I think reviewers have been too harsh with with their "Centipede" reviews. This isn't a great movie, but fans of creature features might enjoy it. This looks like a low budget Sy-Fy channel movie. Most of the monster effects are old-school. I thought it was fun. (not really smart or good) Some of the actors are better than others. And Margaret Cash looks cute in shorts. The centipede effects were OK for Sy-Fy standards. It looks like they used centipede models and props instead of cgi. The cave settings were well done. The story is OK. This is actually better than many of the other Sy-Fy channel movies. (many of them really suck). I found it on a cheap DVD. The quality of the print could have been better. The picture looks just a wee bit soft for a modern movie-I'm guessing no enhancement for 16x9 screens. It is also in standard rather than widescreen ratio. I don't know if it was originally filmed in widescreen or not. Fans of big budget movies should probably avoid this one. This one is for creature feature fans like myself. Thank you.
22 Reviews
I laughed, I cried, I snored
PeterGriffinLives18 January 2007
I can't help but wonder, did they attempt to base this thing on the centipede video game? Anyway...
The film centers around a group of friends who, to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of the group members, decide to go caving in a remote, extremely deep cave system. What could possibly go wrong?
This could actually have been cool. Those who know invertebrates realize that centipedes are powerful predators, and that a centipede the size of an anaconda would be terrifying, but bringing such a beast to life was just too much of a challenge for these filmmakers. From the beginning of the movie, they do whatever they can to hurt your suspension of disbelief. For example, this movie is supposed to be set in India, yet all of the Indian characters speak English...when talking to each other! I'm pretty certain that soldiers in the Indian army don't speak English when talking amongst themselves far from any Americans. In addition, the cave sets look fake and the centipedes themselves, when they are finally revealed, look like...well...puppets of some kind. It's not pretty.
"Centipede!" gains two stars because, first, it is so horrible it will make you laugh. Second, the actors are far better than you think from watching the movie. Think about it for a minute: would YOU be able to act scared, or even concerned, while being chased by a giant puppet?
The film centers around a group of friends who, to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of the group members, decide to go caving in a remote, extremely deep cave system. What could possibly go wrong?
This could actually have been cool. Those who know invertebrates realize that centipedes are powerful predators, and that a centipede the size of an anaconda would be terrifying, but bringing such a beast to life was just too much of a challenge for these filmmakers. From the beginning of the movie, they do whatever they can to hurt your suspension of disbelief. For example, this movie is supposed to be set in India, yet all of the Indian characters speak English...when talking to each other! I'm pretty certain that soldiers in the Indian army don't speak English when talking amongst themselves far from any Americans. In addition, the cave sets look fake and the centipedes themselves, when they are finally revealed, look like...well...puppets of some kind. It's not pretty.
"Centipede!" gains two stars because, first, it is so horrible it will make you laugh. Second, the actors are far better than you think from watching the movie. Think about it for a minute: would YOU be able to act scared, or even concerned, while being chased by a giant puppet?
If you like bug movies
Sollus6 November 2004
Well I can't honestly say this is a great movie, it might even be good if you're into Bug Monsters. This might have been made to honor all the giant bug movies from the 50's, but personally I thought the plot was thin, the premise was formulaic and the whole movie was a little contrived. Typical college kids vs. monster movie. Some bouncing babes, some male to male social conflicts, a legendary cave and a final party for a soon to be married buddy. Add plenty of extra people for fodder and away we go. I have to admit the Indian background characters are a good change. In the final tally, it's still an average SciFi channel small budget movie. Alright for a diversion, but I doubt if I'd rent it. So I give it a 4 out of 10.
This movie is so bad it should be banned
gray1937-129 November 2005
This is one of those flicks that is just inexcusably bad. There have been less than a handful of really good monster movies ("Alien", "Aracnaphobia" and "Tremors") in the last quarter century, so no one should expect SciFi Channel movies to be theater quality, particularly their "Creature Features". But at least their offerings should rank up there with Maynard G. Krebs' "The Monster That Devoured Cleveland." Unfortunately, "Centipede" is just rank.
One can usually forgive inept acting and low grade special effects. (I particularly liked the truck load of dynamite that caused a boffo fireball -- but didn't blow up the truck.) These things cost money. But how do you forgive scripts that attempt to create tension by having the protagonists do stupid things rather than by having the antagonist do evil things? Through the last half of the movie, these guys are continually chased by a "monster", so instead of running like hell they just as continually hang around until one by one they get caught. These characters are so inept that one wants to cheer for the monster, even if he does look like a latex hand puppet. Oh, it is a latex hand puppet! Personally, I kept hoping the bug would get them all because they all deserve (need) Darwin Awards. Unfortunately, three get away.
