The Human Centipede II

I really liked the original The Human Centipede. I was surprised by how tame it was as well. It really didn't show anything, and it was very subdued in its execution. It was also very well-made, and not some crappy and weak thriller. I liked that about it, but at the same time it got a little dull at times. Which is why I was completely excited for the sequel. I wanted it to come in a different style and vain and for it to be so much more gross. Does that say something about my mental health? Anyways, it didn't disappoint.

Like the original, the sequel is well-made. The use of black and white gives it a tone of its own, and the cinematography is pretty damn excellent, making use of its textures very well. The script doesn't have much depth in it, but how can it? Many people as opposed to how well made a film is also ask what's the importance of it. What's the importance of this? I'm not sure Tom Six was trying to say anything here... not even sure he was trying to in the original. The thing is, he has complete control of this film and the type of film he wants to make. This is shock cinema at its finest. People go watch horror films, well how about a really horrifying film? It is a question to be asked about films like this. How far do people go to see films like this, and why do we? Michael Haneke pointed out this very question in his film Funny Games, and this film is exactly the type of film he would be pointing at and criticizing. But in fact, he would criticize us... and our reason for watching this. For me, I love me a really gross film.

A Serbian Film is still the nastiest film I have ever seen, but that film's second half while nasty left me sorta bored. To me this type of film doing this is the ultimate disgrace it can do- to get you bored. This didn't. It's riveting cinematography, along with the performances, kept me entertained. Kudos not only to Laurence R. Harvey (who manages to be even better than the infamous performance of Deiter Laser) but also to his lunatic mom played by Vivien Bridson. They both manage to give the film a very dark humor tone during many scenes. Then the last 30 minutes, which are definitely too damn disgusting. Many scenes in this film are still in my head, and not just the gross scenes, but also many of the moments of the lead character and his weird mannerisms.

I do want to note that I most likely saw the edited version. The unrated is nowhere to be found, so I do want to give the unrated a visit on DVD hopefully. The sequel is better than the original for these simple reasons- it is more disgusting while also being more entertaining and definitely more funny in a twisted way. Also, kudos to the eerie sound effects and lack of music.

Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), The (2011)

*** (out of 4)

Martin (Laurence R. Harvey), a deranged man who was sexually abused by his father, lives his life with his abusive mother who blames him for the father being in prison. Martin, a fan of the film THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, finally reaches his breaking point and begins to pick victims so that he can create his own 12-person centipede. When THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE was released in 2009 it hit with a storm of controversy and it appeared that the film gained a cult following even before it was released. I found the movie to be well-made but found most of the so-called "shock value" to just be hype. I thought the film wasn't nearly as graphic as the filmmakers would like you to believe and the word around the campfire started to build early for this sequel. All sorts of rumors were leaked onto the net about how shocking this film was going to be so does it succeed or was it just more hype? I'd have to say a little bit of both but there's no question that this here is a much better movie than the first. With that said, if you're offended by the subject matter or graphic violence then there's no purpose to see this thing as no matter how well-made it is you're not going to make it through. The first portion of the film is going to remind people of ERASERHEAD as we spend most of the time getting to know this Martin character. On one hand you can't help but feel sorry for the guy due to him being raped by his father and abused by everyone in his life but then again you really can't forgive anything he's going to do on his quest. I really thought the first hour of the movie did a great job at building a sick atmosphere and a very surreal one without having to use any gore or violence. I think the sickening atmosphere created was exceptionally strong and it's do to the visual style and the performance by Harvey. Harvey doesn't get any dialogue so he's just acting his gestures, his eyes and his body movement but he certainly reminded me of Peter Lorre and delivered that same type of creepy performance that you'd expect to see from Lorre. I'm not sure if Fritz Lang's M had any impact on the performance or if the director had it in mind but they are quite similar. The supporting players are fit their parts nicely and that includes Ashlynn Yennie, the actress from the first film who plays herself here. Those wanting the gore and violence won't be disappointed but this here is pretty much saved for the final half hour of the picture. We get some pretty graphic stuff that I won't spoil here but if you're familiar with the original film then it's pretty much the same stuff only much more brutal. I think the smart thing director Tom Six did with this sequel is that he filmed it in B&W. This is the perfect example of why B&W is such a beautiful format and it shows what you can do with it. The shadows, the perfect lighting and just what it adds to the atmosphere. This film would never have worked in color and I'd even say the mostly silent nature of the picture was another very big benefit. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE II (FULL SEQUENCE) is bound to have many curious viewers checking it out and if your stomach can handle the content then you shouldn't be disappointed.

Human Centipede 2 is like watching a crime scene. Besides our nasty, degenerate villain in Martin, there is no character development at all. What is on the screen is just violent act after violent act, culminating in a slightly open ending. I was expecting to see some really horrible acts of violence against bodies, and that's exactly what I got. I didn't enjoy it one bit. However, I cannot deny the effect it had upon me. I had to watch the Simpsons for an hour following this film so I could feel normal again. Physically, this is the most disturbing film I've seen. I have seen worse in extreme cinema when you are actually invested in the characters, but that is impossible here. This movie is not for the squeamish at all, in fact a scene or two forced me to turn away and gag slightly. It sucks to admit that as I consider myself a seasoned genre fan, but yeah, certain parts were really freaking gross. Was there any tension? Well the first one elicited a few genuine scares but here, the fear is for what your eyes are going to be subjected to next. Watch at your own risk.

Lead actor is honestly scarier than the movie itself

The movie was better than I thought it would be. It took me a a few days to get ready to view the movie. I usually watch a movie twice (on-demand), but I could only stomach HC1 once. I had to get into a frame of mind to view this movie and I was correct. HC2 is far more over the top. Lot's of gore and surprises.

I thought the villain in HC1 was a great choice, but the villain in HC2 is off the charts!! I felt pity towards this guy (however brief it was)until he started his re-creation. I hope this guy was acting and not just being himself. I mean I have never seen someone so jacked up. I thought he was going to pass out half the time or have a heart attack. I hope he has a life outside creepy movies.

I was shocked after reading about some of the parts that where cut out. I don't know how much more shock value I could have took, although some of the cut scenes seem to merit a viewing. Which begs the question of why IFC, the benchmark of indie films, would cut anything?

Overall, I liked the movie for what it was,although it must have been a bear to shoot. I have to give props to all the actors in this film. At some points I could see the physical difficulty some of the actors were having with some of the contortions.

Big props to Sixx for shocking me another time!!