The only way I can truly describe this film is by calling it the first and only comedic snuff film I will ever see. I’ve never laughed so hard at a film that is supposed to be so horrifying and gory. It’s about a man who has some mental inefficiencies and he’s obsessed with the movie, The Human Centipede. It’s practically a religion to him. So he scouts out people at his job working in a parking garage. Meanwhile, his home life is depressing. He lives with his mother and the neighbor upstairs is just rude. He decides to make a “real” human centipede, but not with three people, like the original. Oh no. He’s going big with twelve people. Yes; A twelve person human centipede. The film is an orgy of blood, nudity, muffled screams, and feces. It’s unrelenting, never cutting away from obscene gore or shock tactics, but I’ve never laughed harder. What helps keep the film watchable is that it’s entirely in black and white. Had this been in color, such a vivid portrait of obscenity and shock might have come across more sickening and disgusting than laugh out loud hilarious. If you feel you have the stomach, see this with a group of people. Don’t view it by yourself or you’ll get bored with it, much like the original. Both films are truly dull with no substance whatsoever, but as an exercise in shock and obscenity, they excel with flying colors.
Audience Perspective:
This was easily the most fun and audience-interactive screening I had been apart of at the festival. The film is slow to start so not much was happening. Few chuckles and coughs here and there, but when it picked up, the audience began to crawl. People covered their faces and hid behind seats, but at the same time exploded with laughter. Some screams and cheers every so often, but the theater was filed with laughter. When the credits rolled many were still laughing, some stood and applauded, and other sat in shock repeatedly saying, “Wow”. No one left the theatre during the film, which surprised me, and no one became sick in the theatre or left the theatre to get sick. I feel a lot of that is attributed to the fact that the film is in black and white. Had it been in color, I’m sure this would have been a different experience altogether. As people left the theatre, a primarily young crow mind you, praised the film as ludicrous, excessive, surprisingly funny, and few scorned it. They either loved to hate it or hated to enjoy it so much.