One can usually forgive inept acting and low grade special effects. (I particularly liked the truck load of dynamite that caused a boffo fireball -- but didn't blow up the truck.) These things cost money. But how do you forgive scripts that attempt to create tension by having the protagonists do stupid things rather than by having the antagonist do evil things? Through the last half of the movie, these guys are continually chased by a "monster", so instead of running like hell they just as continually hang around until one by one they get caught. These characters are so inept that one wants to cheer for the monster, even if he does look like a latex hand puppet. Oh, it is a latex hand puppet! Personally, I kept hoping the bug would get them all because they all deserve (need) Darwin Awards. Unfortunately, three get away.
Jesus wept...and so did I.
capn_crusty7 November 2004
I guess it's time all sci-fi/horror/fantasy fans rose up and seized control of the SF Channel. The current directorate is certainly doing such a lousy job that even a committee could do better. I mean, a long line of incredibly foul made-for-TV movies--of which 'Centipede!' is the latest--is NOT the reason I continue to pay 60-some-odd bucks a month for cable. I can hardly wait to see how SFC mangles 'The Wizard of Earthsea'; maybe Ursula K can be our new commissar.
Okay, okay, I should know better by now. In all my years of viewing these kind of flicks (damn near a half-century), I've resigned myself to the fact that most of the genre is not going to be 'Lord of the Rings', 'Star Wars' or 'Clockwork Orange'. But is that any excuse to not at least attempt the production values of moderately well-done mainstream movies? You don't need big bucks, just a measure of talent. None here, I'm afraid...or if there was, it was exceptionally well-hidden.
Take special effects; they had to be kidding. Were those sock puppets? I've seen more believable animation at a Punch and Judy show.
And plot? A bunch of kids celebrate one of their group's pending marriage by going caving in a really deep cavern system, and end up getting eaten by giant centipedes. Oh, yeah; and they got this device that tracks individual transponders ($129.95 at Radio Shack) that each one carries, so that when one of the kids gets noshed, the survivors can--SURPRISE!--actually track the monsters! Hoo-hah! With such clever originality, how could you ask for more?
Might as well forget character development, too. This is one of those rare movies where absolutely NO one is sympathetic. I wanted them all--even the native comic-relief, with his politically-incorrect 'funny Indian' accent--to DIE HORRIBLY. Unfortunately, they didn't--die horribly, that is.
They just died. And so did the flick.
I can say one good thing about 'Centipede!', though; it's over, and I'm not watching it any longer.
Okay, okay, I should know better by now. In all my years of viewing these kind of flicks (damn near a half-century), I've resigned myself to the fact that most of the genre is not going to be 'Lord of the Rings', 'Star Wars' or 'Clockwork Orange'. But is that any excuse to not at least attempt the production values of moderately well-done mainstream movies? You don't need big bucks, just a measure of talent. None here, I'm afraid...or if there was, it was exceptionally well-hidden.
Take special effects; they had to be kidding. Were those sock puppets? I've seen more believable animation at a Punch and Judy show.
And plot? A bunch of kids celebrate one of their group's pending marriage by going caving in a really deep cavern system, and end up getting eaten by giant centipedes. Oh, yeah; and they got this device that tracks individual transponders ($129.95 at Radio Shack) that each one carries, so that when one of the kids gets noshed, the survivors can--SURPRISE!--actually track the monsters! Hoo-hah! With such clever originality, how could you ask for more?
Might as well forget character development, too. This is one of those rare movies where absolutely NO one is sympathetic. I wanted them all--even the native comic-relief, with his politically-incorrect 'funny Indian' accent--to DIE HORRIBLY. Unfortunately, they didn't--die horribly, that is.
They just died. And so did the flick.
I can say one good thing about 'Centipede!', though; it's over, and I'm not watching it any longer.
Moronic Cavers Meet Clunky Monsters
Lechuguilla10 January 2006
A group of irritating young American dudes and babes explore a cavern in India. Our sexy adventurers don't know how to cave, but they sure know how to smirk.
I found none of the characters likable. But worse than that was the deplorable lack of the most basic caving knowledge, exemplified in the dialogue and the visuals. We're told the cave is three miles deep. In reality, the deepest known cave in the world is a little over one mile.
In the "depths" of this movie cave, most of the lighting comes from an unidentified background source, and resembles moon glow. The cavers never seem to notice it. In real caves, even at fairly shallow depths, except for light the cavers themselves bring in, absolute darkness prevails. In the movie, the vertical technique used by the cavers is all wrong. Further, their behavior inside the cave is juvenile and moronic. And I know of no cave wherein the passageways are conducive to ... sprinting.
