion Picture Association of America, the board refused to give it any rating at all, meaning that the movie cannot be shown or sold legally in that country.

Explaining its decision, the board said: “There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalized, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience.”

It added that any further editing of the film would not make it acceptable for presentation.






That hasn’t dissuaded Mr. Six, a 38-year-old Dutch filmmaker, who plans to open The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Tex., on Thursday and is preparing to make a third and final film in an anticipated trilogy.

He spoke with ArtsBeat recently by phone from Amsterdam, and in these excerpts from that conversation, he discusses the making of the Human Centipede movies and his reactions to the British ban.









Where in the world did the idea for The Human Centipede come from?

One day I was watching television with friends, and there was a really nasty child molester on television, and as a joke, I said they should stitch his mouth to the rear of a fat truck driver as a punishment.

And everybody was laughing. But that idea kept coming in my head. I thought, that’s the ultimate horror.










Once you’d written the script, did you find it at all challenging to cast the film?

It was a real hell to get the actors. We did the casting in New York, and so many actors refused when I told them the idea. They thought I was a European nutcase. So many left, immediately.

The smart ones, they stayed. They wanted to know more. We came to the moment that they had to sit on their hands and knees, very close to a butt in front of them, and then, again, so many girls dropped off, because they couldn’t do it.

They went to acting school or whatever, and they thought, “My God, do I have to show this to my parents?”









The film has since insinuated itself into pop culture in all kinds of unexpected ways.
Did you see the "South Park" episode that parodied the movie?

Oh, yeah. It’s amazing. It’s an honor that they did that.

It’s so cool, if people make parodies out of your film. They made a porn version in L.A. It’s amazing.









The term “torture porn” is often used to describe contemporary horror movies like Hostel and SAW.
Would you be offended to see The Human Centipede labeled “torture porn”?

I don’t have any problem with that, because I actually like the term. I see porno films, of course, and I like them, I have no problem with that at all.

And there have been so many horror films, and that’s all torture and misery. That’s the genre. I kind of like that they combine it. I think my film is a torture porn with European art sauce or something.









By giving the first Human Centipede the subtitle First Sequence, you were already indicating more movies to come.
So what do you do for an encore?

I made Part I very much psychological. A lot of things happen in your head and you don’t actually see it on the screen. In Part II, I really wanted to make it more graphic, show everything that I didn’t show in Part I.

Because I see so many horror films that have a sequel, then the sequel fails because it’s like a copy of the first one. Most of the time it’s not better, or it’s not original, and then it fails.

When I was doing promotion for Part I and starting to write Part II, so many people at festivals all over the world, they said, “What if some maniac out there tries to copy your idea?” And then I knew that’s exactly the idea I must pursue.









Was that a genuine concern of yours, that someone might see The Human Centipede and try to duplicate it in real life?
Do you have to exercise restraint in your films because of these kinds of possibilities?

No, I think as a filmmaker, film is of course art and entertainment, but as a filmmaker you’d never be restricted by what might happen. You’re creating a fantasy. It’s all fake and make-believe, of course.

And if some crazy person out there copies something from a film, that person is already insane. So it could have been anything that triggered him. I think artists should never worry about that, and just make the thing they want to make.









Did the reputation that you’d earned from the original Human Centipede make it easier or harder to get the sequel made?

The production process was oh so much easier. As you can imagine, when we did the castings for the people inside the centipede, so many actors wanted to be in there. At the auditions they came in and they sat on their hands and knees right away. “When can I start?”

Of course, the villain was more difficult, because people who’ve seen Part I really admire Dr. Heiter, and that’s what I really didn’t want. I want the complete opposite of Dr. Heiter.

I had this very specific character in my mind for the Martin character, and I saw a lot of people but none of them made it. And when Laurence came in, I thought, my God, that’s him, that’s him. He looks amazing. And then I asked him to rape a chair.





Really? Why?

Because I wanted to see, is he capable of giving it all as an actor? That’s very important for me.

And he did it, and he did it so convincingly and he had no shame whatsoever. And I thought, that’s it, that’s the guy.









How much of your shoot time on the sequel was spent filming the actual human-centipede portion of the film?

I don’t know exactly the percentage. Just like in Part I, I saved it for last. I shot all the other stuff first. A little less than half of the shooting time.

We had chairs everywhere, because there are people in the centipede, in Part II that are more heavy than the thin characters in Part I. They suffered for it. They enjoyed every moment but it was really tough on them.









Now that people know what The Human Centipede is, did you run into people who did not want you filming in certain locations or who did not want to contribute other resources because they didn’t want to be associated with the sequel?

I never encountered things like that. What I do encounter at festivals, and on the Internet especially, is that people who see the film become so very angry and emotional about it.

I got so many death threats via Internet, Facebook and stuff. Because people can’t handle it. People, somehow they think I’m degrading humanity and they can’t see it’s separate.

At festivals I had people that were even afraid to look at me. And I said, “It’s just make-believe. It’s all fun, and the actors had fun, and it’s not real.” But people are so intensely angry.









Are you a weird person in your private life? Do you sleep suspended upside-down like a bat?

No, no. I’m a victim of a very happy childhood, I think. I lead a very, very normal life. Usually people who make horror films are the most friendly people in the world. They just have an amazing and strange imagination, but I couldn’t hurt a mouse in real life.

My father and mother were divorced, and I was raised by my mother, and she lived with my grandparents in a very big house near Amsterdam.









You work closely with your sister, Ilona, who produces your movies.
I have a sister, and I’m not sure I could speak candidly with her about the ideas in the Human Centipede films.

I totally understand what you mean. But my sister’s just as crazy as I am, I think. She always comes up with crazy ideas.

