The Human Centipede

My daughter is 12 and the poor child has inherited from me, my penchant for all things gothicky. She sent me a youtube clip for a film called The Human Centipede.



Now I try to keep an open mind but I think you have to draw the line somewhere. A film about humans that a sewn together from mouth to anus to form a human centipede is distateful (no pun intended). In fact, it is a major gag factor (no pun intended again).

I ask why? Why would you make this a subject for a film? Now I vaguely remember a 1970's film called SSSSSS about a young man who is turned into a snake by a mad scientist. As a seven year old, I was horrified. But I can stomach a snake. I'm not sure I can stomach The Human Centipede.

Let the right one in

Occasionally a text comes along that truly captures what the Gothic is about. What makes the Gothic Gothic, is it's ability to make the reader feel uneasy ... to place the reader in a ambivalent position ... morally and psychologically.

Lindqvist's novel, Let the right one in, does just that. What an excellent story. There's a film version as well. I thoroughly recommend both.