Trick or Treat Week: The Tortured VS The Human Centipede

Continuing with the Movie 411 Trick Or Treat Week, today’s post brings you a further two recent horror movies released on DVD,    The Tortured and The Human Centipede: First Sequence, both of which are complete torture porn, but which out of the two ranks as a Trick or a Treat?




The Tortured 2010

Jessie Metcalfe, Erika Christensen and Bill Moseley star in this all out torture horror from the producers of the popular franchise Saw which is directed by Robert Lieberman.

It centres around an upper middle-class couple, Craig and Elise (Metcalfe and Christensen), whose lives have been tragically turned upside down when their only child is kidnapped and brutally killed by Kozlowski (Moseley) an estranged child murderer.
After Kozlowski is captured by police and sentenced to 25 years, to which he could be out in ten, the grieving parents decide to kidnap Kozlowski and inflict their own personal life sentence on him, unbearable torture. Craig and Elise’s resolve and emotions are put to the extreme test of right and wrong with an outcome that will shock you to your very core.

Other cast include: Chelah Horsdal, Fulvio Cecere, Aaron Pearl and Kayden Kessler.
DVD EXTRAS: 10 minute featurette, and interviews with the cast explaining how they would torture someone who killed their child if they were in that situation. The same extras feature on BLU-RAY with an added extra boost to their DTS boost on their audio mix and that’s all.

The 411....

The producers of the Saw movies, Mark Burg and Oren Koules deliver to us what they do best, torture in the most graphic and stomach churning ways, but unfortunately that’s the only draw to this movie.
As horrifying as the torture is on someone who we initially think really deserves it for what they have done, and despite how good looking the main couple are, they are completely unbelievable in their roles and an unbelievable couple altogether. This is mainly due to the fact that their characters are hardly explored, and rather than character development it rushes in to what the audience expects, which are the torture scenes.

The movie does have good pace, but lazy in parts. It opens up with strong drama of the initial kidnapping which any parent could relate too, and picks up more pace when the torture treatment first takes place, however towards the end it gets sloppy in editing and script, and the couples dialogue can be quite laughable.

The Tortured might have had some saving grace if it wasn’t for the predictable shock ending that was poorly executed and leaving me ‘tutting’ like Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. That said, unfortunately this horror flick seems more of a cheap trick than a genuine treat this Halloween.





The Human Centipede: First Sequence 2010

Unlike the gore factor of The Tortured, the harrowing torture three poor victims experience in this Dutch horror flick goes for the complete shock factor.

Initially released for video on demand in the U.S and a limited theatrical release after gaining more of a buzz at several film festivals around the world including London Fright Fest, The Human Centipede finally saw a release in the UK this year and a wider release in the US.

The storyline follows two pretty but ditsy American girls who are on a road trip through Europe. In Germany, they end up alone at night with a broken car in the woods. They search for help and find an isolated villa. The next day, they awaken to find themselves trapped in a terrifying makeshift basement hospital along with a Japanese man. An older German man identifies himself as a retired surgeon specialized in separating Siamese twins. However, his three "patients" are not about to be separated but joined together in a horrific operation. He plans to be the first person to connect people via their gastric systems. By doing so, he plans to bring to life his sick lifetime fantasy, the human centipede.

Cast: Dieter Laser, Ashley C Williams, Ashlynn Yennie, Akihiro Kitamura, Andreas Leupold and Peter Blankenstein.
Directed By: Tom Six
DVD EXTRAS: Details on the films narrative. Deleted scenes, featurettes, commentary from Tom Six with interview which was the most interesting part of the bonus features.

The 411...

Although I fight with myself when calling The Human Centipede a treat for horror lovers this Halloween, it being the most horrific and disgusting film I have ever witnessed, I can’t say that without saying it has a well deserved place in shock horror history.

The concept and full nature of the story even had actors and actresses walking out when reading for the part, so its no wonder it was going to repulse many in the audience that have already viewed this picture. However the one main thing I have respect for this movie is that Director Tom Six having the balls to shock us in a conventional way with his horror vision and putting his name to what could have been a major fail.

The movie really isn’t for the faint hearted. Dr Heiter played brilliantly by German actor Dieter Laser, subjects his victims to the most despicable and sadistic torture that will without doubt make stomachs churn and turn heads away from the screen.
His obsession with creating a human centipede by joining three unlucky individuals via their gastric system, more bluntly ‘arse to mouth’, and treating the outcome of the procedure as his own personal pet is truly disturbing.

Six never holds back, and goes for all-out-puke-war showing us that even the new joined centipede has to relieve itself somehow, with the unfortunate conjoined middle and end persons being fed in a way you wouldn’t wish on any living thing.

The movie I feel could have been a little faster paced, and a little shorter. The characters of Lindsay, Jenny and Katsuro were all well acted considering it was Ashley C Williams, Ashlynn Yennie and Akihiro Kitamura first major roles and especially considering the movies subject matter. You might also be interested to know that the idea of this movie was 'inspired' by a coverstation between writers and director on what would be appropriate punishment for convicted pedophiles.

Overall Tom Six delivers us a shock fest of a movie, that will not be to everyone’s suiting, however if your looking for a DVD that’s will genuinely horrify you and your friends this Halloween then maybe your stomachs can handle The Human Centipede.

Have you seen these movies? What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.