I re watched Tusk with my mother a few nights ago and she loved it and in our motherly/daughter post movie discussion we got all hyped about which situation would be worse, being transformed into a Walrus by a psycho or being segmented into the human centipede by well.. a psycho..
Here goes!
The Concept
A premier surgeon has a secret fetish, he wants to build a centipede, not just any centipede; a creature that is made up of segments that share the same intestinal tract. Nothing strange about that huh. After hooking up his three dogs he then decides to try it on humans after the dog’s death. Now in slight contrast Howard How just wants to re create a Walrus buddy after having to kill and eat his beloved Mr. Tusk, and in an insane attempt to let his buddy live again. So he lures unsuspecting peeps to his home and deconstructs them into his Walrus buddy.
I don’t really know to rate this, I suppose the more demented the higher the score? Christ this is already doing my head in already. okay lemme think. I’m going to be soft on Tusk this time around, after all Mr How just wants to re create his buddy, and Dr psycho is just a dirty perve.
Tusk 0-1 Human Centipede
The Capture
Dr Heiter has a lot of medical considerations to take into consideration when picking up his segments, but he’s pretty humane while out and about he uses darts to knock out and capture a truck driver and uses date rape (kept in the kitchen drawer) on the two young woman who accidentally end up knocking on his door. Mr Howe is more like an angler fish, he leaves his lure in the toilet, and fishes for companions. The initial captures in Human Centipede were varied but they were either darted or roofied, the scene was quite icky with vomit and all sorts going on. Tusk’s approach was a gentler, basically Wallace was knocked out with some medicated tea, things didn’t get violent until afterwards.
Gotta give Heiter a point for the top drawer date rape.
Tusk 0-2 Human Centipede
The Process
Human Centipede had quite an involved process, it was fully researched by Tom Six who has justified that the operation is viable!? (has anyone tested it?), Cutting the knees, pulling the teeth and attaching the mouths and asses and hey presto a centipede. Tusk does upgrade this process of transformation, by not only physically molding Wallace into a walrus, but he conditions him mentally.. Both operations were both extremely painful, but the lasting effects of Tusk go on much longer, the ending is pretty tragic and Wallace remains as walrus and mentally abandons his human persona and life. I think that even if there were survivors in Human Centipede, there is a chance of recovery, due to lack of mental conditioning?!?
Tusk 1-2 Human Centipede
The Rescue
There were two very different rescue attempts in these films. Tusk had an additional character introduced to help with the tracking and rescue of Wallace, and that happened to be Johnny Depp. The ass trio had to rescue themselves despite some interferences from the German police, but they get roofied and killed, but do accidently kill the Doctor. Both equally strange but at least Wallace got rescued.
Tusk 2-2 Human Centipede
The Psycho
Right what next.. the actual psycho involved. It’s unfair to call them psychotic, after all they are just a couple of guys who are just out for some company… but It’s fair to say that both men are quite fucked up, but we only really know about the history of Howe, but it does come from him as a story, and with his strange lying behaviour I do wonder how much truth was in his story. But either way he’s a pretty twisted fuck. On the other hand we have Dr Heiter, who has to be one of the most unusual freaks ever to grace the screen. I don’t think Tom Six could have picked a more appropriate actor for this role. This history we gleam from his disturbing movie is that Dr Heiter is a talented Surgeon who specialised in separating siamese twins, but secretly has urges to bind people together.
Despite the medical knowledge that both psycho’s possess, despite Heiter possibly being the better character, I feel that Howe went a little step further with his conditioning, a deeper back story and therefore wins the round.
Tusk 3-2 Human Centipede
The Reversal?
One aspect which has to be brought up is the chance of recovery from such a procedure. We know that everyone dies in the first movie, and then ultimately it’s made out to just be a movie then the centipede becomes real in Human Centipede 2! The segments of the creature all die. I guess it would be plausible that someone could be unchained and survive, kinda. Skin and teeth can be replaced, I dunno if your knees would ever work again, but a certain level of normality could return after extensive operations and therapy. On the other hand The ending of Tusk is a chilling reminder that even when a horror movie has a happy ending there are sometimes repercussions that cannot be “fixed”. It ends with Wallace in his walrus form being visited by his best friend and girlfriend, even after being rescued he’s still physically and mentally in the form of a Walrus.
I don’t know which one gains a point here, I suppose the aim is to have your own personal Centipede or Walrus forever so longevity wins??
Tusk 4-2 Human Centipede
The grossness
This is the strangest thing ever, both movies are quite disturbing but neither show a level of gross as something like Salo – 120 Days of Sodom (1975) but the Human Centipede concept is interstella on the gross scale (not actually shown but the concept is urgh), where as the implications of the Walrus suit is uncomfortable but really there isn’t a major gross level it’s scary as fuck though, don’t get me wrong here I’m not saying either are desirable but being strapped to an arse is just that one step beyond being suited as a sea dog.
Tusk 4-3 Human Centipede
The Films
I like to keep this section short but in all fairness I prefered Human Centipede to Tusk, it seems that a lot of people were mystified by the butt strapping than the animal love. Both films have a lot to offer and I think they both need to be seen and they are successful enough to each be part of a trilogy so there is potential here. I don’t know if Tusk would have happened if Human Centipede didn’t come out first? Both films are quite oddball but I think the comedy elements in Tusk helped to cushion the blow a little whereas Human Centipede really let rip and didn’t hold back on the bizarre level.
Tusk 4-4 Human Centipede
Bonus round – the kinksters that actually like this!?
I know i said earlier that neither of these films depicted anything that was all that desirable BUT I had to go that extra step further and my sister will understand me here as I have to research these things and broadcast them, graphically. So are there any kinksters out there who would find any of these situations desirable.. and the answer is yes, there are tons of poo and body waste fetishist out there, and people who like to dress up as animals and furries so who knows maybe your uncle likes to dress up as a walrus at the weekend. Taking it one step further my research shows that the Tusk scenario is more desireable/popular than Human Centipede… the things I do for this blog…..
Tusk 5-4 Human Centipede
We have a winner…. TUSK!!!
Oh that was a fun analysis… two very great movies here and while I was pitting them against each other I have to say that both of them are wonderful and thoroughly disturbing and enjoyable. So please don’t lay down any butt hurt on me for this.
Human Centipede – Review
Tusk – Review
Admit One Film Addict 