First off, let me say that I saw the first Human Centipede... and I laughed at it. Not because it was a bad film exactly, but because so much controversy surrounded it.
Seriously, this was what offended people so much? The film was all hype and premise, with little to no pay off. Kinda like sex in a hot tub, or so I hear. The whole shock element (the centipede in question) was left almost entirely offscreen, there was little to no gore, and the whole "shitting in the mouth" situation was surprisingly un-graphic. Has nobody seen Salo, where tongues were cut off and excrement was eaten? Or Audition? (I'm not even gonna describe that one, just go youtube it and vomit.)
In other words, the film was either a brilliant social experiment to see how ultra PC types will judge by title alone... or it just sucked. The acting? I found the performance of the german doctor brilliant. He oozed a disturbed sense of evil that I haven't seen since Cushing last graced my screen. Just about everybody else was unbearable to watch onscreen, fulfilling every single modern horror cliche in the book. The script? Fair genericeric, if you've seen any other horror film or two.
Overall? The film accomplished exactly what I think it set out to do; shock people, play on expectations, and make alot of money. All of this, while in actuality being a fairly middle of the road film; not particularly good or bad, not shocking but not kid friendly either. It was bland. And yet, it made such a fuss.
I find it funny just how seriously people take these films. If your going and buying a ticket to a movie called "The Human Centipede" or "1000 Days In Sodom," you should know EXACTLY what your getting into. For me, I prefer the terribly produced grindhouse films of the 70's where the gore is just so ridiculous, you cant even take it seriously. I'm not a fan of shock and awe for the sake of shock and awe, which is why I'm more into "The Toxic Avenger" then "Flowers of the Flesh." For me, that kind of ultra violence can be equal parts bad ass and laughable. Hobo With A Shotgun was amazing, showing ultra violence so obscene that it just seemed goofy while anchoring it with an 80's sountrack, a solid story, and Rutger fucking Hauer. Plus, it was Canadian! (seriously, go see that film, a random little side note/recomendation.)
But at the end of the day, its all just cinema. Its entertainment, its a natural (and more conveniant) source of fun that has evolved from those old gladiator matches where slaves were killed for sport. Remember those sideshows full of "freaks and deformities" they had at carnivals during the turn of the century? These films are a distillation of that. Its aweful and kinda gruesome that humans are so entertained by these things but its just morbid curiosity out in the open. Why do you think so many people will gather around a crime scene, or watch a fire burn down a building? Its in our DNA to be messed up and fascinated by the extreme.
A movie like "The Human Centipede" would have simply been relegated to the arthouse theatres and sketchy movie rental places were it not for its title and the promise it made. But a shocking title and a sideshow-like slogan ("100 percent medically accurate")? That will bring all the suckers in.
In another brilliant move, the director of Centipede (Tom Six) went ahead and made a meta sequel that actually showed all the gore and violence. A perfect middle finger to critics like myself who laughed at his wannabe piece of shock entertainment. I wont go into details, but just reading the plot synopsis made me feel a bit ill.
Anyways, thats just me ranting. I find these films fascinating, even if they truly are just badly made... but I'm just messed up that way. And like any horror fan, I'm always game for something that might just make me want to vomit. Which is why I'm gonna watch The Human Centipede Part 2, and soak in all the family friendly entertainment it has to offer.
But I'm downloading it, because Tom Six already owns more of my money then he deserves. Fucker.
- Nathan
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