For me, "Centipede!" did not evoke tension or suspense. There was just too much that was hokey. The inside of the cave looked like an indoor movie set. There was nothing about it that was awe inspiring or foreboding. The large centipede was less menacing than merely clunky. And the film's plot was unoriginal and predictable.
As for the acting, I thought the fake centipede did a better job than the actors. The film's dialogue was dreadful. And the Indian officials coming to the rescue lacked credibility. The one element of this film that did have credibility was the background music.
Overall, "Centipede!" is cheap looking and spurious, mostly as a result of a dreadful cast, a weak script, poor special effects, and an apparent lack of knowledge of caving basics.
I found none of the characters likable. But worse than that was the deplorable lack of the most basic caving knowledge, exemplified in the dialogue and the visuals. We're told the cave is three miles deep. In reality, the deepest known cave in the world is a little over one mile.
In the "depths" of this movie cave, most of the lighting comes from an unidentified background source, and resembles moon glow. The cavers never seem to notice it. In real caves, even at fairly shallow depths, except for light the cavers themselves bring in, absolute darkness prevails. In the movie, the vertical technique used by the cavers is all wrong. Further, their behavior inside the cave is juvenile and moronic. And I know of no cave wherein the passageways are conducive to ... sprinting.
For me, "Centipede!" did not evoke tension or suspense. There was just too much that was hokey. The inside of the cave looked like an indoor movie set. There was nothing about it that was awe inspiring or foreboding. The large centipede was less menacing than merely clunky. And the film's plot was unoriginal and predictable.
As for the acting, I thought the fake centipede did a better job than the actors. The film's dialogue was dreadful. And the Indian officials coming to the rescue lacked credibility. The one element of this film that did have credibility was the background music.
Overall, "Centipede!" is cheap looking and spurious, mostly as a result of a dreadful cast, a weak script, poor special effects, and an apparent lack of knowledge of caving basics.
A 120-Minute Train Wreck
ArcherAdam7 November 2004
I caught this movie really late at night on the Sci-Fi Channel - aka Insomniac Central - which seems to proudly own the rights to every bad movie ever made. If you think their daytime programming is awful, you should check out what they wait until after midnight to air.
Movies like this.
It was a 120-minute train wreck that I truly couldn't take my eyes off of. I have seriously been witness to one of the worst movies ever made, complete with a cast that, if they play their cards right, might one day graduate to bigger and better roles in amateur porn.
It's nothing you haven't seen before - typical giant bug of the day run amok due to irresponsible toxic waste dumping movie (complete with exclamation point) - only worse. It's an anachronism in a way - a throwback to those cheap giant bug creatures of the 50's. Only this one isn't played for camp.
It actually takes itself seriously.
There is, though, one reason to check this out during one of the 1,265 times that Sci-Fi will re-air it over the next 5 months: 'The Dance' scene must be witnessed to be believed.
Movies like this.
It was a 120-minute train wreck that I truly couldn't take my eyes off of. I have seriously been witness to one of the worst movies ever made, complete with a cast that, if they play their cards right, might one day graduate to bigger and better roles in amateur porn.
It's nothing you haven't seen before - typical giant bug of the day run amok due to irresponsible toxic waste dumping movie (complete with exclamation point) - only worse. It's an anachronism in a way - a throwback to those cheap giant bug creatures of the 50's. Only this one isn't played for camp.
It actually takes itself seriously.
There is, though, one reason to check this out during one of the 1,265 times that Sci-Fi will re-air it over the next 5 months: 'The Dance' scene must be witnessed to be believed.
Centi-Peed
cwoliver-127 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
OK, OK - I'm an idiot. I should have known that any movie requiring punctuation in its title (i.e. !) is of questionable quality.
It is clear that the writer, one Mr. Gregory Gieras, spent minutes upon minutes researching the means and methods used by cavers. This becomes apparent the moment the soon-to-be Purina Bug Chow enter the cave. Sara and David take a full 3 seconds to tie off their belay lines and then "jump" into the abyss - hardly a method one would expect of prudent cavers.
And the dialog was priceless. "Dirk, Sara, Owen, you guys go north. Jake, Zoe, and I will head south. Look for an up-shaft. Copy?" Copy? Copy?! Did he actually say, copy? Is David a wanna-be astronaut? What a hoot. But they did find a shaft . . . and the audience got it. The funniest part of the movie was the final scene when the caving "experts" turn out to be explosives "experts" as well. Caves and explosives - I wish they'd offered these classes at my school.
I just have to ask; Did the actors do their own climbing, or did the climbers do their own acting? It's hard to tell.
If you have an hour or two to kill you might consider watching this or you could do something really entertaining like conducting evolution experiments in your refrigerator.
