The Human Centipede 2 Deleted Scenes

[Dannie Heinzen]

THEHUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) is a horror sequel in which a vulnerable and disturbed individual, sexually obsessed with the first film, attempts to create his own 'human centipede'. Unlike the first HUMAN CENTIPEDE, this work presents graphic images of sexual violence, forced defecation and mutilation and the viewer is invited to experience the event from the perspective of the central character. The central focus of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) is the sexual arousal of this character at the idea and later the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, rape and murder of his naked victims. There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised and degraded for the amusement and sexual arousal of the main character and for the pleasure of the viewer. There is a strong and sustained focus throughout the work on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between non-consensual pain and sexual pleasure.

In making a decision as to whether a video work is suitable for classification, the BBFC applies the criteria set out in its Classification Guidelines. These Guidelines are the result of a regular public consultation process and reflect the balance of media effects research, the requirements of UK law and the attitudes of the UK public. The Guidelines set out clearly the BBFC's serious concerns about the portrayal of sexual violence. The BBFC are also obliged under the Video Recordings Act 1984 (VRA) to have special regard to the likelihood of any harm that may be caused to the viewer or, through their behaviour, to society. This risk of harm includes encouraging a dehumanised view of others, callousness towards victims and taking pleasure in the pain and humiliation of others.

The BBFC also seeks to avoid classifying material that may be in breach of UK law, including works that may be potentially obscene under the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 (OPA). The BBFC engages in regular discussions with the relevant enforcement agencies, including the Crown Prosecution Service, the police and the Ministry of Justice. It is the view of the BBFC that there is a genuine risk that this work may be considered obscene within the terms of the OPA, for the reasons given above.

After careful consideration, it was judged that to issue a certificate to THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE), even if statutorily confined to adults, would involve risk of harm within the terms of the VRA, would be inconsistent with our Guidelines, would be unacceptable to the public and could be in potential breach of UK law. The BBFC considered whether cutting the work might address the issues but concluded that as the unacceptable material featured throughout, cutting was not a viable option and the work was therefore refused a classification.

When Lindsay and Jenny are stranded in the backwoods of Germany, they seek shelter at the house of Dr. Heiter, a disgraced scientist who instead of being their salvation, immediately drugs the girls. They wake to find themselves strapped to medical beds, sharing a room with a Japanese tourist that does not speak English. Heiter delivers a lengthy presentation revealing his plans of creating a nightmarish Siamese Triplet. What follows is a horrifying tale of degradation and cruelty.

Objectively speaking, First Sequence is the most accomplished in the trilogy in that it is the most cinematic. There is not much plot to speak of and the characters are not particularly well-developed, but the stylistic approach to the content is notable. Cinematographer Goof de Koning (Gay in Amsterdam) elevates the material with a series of smooth, steady camera moves and a creative lighting design that complements the art direction of the central location. Writer/ director Tom Six (Honeyz) plays with audience expectations by loading the opening act with clichs that deliberately mislead viewers into a false sense of familiarity before revealing the dark nature of his tale. Themes of voyeurism and humiliation are explored as the villainous Dr. Heiter (Dieter Laser, The Ogre) conducts his bizarre human experiments. If I were feeling generous, I could suggest the filmmaker has taken a dark satirical look at consumerism and the ills of society while offering reflections on fascism and post-war guilt via a grotesque parody of the Nazi psyche. Closer to the truth, this is an artsy-fartsy-fetish-flick with poo.

