No matter how band British censorship seems to be - and it is awful - there are nations that make the UK look sensible and liberal. Australia, for one, where The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has just been banned.

Now, those of you who have followed this story might be confused - after all, didn't the film's defenders point out that it had been passed uncut in Australia while the BBFC were trying to prevent the UK release? Well, yes it had. But the Australian state censorship system - which also encompasses video games, books and magazines - allows for appeals against decisions, not just by distributors, but by anyone - a system some politicians have tried to introduce in Britain, for obvious reasons, as it gives any crank or pressure group a chance to try to roll back the censorship standards to the 1950s. It's also a good way for moralising politicians to flex their muscles and in Australia, that's exactly what is happening.

The film was passed uncut by the Australian Classification Board in May, but NSW Attorney General Greg Smith requested that the Classification Review Board look again at the film, a request supported by Minister for Justice Brendan O’Connor. A similar thing happened with A Serbian Film, originally passed with cuts but then banned outright back in July. No surprise that under such political pressure, the CRB folded. In a press release they state that a three member panel decided that “The Human Centipede II (full sequence) could not be accommodated within the R 18+ classification as the level of depictions of violence in the film has an impact which is very high. In addition, the film must be refused classification because it contains gratuitous, exploitative or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty which has a high impact.”

The film has just completed an Australian tour, but now won't be able to play further dates or appear on DVD. Meanwhile, the Australian Classification Board are once again made to look like idiots who don't know their job by three easily shocked people and a couple of jobbing politicians. Pathetic.