It is clear that the writer, one Mr. Gregory Gieras, spent minutes upon minutes researching the means and methods used by cavers. This becomes apparent the moment the soon-to-be Purina Bug Chow enter the cave. Sara and David take a full 3 seconds to tie off their belay lines and then "jump" into the abyss - hardly a method one would expect of prudent cavers.
And the dialog was priceless. "Dirk, Sara, Owen, you guys go north. Jake, Zoe, and I will head south. Look for an up-shaft. Copy?" Copy? Copy?! Did he actually say, copy? Is David a wanna-be astronaut? What a hoot. But they did find a shaft . . . and the audience got it. The funniest part of the movie was the final scene when the caving "experts" turn out to be explosives "experts" as well. Caves and explosives - I wish they'd offered these classes at my school.
I just have to ask; Did the actors do their own climbing, or did the climbers do their own acting? It's hard to tell.
If you have an hour or two to kill you might consider watching this or you could do something really entertaining like conducting evolution experiments in your refrigerator.
Not realistic at all
shabashich25 January 2005
The movie is almost satisfactory, not too scary, but interesting. The rappelling and caving however is crap, the cave exploring that is shown in the movie is totally wrong. The gear, the techniques are absolutely unreal. Where did all the light in the cave come from? They are supposed to be 5 km deep in the cavern. There should be no light whatsoever, except for their flashlights. They didn't have any safety precautions, no spare batteries for headlamps. They didn't even have appropriate clothes. It is very cold in a cave so deep, about 5 Celcius or less, you need thermo suits, lots of food, fuel and other stuff. They were wearing t-shirts. An expedition into a deep cave lasts weeks not hours. They had enough rope maybe for 200 - 300 hundred meters. They didn't make any anchoring. You just can't hold a rope while somebody is descending, it has to be anchored. When one descends on a rappel he has to descend slowly and gradually. At the speed as shown in the movie you burn the rope, burn your fingers when you touch the metal parts of your gear. Don't try this at home boys and girls, you'll get killed.
Only one redeeming value: Margaret Cash
Stay_away_from_the_Metropol25 September 2020
The only reason this gets a 2 rather than a 1 is because supporting actress Margaret Cash is so absurdly gorgeous and this is the ONLY movie you can see her in. That aside, it has no other redeeming values and is legitimately one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life.
Centipede! The Musical!
ghoulieguru23 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When the title came up on the screen, it actually had an exclamation point after it... CENTIPEDE! Like a musical. Come to think of it, this movie might have been better if it had a couple of snappy musical numbers in it. It makes you wonder if they were going for that self-referencing Sci-Fi PG-13 funny/scary movie thing that Blue Devil, Monster Island and Bite Me! have captured so effectively. A bunch of spelunkers go to India to explore a creepy cave before one of them goes off to get married. Like a bachelor party in a cave or something like that. They are attacked by giant latex centipede puppets. The end.
Not much to recommend here, boils and ghouls, except for one truly bizarre moment. So, this Indian guide leads our heroes down into the cave, and they all decide to have a party while their in the bowels of the earth. We find out through some really unsubtle exposition that the soon-to-be-married guy used to have a thing with one of the other girls on the trip. There's supposed sexual tension between them as they try to ignore each other. I guess this girl was supposed to be sultry and sexy and mysterious. I thought she was kinda Plain Jane, but maybe the director was dating her or something. We'll call her CC (Casting Couch) for short, because I can't remember her character's name.
While they're all partying down in the caves, someone turns on a radio and some of them start dancing. Really awkward, watching all these actors trying to pretend like they are having fun. It's a cringe-fest. But then they all start looking at CC and chanting, "Do the dance. Do the dance." She coyly shakes her head. I was watching it thinking that this must be why they cast her, maybe she can do some freakish thing like wrap her legs around her head and dance like that. So this big build-up around the DANCE, and when she finally gets up and does it... it's like this White Girl Cabbage Patch thing that, quite literally, gave me a stabbing pain in my stomach. It was a NAPOLEON DYNAMITE moment. I watched her do the DANCE like five times in a row. It was crazy. I wanted to vomit. That's why I say maybe they should have kept the exclamation point at the end of the title and made this movie into some weird kind of horror/musical.
Not much to recommend here, boils and ghouls, except for one truly bizarre moment. So, this Indian guide leads our heroes down into the cave, and they all decide to have a party while their in the bowels of the earth. We find out through some really unsubtle exposition that the soon-to-be-married guy used to have a thing with one of the other girls on the trip. There's supposed sexual tension between them as they try to ignore each other. I guess this girl was supposed to be sultry and sexy and mysterious. I thought she was kinda Plain Jane, but maybe the director was dating her or something. We'll call her CC (Casting Couch) for short, because I can't remember her character's name.
