Human Centipede distributors protest UK ban

Fighting for the rights of British filmgoers to see horror movies about hostages stitched together in deeply uncomfortable ways, the distributors of the “Human Centipede” sequel have protested a recent decision by Britain’s film board that will prevent the movie from being shown there and criticized the board for giving away some crucial plot details.

Last week the British Board of Film Classification said it would not give any rating at all to “The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence),” a follow up to Tom Six’s “Human Centipede (First Sequence),” saying the movie posed a “real risk” to audiences and made no attempt to depict the “victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalized, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience.”

In Mr. Six’s original film a mad scientist surgically grafts together three victims from mouth to anus; suffice to say that more terrible things happen to a new group of victims in the sequel. The board’s decision means that “The Human Centipede II” cannot be shown in British theaters or made available on video or download in that country. Mr. Six complained about the board’s effective ban of his movie, saying: “Give people their own choice to watch it or not. If people can’t handle or like my movies they just don’t watch them.”

The Guardian now reports that Bounty Films and Eureka Entertainment Ltd., which were to distribute the “Human Centipede” sequel, have also pushed back against the board. In a joint statement the companies said they “strongly disagree” with its decision, adding that “the level of detail provided” by the board in explaining its decision “does seem inconsistent with previous releases where the statements have been more concise.” The companies said, “We are concerned this may be prejudicial to our forthcoming appeal.”

The statement of the distributors continued:

Classifying and rating product allows the public to make an informed choice about the art and media they wish to consume. Censoring or preventing the public from obtaining material that has not been proven to be harmful or obscene is indefensible in principle and is often counterproductive in practice. Through their chosen course of action, the BBFC have ensured that the awareness of this film is now greater than it would otherwise have been.

Of 11 films that the British Board of Film Classification has denied ratings, 8 were eventually permitted to be shown, including “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Freaks.”

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