The Human Centipede sequel banned from cinemas for being too horrible

The Human Centipede, the now infamous 2010 horror film in which a deranged sadistic scientist stitches kidnap victims together mouth to bum, was proudly touted as "the most horrific film ever made".

But now it seems its Dutch director, Tom Six, may have gone too far in the follow-up, because the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has denied The Human Centipede II an 18 certificate for fears it poses a "real risk" to cinemagoers.

The BBFC has said that there is unacceptable material throughout the sequel that no amount of cuts can remedy it for commercial release.

The first centipede was released uncut as an 18 rating allowing it to be shown in cinemas and eventually released on DVD. 

Released in April 2010, it was widely referenced online, with the trailer receiving more than 10
million views on YouTube. However, the film itself was a financial flop at the cinema, recouping
little more than a tenth of what it cost to make at the box office - though it did go on to fare strongly on DVD.

Fast forward twelve months and the BBFC has taken the unusual step of refusing outright to
classify the proposed straight-to-DVD sequel on the basis that it is "sexually violent and potentially obscene".

This means that it cannot be legally sold anywhere in the UK effectively banning the film from landing on these shores.

Whilst the first film was able to be released uncut, the BBFC concluded that the thrust of the film was the "sexual arousal of the central character at both the idea and the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture and murder of his naked victims".

It said: "There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than
objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central
character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience." Talking about their refusal to classify the
Centipede sequel they concluded that the film "poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers".

It's the first film to be banned in the UK since 2009's Grotesque and the filmmakers have six weeks
in which to appeal the decision.