Even my mother loves the films. She’s seen the first one and she loves it. I told her the story of the second one and she loved it.









When you learned that the British Board of Film Classification had rejected The Human Centipede II, how did you feel?
Did it make you reconsider what you had done?

When I heard about it, I immediately got two strong reactions. I thought, my God, this is brilliant for the marketing. And on the other end, I got really upset.

Because how can it be that in 2011, people can’t see a film and judge for themselves whether to watch it or not? That’s really something from a dinosaur era. Now you have Internet and people can get copies from all over the world. So you can never stop the U.K. public from seeing that film.

And then when they said it’s uneditable, it’s crazy. I always thought the British people had so much humor, so I’m really disappointed that the B.B.F.C. didn’t see the humor in the film at all.









Do you make your films with the deliberate intention of trying to get people upset?

I like to make controversial films. I like that people talk about your work.

I would hate it if I would make a film, and people wonder what to have for dinner when the film is over and not think about your film. I love it that people talk about it, hate it, can’t sleep over it.









But wouldn’t you rather that people react by saying, “What a well-shot scene” or “What a well-acted performance” than by saying, “That movie should never have been made?”

I’d rather have those last remarks you said. I love that. Because if people say it’s a nice shot or it’s a nice story line, it’s so general.

You can say that with almost any film you see. And things like, “this film should never have been made,” that’s exceptional.









But what if your actions make it harder for other directors to make the kinds of movies they want to make?

That’s true. But as a filmmaker, you have to look for new boundaries and see if you can make stories, create things that people haven’t seen before. And you cross the line, maybe, in moral terms, or things that go too far.

But I think a lot of horror makers, they get new energy from this and they can think, “Hey, I have to create something new also.” Because so many horror films are repeated over and over and over, with monsters, with knives, it’s all the same.

There’s not many filmmakers in the horror genre that really make original stuff, that make way for new ideas.










In its rejection of The Human Centipede II, the British board cited a scene in which the main character is seen “wrapping barbed wire around his penis and raping the woman at the rear of the ‘centipede.’ ”

But I did not see that scene in the version of the film I was shown. Is that being edited out of the American release?

In America, IFC knows that best. They have two versions that they are going to release. I don’t know exactly how they’re going to do that, but there will be two different versions.

You can ask IFC how they see that, how that want to do that.









Who are your favorite artists? Whose work do you look up to?

I really love comedies. I really like the guy who made Borat and Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen.

As a filmmaker, Lars von Trier, I really admire his body of work, what he’s doing.

I like a guy like Werner Herzog.

One of my favorite actors of all time is Klaus Kinski.









You’re already planning a third Human Centipede film. What can you say about it at this stage?

I really wanted to make a second one, and overall I wanted to make three. Because three films make a human centipede, you can actually place them together and they form one film of four and a half hours.

I have some really cool things for Part 3 in store. I have one film more to show some more crazy ideas. But then I am fed up with Human Centipede so I don’t want to do it anymore.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/a-more-perfect-union-tom-six-discusses-the-human-centipede-ii/

Exclusive Poster Premiere: The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence]
Posted on Thursday September 22nd, 2011
by Russ Fischer


One of the most intentionally controversial movies of the year is Tom Six‘s The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence]. Almost no one has seen the film outside of the UK Film Board, which famously refused a rating for the movie, but it premieres tonight at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX.

In advance of the two screenings this evening, we’ve got the debut of the creepy and more than slightly disturbing one-sheet from IFC Midnight.


http://www.slashfilm.com/exclusive-poster-premiere-the-human-centipede-2-full-sequence/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+slashfilm+%28%2FFilm%29

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) Trailer is Here
Source: Yahoo! Movies
September 26, 2011


The full trailer for The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence), has debuted at Yahoo! Movies and you can check it out in the player below.

Writer/director Tom Six's follow-up is the story of a man who becomes sexually obsessed with a DVD recording of the first film in the series, The Human Centipede, and uses sandpaper to pleasure himself whilst watching the film.

He decides to create a "human centipede" of his own, this time comprised of twelve victims as opposed to the first film's three.



The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) arrives in theaters on October 6th.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=21166

Human Centipede 2 Is No Longer Banned in Britain
By Alex Suskind
Posted Oct 6th 2011


Get ready England -- Human Centipede 2 is no longer banned in your country.

All it took was 32 cuts (about two-and-a-half minutes) to make the movie "appropriate" for UK viewers.


The sequel was originally banned back in June because the UK film board said it featured "a strong focus throughout on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between pain, perversity and sexual pleasure."

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/10/06/human-centipede-2-unbanned/

I think UK viewers who really want to see the film will be finding ways to see it uncut.

I think UK viewers who really want to see the film will be finding ways to see it uncut.

haha like me...

Did you see this James?

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/27314

And there will be people who have the money buying those "works of art".

^ yeah I did.

To me it wasn't worth mentioning.

^ yeah I did.

To me it wasn't worth mentioning.

It was so ludicrous I had to.

Worldwide Censorship Campaign: Human Centipede 2 Banned in Australia
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
By: MrDisgusting


Tom Six's Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence has been banned by the Classification Review Board just three weeks after it made its Australian premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival, says the Sydney Morning Herald.

Originally classified R 18+ by the Classification Board in May, Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence was refused classification by the Review Board on Monday with the review team decrying its "gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of violence," as well as its displays of cruelty.





The sequel to Tom Six's 2009 film The Human Centipede: First Sequence follows a mentally unstable car park attendant who becomes so obsessed with the first movie that he copycats the original premise of sewing humans together into one "centipede".

The unedited version of the film was originally cleared for classification in Australia, despite being cut for audiences in the United Kingdom after an initial banning.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/27389