32 Cuts Later, 'Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)' No Longer Banned In Britain

After all the buzz and controversy surrounding Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)'s "banned in Britain" status, director Tom Six and the British Board of Film Classification have finally reached an agreement that will allow the film to be screened in the UK after all. Six has made 32 cuts totaling two minutes and 37 seconds to his film, and the new version is apparently toned down enough that the BBFC has deemed it acceptable for viewers 18 and up. More details after the jump.

Which makes us wonder just what Six had to do to get the BBFC to reverse their decision. While I doubt that any amount of editing will make Human Centipede 2 feel safe or clean — this is a movie about a madman who attaches his victims ass-to-mouth in a chain — two minutes and 37 seconds is nothing to shrug at. According to the New York Times (via Movies.com), among the material that's been cut from the film are "scenes of sexual and sexualized violence, sadistic violence and humiliation, and a child presented in an abusive and violent context" — or, if you want to get more specific, the "graphic sight of a man's teeth being removed with a hammer; graphic sight of lips being stapled to naked buttocks," etc.

Of course, it's not as though U.K. fans who are really determined to see the gorier U.S. version won't get their chance, whether through pirated copies or foreign DVD releases. However, given that one of the biggest complaints viewers had about the first Human Centipede was that it wasn't nearly disgusting enough, it seems possible that the tamer edition of Human Centipede 2 could prove a similar disappointment for Brits who decide to catch the movie in theaters.

Eureka, the film's overseas distributor, reported (via Shock Till You Drop) that it was "really pleased" with the "very viable" new cut of the film. "Naturally we have a slight disappointment that we have had to make cuts, but we feel that the storyline has not been compromised and the level of horror has been sustained," said a rep from the company. Six has previously said that he'd be willing to make some cuts, so he's likely happy with the decision as well.

But there's at least one key player who's bound to be unhappy with this turn of events — star Laurence R. Harvey. When recently asked what his mother thought of the film, the actor had responded, "Well, I'm just glad that she can't see it. I'm glad that it's banned in the U.K.!"

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) hits U.S. theaters this weekend.