Compared to the first film, Full Sequence is a tremendous letdown in every possible way. Tom Six returns with a meta-themed sequel that collapses under the pressure to one up the original. There is a higher body count and much more gore, but the craft is lost, as is any beauty or nuance. Subtlety in general appears to be the first casualty in this misadventure as the filmmakers shift focus from suspense to shock value. Watching despicable characters surrounded in filth screaming at each other for the majority of the movie is not something I can easily recommend. The offbeat Laurence R. Harvey (The Editor) does a commendable job as Martin, the silent psychopath, instantly unlikeable and fully repugnant in his deeds and actions. This nebbish little man is not particularly frightening and impossible to root for, but his victims are equally repugnant. Cinematographer David Meadows (Strippers VS Werewolves) has shot an ugly movie that despite being filmed in color, was released in gritty black and white. This aesthetic decision adds little to the end result considering the picture was not lit for it and purists will be pleased to learn this Blu-ray collection offers both versions of the film.

All three films are presented in their original aspect ratio, the first two at 1.85:1 while the third is framed at 2.35:1. There is a distinct visual style that varies from one movie to the next with the original having a clean, colorful almost sterile feel. The middle chapter was shot in color and digitally altered to black and white, offering a gritty sense of Italian neorealism. The third picture resembles something closer in style to Natural Born Killers with its hot, desert environment color scheme. Each movie receives a solid transfer, limited only by source material manipulation, particularly in part 2 that is as ugly as the conditions the characters are forced to root around in. The other films in the series look perfectly fine, so I can only conclude the distressed image is deliberate.

The first two titles get an immersive DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that is surprisingly subtle yet effective on each. The third picture is provided a robust DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix that is a tad excessive, but sounds really good during some of the more intense moments. All three are also given DTS-HD MA 2.0 tracks, but these can pretty much be ignored given the strength of their counterparts.

Writer/ director Tom Six delivers an interesting but inconsistent commentary track that shares both tales from the production and the origins of the project. Unfortunately, there is plenty of description of onscreen action and some moments of silent reflection as he watches his work.

The Ladies of The Human Centipede (48 minutes) is an informative set of interviews featuring stars Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black and Kandace Caine. No love for Bree Olson, unfortunately. It is fun to hear how the ladies became connected to the project and what they thought of the material, their co-stars and director. They share tales of receiving the vaguely-worded script and audition process as well as working on set.

Fans will be happy to have the option of watching Human Centipede 2 in its original color format. Blood and guts are more visceral, but the degraded image quality remains. Filming in black and white requires a different lighting design than shooting in color, and to simply alter levels after the fact does not really work. Oddly, the color version runs three minutes shorter than the black and white, but I have not done a side by side comparison to say exactly what is missing.

Making the Poster (2 minutes) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the approach to photographing and assembling the design for the marketing campaign. This is paired with an Alternate Poster Gallery (2 minutes) that presents a video slideshow of various options for the promotional artwork.

A Making of Human Centipede 3 featurette (26 minutes) offers a lot of on-set footage mixed with segments devoted to specific characters. The segment is informative but does not break any new ground in the familiar behind-the-scenes promo piece.

An alternate ending (4 minutes) offers a much stronger resolution to the series and it is a shame it was not used. I am genuinely pleased to have this scene included here, as it is surprisingly satisfying when watching the films in a back-to-back marathon.

With Christmas just around the corner, I know that a lot of you will be adding this to the very tops of your lists. The Human Centipede trilogy is getting a 3-disc box set release packed with deleted scenes, extras and interviews galore. For die-hard Human Centipede fans, this is surely a like an act of God?

The full list of features are as follows:

Be sure to purchase your copy of The Human Centipede: The Full Sequence when it is released on 27th October 2015. Sadly, this is only for those in the USA, so keep your eyes peeled for a European release!

Part of the filmmaking process is shooting more footage than a director may actually end up using in the final edit. Despite the difficulty and risks of filming and the excruciating effort that goes into making movies, it' s just worth it to have more to work with. This maximalist approach is why these scenes that were too scary for horror movies exist.

For the horror film enthusiast who always wants more, these gruesome cut scenes are like delayed icing on the blood-soaked cake. Read on to discover some of the worst scenes cut from horror movies and think about whether or not they should have made it into the final cut. And, if you love all things spooky, check out this list of the scariest shows on television.

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