While they're all partying down in the caves, someone turns on a radio and some of them start dancing. Really awkward, watching all these actors trying to pretend like they are having fun. It's a cringe-fest. But then they all start looking at CC and chanting, "Do the dance. Do the dance." She coyly shakes her head. I was watching it thinking that this must be why they cast her, maybe she can do some freakish thing like wrap her legs around her head and dance like that. So this big build-up around the DANCE, and when she finally gets up and does it... it's like this White Girl Cabbage Patch thing that, quite literally, gave me a stabbing pain in my stomach. It was a NAPOLEON DYNAMITE moment. I watched her do the DANCE like five times in a row. It was crazy. I wanted to vomit. That's why I say maybe they should have kept the exclamation point at the end of the title and made this movie into some weird kind of horror/musical.
Check this Film Out!
userray23051 November 2004
Centipede tells the story of a group of adventurers who find themselves trapped inside the Shankali Cavern with a giant centipede lurking and out to kill.
When the story begins, the main character, David, is about to marry and give up his adventurous lifestyle. But Jake, his childhood chum, talks him into one last caving expedition in the deep and treacherous Shankali Caverns. David and his trusty friends arrive in India, then enlist a local guide to take them into the underground caverns.
By campfire, the Guide offhandedly tells of the mysterious legend of the Shankali Cavern. Intrigued, the group wakes up early the following day and races to the cavern to begin the adventure. But danger lurks in the crevices close by: dark, horrible, grave danger!
This film has horrible, villainous creatures that will send chills up your spine! The characters are fresh, the settings are amazing, and the overall feel is outstandingly creepy.
Seriously, you've got to check this film out!
When the story begins, the main character, David, is about to marry and give up his adventurous lifestyle. But Jake, his childhood chum, talks him into one last caving expedition in the deep and treacherous Shankali Caverns. David and his trusty friends arrive in India, then enlist a local guide to take them into the underground caverns.
By campfire, the Guide offhandedly tells of the mysterious legend of the Shankali Cavern. Intrigued, the group wakes up early the following day and races to the cavern to begin the adventure. But danger lurks in the crevices close by: dark, horrible, grave danger!
This film has horrible, villainous creatures that will send chills up your spine! The characters are fresh, the settings are amazing, and the overall feel is outstandingly creepy.
Seriously, you've got to check this film out!
Oh cripes, it wasn't THAT bad!
gtc8318 November 2004
From the other reviews one would think this movie was noticeably worse than the usual Sci-Fi Channel fare. I don't think that's the case. This was pretty average for one of their movies. I'd say it was quite a bit better than Gargoyles or Raptor Island for instance.
A group of college kids go exploring a cave in India and are attacked by giant centipedes. Yes, the centipedes are pretty bad. If you're making a movie called Centipede! then you really need to spend at least SOME of the budget on the centipede. Maybe they could have even looked in a book and seen pictures of centipedes, and then made a cool animatronic model of a really wicked looking one. What we get looks more like a grub worm with caterpillar legs.
As far as the characters, I didn't think they were too bad. The lead female is very nice to look at, and she falls in the dirt a lot and gets her well-filled-out T-shirt very dirty, and then of course she falls in the water. The rest of the cast was fairly average, or even above average for one of these movies. I didn't find anyone especially unlikable, which is rare for a Sci-Fi Channel movie. They usually like to make the main character really obnoxious for some reason. There was actually an average amount of chemistry between the characters, and some interesting interactions.
The plot moved along okay. It progressed logically from point A to point B etc., and I thought it was interesting enough to sit through.
Overall, I'd say this was one of the better offerings from the Sci-Fi Channel. I wasn't cheering when the characters got killed like I usually am with their movies.
A group of college kids go exploring a cave in India and are attacked by giant centipedes. Yes, the centipedes are pretty bad. If you're making a movie called Centipede! then you really need to spend at least SOME of the budget on the centipede. Maybe they could have even looked in a book and seen pictures of centipedes, and then made a cool animatronic model of a really wicked looking one. What we get looks more like a grub worm with caterpillar legs.
As far as the characters, I didn't think they were too bad. The lead female is very nice to look at, and she falls in the dirt a lot and gets her well-filled-out T-shirt very dirty, and then of course she falls in the water. The rest of the cast was fairly average, or even above average for one of these movies. I didn't find anyone especially unlikable, which is rare for a Sci-Fi Channel movie. They usually like to make the main character really obnoxious for some reason. There was actually an average amount of chemistry between the characters, and some interesting interactions.
The plot moved along okay. It progressed logically from point A to point B etc., and I thought it was interesting enough to sit through.
