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HUMAN CENTIPEDE (1st. Sequence): Movie Review


GRADE: B-
GENRE: Horror/Drama
ROARS: 3.5 Out of 5

Rated: N/R / Run Time: 90 Min.

CAST: Dieter Laser, Ashley C. Williams, Akihiro Kitamura

DIRECTOR: Tom Six

Having woken up from a completely catastrophic Nightmare, my sensibility flowed into a world where fantasy goes a bit beyond a dream, and turns into reality. Well, almost… in the end it’s just a film. Or is it? Having lots of similarities to Hitler’s Dr. Mangele, Human Centipede: (First Sequence) isn’t too far off from what perhaps maybe he (Dr. Magele) would have wanted to try if Hitler’s psychotic ass had been left untouched.

Those with a blackened heart thriving in the world of an evil mindset might find this kind of film as an orgasmic experience. Delivering just about the vilest in what one human can do to another, this piece can fuck with your mind to a certain degree, however; when logic starts to hit within say — 25 minutes into the film — one is able to say “Why would you do that?” which then follows into a unique experience any human could ever endure. Well, they do say ignorance is bliss.

I say this… If you had a flat tire, which led you to the front door of a skeletal stranger eyeing your piercing hard nipples through your wet blouse, don’t you think his first words – “Are you lone? – might ring certain bells? Dumbass American tourists are nothing new to horror films. Human Centipede: (First Sequence) adopts that idiocy as a mission statement. You really have to hate logic, hot girls and evil German doctors to dig this excruciatingly stupid, yet horridly entertaining movie, whose main gag is creating a surgically linked chain (Human Centipede) of disbelieving adults. Eat shit and die is the prescription.

It’s no secret the film’s Writer and Director (Tom Six) has a cynical sense-of-horror-humor. This becomes clear as the film moves along based on dialog, certain scenes, and angles which reference a way of life if we flipped it around. In some ways if perhaps we were lab-rats and preyed/played upon when experimentation comes into play… it did make me scratch my head a couple of times. Challenging morals and karma’s existence — as the title hints — if granted, we just might have a sequel. Who knows… these days pretty much everything has a sequel, I just hope the next time around it’s crafted a bit better. A good back story always helps and enhances. Whether we condemn or condone is up to us.

The film’s lack of structure is covered with visual disturbances (as I believe it’s one of the sickest horror films I’ve seen in this century) and a pretty damn good psychotic performance by Dieter Laser, who I think pretty much owned his role as “Doctor Heiter.” If you’re up for a morally challenged roller-coaster, this is for you.

Now playing at IFC Center (NYC) or IFC On-Demand (Time Warner)