OpEd: Cinema crossing the line

Mckenzie Morrell, Staff Writer-
“The Human Centipede (First Sequence)” is a 2010 Dutch horror film written and directed by Tom Six. For all of you who haven’t seen this twisted thriller, let me give you a quick synopsis. The movie tells the story of Dr. Heiter, a German native who kidnaps three tourists and joins them surgically, mouth to anus, forming what he calls a “human centipede.”

Now, many readers may be sickened by this concept, while others are curious about the movie and its actors. Well have I got a treat for you. I was fortunate enough to conduct an interview with one of the stars of the film, Ashley C. Williams, who plays Lindsay, and is often referred to as the “middlepede.” Why dubbed “middlepede,” you ask? Well, Williams’ character got put in the most agonizing position within the centipede structure, the center.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this movie, but Williams says she is happy to see people get so passionate about it.

“I really love it when people curse out the movie,” said Williams. “That’s what Tom Six wanted to get out of people, a reaction. So when people think we crossed the line, I think that is the best thing to say about this film.”

And a line is definitely what this movie crossed, and on purpose. As a movie lover, I can attest that there are so many horror films out there, some good, some bad, some without the guts to go that extra step and really shock the viewers. “The Human Centipede” has been compared to films such as “Saw,” “Hostel,” and “The Hills Have Eyes.” On some level, I think that society has become so desensitized by the media to the point that nothing seems to shock us anymore. But desensitization skipped this film. It pushes the limits by allowing the viewers to imagine what’s happening to these people mentally and physically to the point of completely grossing us out.

“The first scene in the movie [when] we see the Human Centipede for the first time is the same time we all had to get into that place,” Williams said about filming on all fours and being connected mouth to anus with her co-stars. “It was an awful feeling as an actress to put yourself in that position mentally and physically. What these people went through, the torture is just unbelievable.”

Williams said to rest easy, because she wasn’t really connected to her co-star’s backside.

“He had a fake butt and shorts over it with gauze and fake blood, so I was several inches from him biting down on a knob to make us look like we were attached,” said Williams.
Williams said the only part she remembers feeling weird about was that she was half naked.
“I remember feeling kind of vulnerable and exposed, so it was really hard at first,” she said. “But after a while, you just kind of forget about that part and just focus on the character and getting the hell out of that house.”
Are you all ready for a shocker? The Human Centipede procedure is 100% medically accurate.
“Tom Six created it with a real live renowned surgeon to make sure it could actually be done,” said Williams. “That is the scary part!”
Now, as a concerned citizen, I hope that none of the crazed THC fans decide to attempt this stunt in real life. Even though it’s possible, I feel like it was created to be an outrageous and unrealistic surgery that hopefully any sane doctor would never attempt.
Here is my spoiler alert: if you haven’t seen the film, stop here, watch it, then return for my prediction on the second movie. Yes, there will be a second movie later this year; a movie Tom Six said would make the first look like “My Little Pony.”

Williams could not confirm or deny whether or not she is in part two, but I have my theories on her character’s future. Here’s what I think: “The Human Centipede” continues despite a dead Dr. Heiter. It begins where the first movie ends. Someone finds Lindsay in the house connected to two dead corpses. She gets taken to the hospital and she gets fixed up, but undoubtedly is scarred both emotionally and physically. She is mentally unstable and therefore resides in a mental hospital for the time being, where she shares with the group her horrific experience and of course about the demented and torturous Dr. Heiter. Another patient, one who is a hundred times more mentally unstable than Lindsay, takes this story to heart, plots his escape from the institution and sets out to recreate and continue Dr. Heiter’s disgusting fetish.

Of course, that was just my colorful prediction on the future of “The Human Centipede.” There are so many things that could happen to Lindsay and future characters. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what Tom Six has in store for them as well as us. Until then, I would advise you to think twice about traveling internationally, wandering into the woods, knocking on a door of a crazy doctor who will drug you, tie you to a bed and sew you and your friends together!