Overall, I'd say this was one of the better offerings from the Sci-Fi Channel. I wasn't cheering when the characters got killed like I usually am with their movies.
don't believe this guy
heavymole8 September 2005
for some reason, the first comment on this movie that is posted is from this guy: Check this Film Out!, 1 November 2004 Author: Donald Murphy from Kansas who gives it like 10 stars and a plot synopsis. from what it looks like, he works for the DVD company that put this out and he is trying to get you to buy his product. do not trust this man. if your idea of a good movie is bad plot with bad acting, cliché characters and dialog, lame special effects, and bad everything else (this is what i look for in a movie), you will think this movie is okay. as far as bad movies go, it is pretty middle of the road. as far as good movies go, it does not even rate. i was mildly entertained by this movie, but i would not recommend it. no wait. get it. it is sweet!
A choice cheesy chunk of prime Grade Z horror creature feature schlock
Woodyanders8 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A group of friends who embark on a caving expedition in the Shankali Caverns in India run afoul of vicious and voracious giant mutant centipedes. Boy, does this gloriously ghastly celluloid refuse possess all the right wrong stuff to qualify as a real four-star stinkeroonie: Totally all-thumbs (mis)direction by Gregory Gieras (who also wrote the lousy straight-down-the-line predictable'n'preposterous script), pathetically unconvincing Styrofoam cave sets, annoying and unlikable characters who you want to see all die in the most brutal and gruesome manner imaginable, zero tension or creepy atmosphere, ineptly staged monster attack scenes, extremely obvious and ridiculous puppet beasts, laughable tin-eared dialogue ("Freaking rocks bit him, dude -- stalactites or something!"), a ludicrous premise that's treated with endearingly misguided seriousness, and a simply incredible explosive climax. The deliciously dreadful acting from a game, but lame no-name cast further enhances the considerable campy charm of this clunker, with especially abominable work from Larry Casey as virtuous dork David Stone, gorgeous brunette stunner Margaret Cash as sassy'n'sexy babe Sara (Cash more than compensates for her woeful lack of thespic skills by busting some mad hot moves during a sizzling dance set piece and looks mighty fine in her cut-off shirt and skimpy short shorts), Trevor Murphy as the easygoing Jake, George Foster as obnoxious hipster Dirk Doggett, Matthew Pohlson as cool fellow Owen, Danielle Kirlin as brash groovy chick Zoe, Steve Herd as insufferably whiny wimp Matt (who thankfully gets bumped off first), and Satish Sharma as jolly native guide Kafi. The dynamic score by Ajayan Vincent hits the heart-pounding rousing spot. A hilariously horrendous hoot and a half.
Not that bad Sci-Fi Channel film
slayrrr6661 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Centipede" is a rather creepy, if unremarkable Sci-Fi Channel film.
**SPOILERS**
For his bachelor party, David Stone, (Larry Casey) is sent by his best friend, Jake, (Trevor Murphy) along with his friends, couple Sara, (Margaret Cash) and Dirk Doggett, (George Foster) Owen, (Matthew Pohlson) Zoe, (Danielle Kirlin) and Matt, (Steve Herd) to a cave in India to go exploring. Arriving in the cave and venturing down to the very bottom, they find a place to hold the party. When an avalanche traps them below ground, they have to explore uncharted caves to find a way out. Along the way, they run into a prehistoric race of centipedes that continuously attack them one-by-one, and the race to get out alive gets even harder.
The Good News: Here's yet another creature feature from the Sci-Fi Channel, and there is some commendable efforts here. The cave-exploration angle is pretty rife with suspense, which this one does provide some nice examples. I've always been a sucker for these underground cave movies, so this was a pretty tense movie when it got going. Caves are just naturally built to be scary, with all the different possible rock formations, stalagmites and stalactites and other rock-centered scenery, and so this one resonated pretty strongly. This one makes excellent use of the surroundings, and then it has to mix the ambient sounds of the centipedes in as well, and that only makes the scenery even more scary. The attacks scenes inside the short caves are also very well handled, and make for some thrilling sequences. There was also some nice action sequences toward the end that bulk up the ending and make it a little more than usual for these kinds of films, and the empty waste dump scenes are the best. This time around, centipedes get their own film, and they do manage on one special case: they look pretty scary. The design is nice and creepy, playing up the insect-ian aspect of their heritage int an effectively creepy creature.
