George's Screening Room: "100% Medically Accurate"

I did it! I finally saw the film I had wanted to see since I first saw the trailer a few months back. The film was The Human Centipede (First Sequence) directed by Tom Six. When I first witnessed the now notorious trailer, my initial reaction was "Why am I barely finding out about this?!" Nedless to say, the first thing I did was to spread the word. I posted the infamous trailer on my Facebook profile and received immediate responses. My friend Ashley replied: "You know...I love IFC films. But I fear this movie at one point is going to make me vomit. So...you see it, then tell me how it goes. When it comes out on Dvd". With a response like that from only watching the trailer, how could you not be excited for this movie?!

I posted the trailer on April 7th and the screening was to be held on May 14th. For a month, I tried to persuade my peers to watch this exciting new film, but the answers I kept hearing were "maybe" and "Hell No, Foo!". Hearing this only made me want to watch the film even more than before and with the screening date drawing near, I grew anxious and curious as to what the film would deliver.

So, the day had finally arrived. It was Friday, May 14th and myself and a few comrades who were brave enough to join me to witness this film ventured towards Los Angeles. On our way to the screening, my friend, Pedro, phoned me and gave me devastating news. He informed me that the theater hosting the event announced on Facebook that the film had sold out! This was to be expected. Especially after all the buzz the trailer and the premise of the film had created. We were down but not out. We made the best of it and dined at the famous Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and then proceeded to a fun-filled night of entertainment at Jumbo's Clown Room .

But, all was not lost. My friend, Katt, informed me that The Human Centipede was being featured on On Demand available through Time Warner in the IFC Films Channel! Needless to say, I was more than happy to hear the news. We discussed seeing it in a group setting and decided to watch it all together. Well, last week, Katt phoned me and asked me to help her with her short horror film project she was working on. As the night drew on, we joked about watching the movie, and after dining on some great lasagne, we decided that it was definitely the time to experience this film. There were some objections from our friends about whether or not they wanted to see the film or not. But, after some encouraging words were shared, they agreed to tough it out and take the ride with us.

The film did NOT disappoint one bit! It was, in my opinion, well worth the wait. The cinematography was great and very well-paced to give the viewer a sense of discomfort and tension. The film starts off great with Doctor Heiter brilliantly played by German actor Dieter Laser beginning his new experiment. The other 2 "subjects" of the human centipede are 2 American tourists in Europe played by Ashley C. Williams and Ashlynn Yennie. At first, I was curious to see if I would sympathize with them or if I would want these girls involved in the sadistic experiment. In less then a minute of screen time, I made up my mind and decided that these girls are gonna get it and I don't care.

The actresses did a very good job playing naive and maybe clueless tourists wandering the woods after they blow their tire in a country road. I liked the way the director used some humor during the scenes when the girls are lost and stumble upon the evil Doctor Heiter's house. It took me back to 80's slasher flicks in which the female victims wander aimlessly throughout the forest calling on their boyfriend's names just asking for a ratchet through the face. Once they arrive in Heiter's home, that's when all the chaos ensues. The female guests quickly become patients of his and his diabolical experiment is unravelled to his subjects. The experiment being he wants to connect three subjects together by their gastrointestinal tract. You've got it! Ass to Mouth to Ass to Mouth! Also, the ligaments in their knees have been severed making it impossible to extend their legs thus making escape nearly impossible. What sells the experiment is the performance by Laser and the simple diagram he draws to explain his evil plan. His coolness is just as frightening as his temper tantrums and he does not hold back by any means.

As the film goes on and the experiments are executed, I was completely engulfed in the world of this mad surgeon. I felt helpless and crippled and anxious to see what lay ahead for the characters in the film. Another great factor of the film was its pacing. The story moved in a steady pace which contributed greatly to the suspense of the movie. The director didn't use fast-paced cutting tricks like how a majority of films do now. It definitely didn't feel like I was watching another Saw torture movie. This film definitely stood out. What I truly loved about the movie was the fact that we hardly see any of the grotesque elements we expect to see. When I first began watching this film, I was expecting to see a canvas painted in shit, blood and tears, but I didn't. No, I saw what was necessary to the story and the experience and I was not disappointed. The actors did an amazing job in bringing these characters to life, or what little they had left, and did not for one second make me second guess them.

I will not give anything away because I am not that type of person. All I've got to say is that you must see this film. It is a film that will definitely not disappoint. I recommend watching it with a group of friends to see who gets disturbed easily and who has or doesn't have the stomach for this great story.