November 29, 2011 
The R18+ rating for The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence has been revoked by the Australian Classification Review Board, essentially banning the film in its current form.
Does it deserve to be banned? Check out our review here.
The Tom Six directed picture received its rating from the Board the Australian Classification Board back in May, but NSW Attorney General Greg Smith requested the rating be reconsidered by the Classification Review Board. Smith’s request was followed by an official application by Minister for Justice Brendan O’Connor.
The Board met yesterday, and revealed their decision via press release today:
“In the Review Board’s opinion, The Human Centipede II (full sequence) could not be accommodated within the R 18+ classification as 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.”
The Human Centipede 2 was previously refused classification in the UK; after two minutes and 37 seconds of footage was cut, the censors gave it a pass. An edited version was also released in the US last month.
The picture has just completed a tour of the nation, where viewers were invited to see the film in its “uncut” form. It was set for release on DVD and Blu-ray February 23, 2012.
It is likely the distributor Monster Pictures will submit the edited version for reclassification and ensure its Australian release.
Full Sequence follows in the footsteps of A Serbian Film, which was similarly banned in July despite being originally passed by the board several months earlier. That review was requested by South Australian Attorney General John Rau and the campaign group Collective Shout.
(UPDATE: This post was updated to clarify the distinction between the Australian Classification Board and the Classification Review Board. The involvement of Minister for Justice Brendan O’Connor has also been added.)
Discuss: I was lucky enough to host a Q&A screening of the picture with star Laurence R. Harvey and Monster Pictures’ Neil Foley just last weekend. The audience received the picture rapturously, and asked thoughtful questions of both Harvey and Foley. It is a shame that adult Australians will not be able to see the film in its intended form. Not because the film is a masterpiece, but because it is a work of art that encourages discussion (even if that discussion revolves around the idea that the film ‘goes too far’).
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I saw this film the first one when it played on SBS, well I saw 45 minutes of it because that was all I could stomach. What makes a writer come up with an idea like this? 1 and 2 both should be banned and burned and every copy of it. The film isn’t horror, it isn’t anything….
You obviously havn’t watched many horror movies before have you
Actually I have watched lots of horror films and I just don’t classify this film as horror. I’ll just leave it at that. My idea of horror must be sadly outdated.
I think the first movie is a psychological horror, which is a very different breed of horror to your peek-a-boo and body horrors.
Despite the first film being *very* tame? And I don’t mean that in a trolling way – the actual measurable concept of the film is very low in impact – it’s a largely bloodless film and it’s really only the main concept that has people offended…
I attended the Q&A session in Brisbane. I am a big fan of the original & I thought the sequel was a fascinating take on gore and black humour.
I’m tired of feeling like I’m not allowed to make rational decisions about what I can and can’t watch. I agree that Human Centipede 2 contains high-impact, gratuitous violence (which I note was requested by fans of the first movie who felt it was lacking something in the gore department). But, I certainly had an idea of what I was getting myself into & have been proved mature enough to handle it – after all I saw the movie almost a week ago, with no ill effect.
For the record, Lawrence (who plays Martin, depicted above) was a charming and funny man, & it was a delight to meet him.
Despite my personal feelings towards the nature of this movie, as a film-maker I simply cannot support the banning of a film.
Also: as a rational adult, I cannot support having my choice to see this film revoked, whether I see the film or not, I feel that we as adults need to be allowed to make the decision for ourselves rather than being nannied by the ratings board and having them dictate our viewing limitations like a concerned parent.
The banning of films should be seen as equal to the banning of books. Both are suppressing personal choice and freedom of expressin and both should be viewed as Wong equally damaging.
I hate being told what I can and can’t see… I’m not a kid.
banning movies or censoring them just encourages piracy. Now I have to pirate the movie just to see the full thing.
Great piece but I think the way you’ve written it may cause some confusion. The Human Centipede 2 initially received its rating from the Australian Classification Board. After the AG’s complaint its rating was reviewed and revoked by the Australian Classification Review Board which, despite the very similar name, is a different and totally independent group.
Sorry for the confusion – I’ve edited the piece to further clarify the difference.
I can’t think of any rational reason why someone would want to watch such a depraved and horrid movie. It can’t be justified as “art”.
That doesn’t mean that people who can justify this movie as art don’t exist. And those people, who are not depraved or sick individuals, nor do they condone violence or deviancy outside of fictional pieces, should have the right to see whatever movies they want to see.
I support classification as a device to make people aware of movie content & help them make educated decisions about movies. I do not support banning movies.
Before I only thought about seeing this film out of idle curiosity as to how it could top the first one… now I want to see it as an open act of defiance at the stupidity of banning a film. High Impact? I’ve sat through Irreversable and Antichrist on the same night back to back and laughed, bring this movie on and for crying out loud let adults pick what adults watch instead of a government body that wouldn’t watch the film in the first place. As long as all the violence is fake and no children are seen in a pornographic manner, there is no reason at all for this movie to be banned
It’s not my cup of tea, that’s all. I guess I should have taken a step back, but to me it’s not something I would want my kids to watch.
I made a decision, as an adult, to watch Cannibal Holocaust and A Serbian Film and tamer films like Irreversible, High Tension and Martyrs. Whilst some of these I would struggle to say I “enjoyed”, I thoroughly appreciate all of those as artistic works. I did not like the first Human Centipede. Mostly, I think, because the acting was so bad. In saying that, I had every intention of watching the sequel because, as an adult, I should have the right to do so. I cannot think of any reason why a FICTIONAL film could be refused classification – it defies logic. No matter, I will just be pirating the film now. Thanks Review Board for harming Australia’s industry once again.
I’m not going to watch it because I don’t see the need to support pushing the boundaries to see how sick we will go to allow a movie to be seen. It’s not about freedom of choice or art you have got to be kidding. Anyone who desires to watch these things how balanced are you mentally. If this sort of thing doesn’t offend you than you have a low tolerance of harm to others and that is a worry. Oh wait there is a personality disorder for that, that is why you have no remorse and think it is normal because you disengage too easily and are not affected that is why you crave more & more to get the next fix just like a drug your not functioning in a healthy manner.
Thank-You Government for nannying over me, protecting me and ensuring I don’t watch any films that I might find offensive.
I am an adult and can choose what movies I want to watch. We DO NOT need “classification boards” banning movies because some people think it is too offensive. Rate it R and put appropriate warnings on the DVD packaging and allow adults of this country to make their own decisions.
It should be my decision what I want to watch, not the Governments.