The Bad News: This is yet another ordinary Sci-Fi Channel Creature Feature, so more than likely it'll have a built-in hate audience. This is the perfect film for them to cite as an example of why their movies aren't supposed to be good. This one features all the clichés that people tend to harp on about the films: really obvious special effects, lame plotting, no real original ideas and a different creature in a different location than the one before. First, the effects are really obvious right from the start. Although the centipedes look creepy, they bounce around like obvious fakes, and are quite easily noticed as such. The plot is quite easy to spell out and it seems like a cliché of a bunch of similar movies welded together, only in a different location. There was only one smart idea that was pretty nice in the film: a sequence where a centipede ate a radio and the tracking signal from it gave the impression it was the owner of the radio. Otherwise, this was pretty routine fair. Even though it was spotted coming a mile away, it was nice to see. Plus, this is a pretty cheesy film that will definitely be attacked by others for it's acting and direction, that were far from impressive.
The Final Verdict: There is a lot wrong with this one, but as a Sci-Fi Channel original Creature Feature, this was pretty much expected. It isn't in the top half of their films, but it will likely appeal to those that enjoy their films and those that are pretty much claustrophobic. Those will be the real fans of this one.
Rated R: Violence, Graphic Language, and ritual drug use
**SPOILERS**
For his bachelor party, David Stone, (Larry Casey) is sent by his best friend, Jake, (Trevor Murphy) along with his friends, couple Sara, (Margaret Cash) and Dirk Doggett, (George Foster) Owen, (Matthew Pohlson) Zoe, (Danielle Kirlin) and Matt, (Steve Herd) to a cave in India to go exploring. Arriving in the cave and venturing down to the very bottom, they find a place to hold the party. When an avalanche traps them below ground, they have to explore uncharted caves to find a way out. Along the way, they run into a prehistoric race of centipedes that continuously attack them one-by-one, and the race to get out alive gets even harder.
The Good News: Here's yet another creature feature from the Sci-Fi Channel, and there is some commendable efforts here. The cave-exploration angle is pretty rife with suspense, which this one does provide some nice examples. I've always been a sucker for these underground cave movies, so this was a pretty tense movie when it got going. Caves are just naturally built to be scary, with all the different possible rock formations, stalagmites and stalactites and other rock-centered scenery, and so this one resonated pretty strongly. This one makes excellent use of the surroundings, and then it has to mix the ambient sounds of the centipedes in as well, and that only makes the scenery even more scary. The attacks scenes inside the short caves are also very well handled, and make for some thrilling sequences. There was also some nice action sequences toward the end that bulk up the ending and make it a little more than usual for these kinds of films, and the empty waste dump scenes are the best. This time around, centipedes get their own film, and they do manage on one special case: they look pretty scary. The design is nice and creepy, playing up the insect-ian aspect of their heritage int an effectively creepy creature.
The Bad News: This is yet another ordinary Sci-Fi Channel Creature Feature, so more than likely it'll have a built-in hate audience. This is the perfect film for them to cite as an example of why their movies aren't supposed to be good. This one features all the clichés that people tend to harp on about the films: really obvious special effects, lame plotting, no real original ideas and a different creature in a different location than the one before. First, the effects are really obvious right from the start. Although the centipedes look creepy, they bounce around like obvious fakes, and are quite easily noticed as such. The plot is quite easy to spell out and it seems like a cliché of a bunch of similar movies welded together, only in a different location. There was only one smart idea that was pretty nice in the film: a sequence where a centipede ate a radio and the tracking signal from it gave the impression it was the owner of the radio. Otherwise, this was pretty routine fair. Even though it was spotted coming a mile away, it was nice to see. Plus, this is a pretty cheesy film that will definitely be attacked by others for it's acting and direction, that were far from impressive.
The Final Verdict: There is a lot wrong with this one, but as a Sci-Fi Channel original Creature Feature, this was pretty much expected. It isn't in the top half of their films, but it will likely appeal to those that enjoy their films and those that are pretty much claustrophobic. Those will be the real fans of this one.
Rated R: Violence, Graphic Language, and ritual drug use
Bad...bad...bad.
geovoice18 November 2004
I've seen many monster films over the years, but this doesn't even qualify as a monster film to me...because the "monsters" look more like bad hand puppets than anything else. I guess it would work if the cast didn't seem so wooden, and the premise, although moderately interesting, just doesn't work to well for me. I think the funniest thing about this film, in my honest opinion, is that this is a "horror" film made in India; I just hope this doesn't set the tone for any other films from that country...
Don't waste any money...
Oh, and SCIFI channel REALLY needs to get better filler, too...
Don't waste any money...
Oh, and SCIFI channel REALLY needs to get better filler, too...
Cheesy bad fun!
onosideboard17 December 2007
I always have a bit of a dilemma when rating a movie like this. Do I rate it based on the actual quality of the movie, or the amount of fun I had watching it? Suffice to say, I went with the latter option on this one.
If you're a fan of "so bad it's good," this movie is for you. It is fast-paced enough, has enough characters, and enough bad dialogue to hold your attention rather than just being boring.
