Cult film The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence will be crawling back into Australian cinemas from Boxing Day after it was reclassified by the Classification Review Board but in a turn of events, it’s been released uncut online to Australians.
The highly-disturbing cult film, the sequel to The Human Centipede: First Sequence, was previously banned in Australia after being pulled from cities after complaints during its November run from Christian lobby groups.
“This is a niche film for people who want to see that kind of stuff…we really do not understand the fuss at all really,” manager of local distributor Monster Pictures, Neil Foley, told IF.
The Classification Review Board originally deemed it okay earlier in the year, saying: “the film is high in impact and may be offensive to sections of the adult community. The film is therefore appropriately located within the R 18+ classification with consumer advice of high impact themes, violence and sexual violence”.
However after complaints and an application from NSW attorney-general Greg Smith, the Classification Review Board voted unanimously late-last month to refuse classification.
The board said in a release: “the level of depictions of violence in the film has an impact which is very high. In addition, the film must be refused classification because it contains gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty which has a high impact.”
As a result, it couldn’t be sold, hired or advertised in Australia.
Within a week, Monster Pictures cut 30 seconds out of the film – “extreme closeups of penises” and various bits in a rape scene and it was then reclassified again to R18+. The 30-seconds is much less than in the US and the UK where they cut about 90 seconds and 150 seconds respectively.
The “depraved” film in question follows Martin, a loner who works in a bleak underground car park. Here he spends his time obsessing over a DVD of the The Human Centipede: First Sequence. When the obsession becomes mania, he sets about creating his own version of the infamous centipede – but three victims is not enough for Martin – he wants 12. And so the nightmare begins.
It will screen at Melbourne’s Cinema Nova from Boxing Day. Cinema Nova’s Kristian Connolly said he was happy it was returning but would’ve preferred the uncut version.
“The continued erosion of the importance of the Classification System in order to placate a vocal minority is not only a waste of taxpayer dollars but also serves to portray Australians as a far more conservative culture than I feel we are,” he told IF.
And in light of this, the film’s overseas distributor Bounty Films and Philadelphia-based Breaking Glass Pictures have made the cult flick available online – uncut – to both Australian and UK audiences through their new VOD platform.
Audiences can also watch behind the scenes, deleted scenes, a director interview and a “Foley session”.
For updates on where the film will be screening in other states, keep an eye on the Monster Pictures Facebook page.