The Human Centipede II. Work of art?

Posted from Empire:

Last year's The Human Centipede was mad, bad and really quite grotesque. But this year's sequel, imaginatively called The Human Centipede II, has been rejected by the British Board of Film Classification on the basis that it is "sexually violent and potentially obscene". This means that the DVD cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK.

The original film was released, uncut, as an 18 last year. This one, however, apparently has "unacceptable material" throughout which cannot be remedied with cuts. The filmmakers have six weeks in which to appeal against the decision.

It's worth noting, before we get all up in arms, that this is a relatively rare decision for the BBFC, who outlined their reasons at some length and stressed that the full Board was in on this one. The full reasoning is below - but if you're of a sensitive disposition even this may be rather unpleasant.
"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 :wub:s 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."

I, for one, think that this censorship of a very viable medical operation and the beginnings of a whole new genre of porn is very lacking in judgement on the part of the BBFC.

Joking aside, it's not like they can really stop people from watching the film. I'll probably watch it just for and giggles.

The next level of "horror" movie I see.

I couldn't care less f people can't buy films like these, if they really want to see it it's only a few clicks away on the internet anyway.

There was a reference to the human centipede in one of Lonely Island's songs. The images the words put in my mind were nasty.

Work of art?

No.

I honestly do not see why anyone would want to watch a film like this, let alone make it. I wish I could delete the memory of reading this post from my brain.

If it's anything like the last one, it should be banned for crimes against acting.

Apparently it's one of only three films that is banned in the U.K., not including a couple which the BBFC hasn't got round to unbanning from 20 years ago but should be Okayed in the near future.

Originally Posted by Copperknickers II

If it's anything like the last one, it should be banned for crimes against acting.

Apparently it's one of only three films that is banned in the U.K., not including a couple which the BBFC hasn't got round to unbanning from 20 years ago but should be Okayed in the near future.

Worse, much, much worse, apparently its gonna REALLY be the grossest film ever according to the maker.

Originally Posted by Henry X

Posted from Empire:
I, for one, think that this censorship of a very viable medical operation and the beginnings of a whole new genre of porn is very lacking in judgement on the part of the BBFC.

If you think that's a new genre of porn you have no idea how demented mankind is....

Joking aside, it's not like they can really stop people from watching the film. I'll probably watch it just for and giggles.

Main purpose is to cut its commercial availability and hence its profitability for any distribution network and essentially a studio to do something similar again.

Originally Posted by Mangalore

Main purpose is to cut its commercial availability and hence its profitability for any distribution network and essentially a studio to do something similar again.

Something banned always does better financially. The money they loose in the UK will be multiplied in other country by the publicity and viewing the appeal the ban provide.

I would put the movie into the continuity of the marquis de Sade' work, definetely not my cup of tea.

Originally Posted by John Doe

Something banned always does better financially. The money they loose in the UK will be multiplied in other country by the publicity and viewing the appeal the ban provide.

I would put the movie into the continuity of the marquis de Sade' work, definetely not my cup of tea.

doubtful, otherwise they'd use that as a marketing trick more often. Problem with banned movie, the crowd who wants to get it anyway... probably gets it free more easily.

Well judging by the comments on Neogaf, then the studio is still going to get a nice amount of coin.

Ultimately, if people want to see it, then they'll find it. However, if people really want to see the disgusting, I advise going to Encyclopedia Dramatica and finding the pain series.

What is art is entirely subjective. If we grant control of the definition to a few bureaucrats, it sets a very dangerous precedent.

Human Centipede was good, if IFC puts this one in theaters like it did the first one I'd go see it.

You don't need two diplomas and bachelors and half a masters in art to know this is art (but it helps, lol): it is the deliberate arrangement of elements with the intent to elicit an emotional, intellectual, sensual, moral or spiritual reaction: this is the most conservatively acceptable definition I know and it's still placed very clearly within the boundaries of "art". Whether or not it's good art is subjective, I can't bring myself to watch these movies fully so I can't comment on the qualitive criteria required to make informed judgements on their artistic value.

It's not as bad as the rape in irreversible. Now that's shocking.

LOL

There goes the UK banning again.

edit: At least they are not as bad as Australia.

Originally Posted by Kanaric

LOL

There goes the UK banning again.

edit: At least they are not as bad as Australia.

You obviously know little to nothing about the BBFC.

Edit-misread

Originally Posted by Kanaric

LOL

There goes the UK banning again.

edit: At least they are not as bad as Australia.

... including HC2, there are only 3 films that are banned in the UK.

Grotesque, which is just an hour and a half of a Japanese torture murder with no actual plot.

Mikey, which is banned because of sensitivity over the James Bolger killing.

Did you guys even read the description of the Part II? This is some extremely twisted . I would seriously doubt the mental stability of anyone who had a part in creating a script like that.

Entertainment is plunging into the deepest depths of depravity too far, too fast.

Originally Posted by Henry X

...and the beginnings of a whole new genre of porn .

i shudder to imagine what new genre of porn this is