Production value is slightly below that of the average Sci-Fi channel movie. The CGI effects are terrible. I think the casting director (probably the same person as the writer and director) would have ended up with better acting had he just randomly cast the parts from people on the street. In my opinion, the best performance was put in by the guy who's character was brain-damaged by a bad acid trip.
Add to that a preposterous premise, an invincible bug-monster, and a lot of unlikeable characters for fodder, and you've got a rockin'' good time with a six-pack and some friends.
My only complaint: not enough blood.
If you're a fan of "so bad it's good," this movie is for you. It is fast-paced enough, has enough characters, and enough bad dialogue to hold your attention rather than just being boring.
Production value is slightly below that of the average Sci-Fi channel movie. The CGI effects are terrible. I think the casting director (probably the same person as the writer and director) would have ended up with better acting had he just randomly cast the parts from people on the street. In my opinion, the best performance was put in by the guy who's character was brain-damaged by a bad acid trip.
Add to that a preposterous premise, an invincible bug-monster, and a lot of unlikeable characters for fodder, and you've got a rockin'' good time with a six-pack and some friends.
My only complaint: not enough blood.
Not the first Centipede Movie,just the worst.
michaeldukey200017 December 2007
The sole purpose for making this film in India must have been the cheap labor because most of the film is shot on fakey cave interiors and the exterior shots are no more exotic than Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. Too bad they didn't make it in Hong Kong at least they could have gotten some of the folks who worked on the Shaw Borthers old 1982 shock and schlocker Centipede Horror to show them how it was done. In that film they actually use real centipedes and it's as gross as Hell. In this film they use old school puppetry and while I'm sick and tired of crappy cartoony CGI monsters this foam latex critter can't even pass the Roger Corman level of New World Pictures monsters. Hell it can't even entertain as much as the no budget ping pong and hotdog monsters from The Horror Of Party Beach. The best thing you can say about it is that some of the actors are trying hard and that it's nowhere as awful as anything I've seen from Asylum pictures who gave us I AM Omega, Beast Of Bray Road,Transmorphers and Snakes On A Train.
Dukey
Dukey
There is one! thing Nice...
gt32529 November 2004
The One and ONLY! good thing about this movie is the actress who played Sara, Margaret Cash She is Just plain HOT! A body that just Kills.I didn't want to reiterate everyone else's sentiments but just say that mine are exactly the same this movie sucked! All the way around.The Sci-Fi channel better get there act together and start making some changes in the programming, Every Saturday night the Movies just keep getting worse. I could see a bad campy movie once in a while but this is getting horrific. Take Gargoyle for instance now that wasn't too too bad but compared to Centipede! it was LOTR 4!Now don't get me wrong that was still bad just not as bad.
Cardboard monster attacks
Dr. Gore10 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*
If there's one thing the world needs more of, it's killer centipede movies. In fact, I think "Centipede" is the first killer centipede movie ever made. I have seen all kinds of giant animals rampage on unsuspecting fools. Lions, bears, sharks, eels, rats, hogs, dogs, have all attacked humans at some point. So I was filled with great joy when I saw "Centipede" sitting on the shelf. I had to rent it immediately.
Well, like most B-movies, the concept is great but the movie is lacking. The centipede did not fill me with dread. It looked like a cardboard beast with some spray paint. At no point did I even remotely believe that the centipede was alive and attacking people. I understand the concept of suspension of disbelief but come on.
Another problem was the lack of lighting. Even if I wanted to see the cardboard monster, I couldn't make him out because a lot of the movie was shot in the dark. The characters are stuck in a cave in India with an angry centipede. The beast likes to strike in the dark. He's shy around cameras. The buddies try to out run the monster while the Indian police plan to blow it up. Plenty of cardboard monster attacks follow.
"Centipede" is too cheap and too cheesy. It's also PG-13 so that should give you an idea on the violence level or lack thereof. The ex-girlfriend was hot and can really stretch her legs but other than that there's nothing much here to recommend.
If there's one thing the world needs more of, it's killer centipede movies. In fact, I think "Centipede" is the first killer centipede movie ever made. I have seen all kinds of giant animals rampage on unsuspecting fools. Lions, bears, sharks, eels, rats, hogs, dogs, have all attacked humans at some point. So I was filled with great joy when I saw "Centipede" sitting on the shelf. I had to rent it immediately.
Well, like most B-movies, the concept is great but the movie is lacking. The centipede did not fill me with dread. It looked like a cardboard beast with some spray paint. At no point did I even remotely believe that the centipede was alive and attacking people. I understand the concept of suspension of disbelief but come on.
Another problem was the lack of lighting. Even if I wanted to see the cardboard monster, I couldn't make him out because a lot of the movie was shot in the dark. The characters are stuck in a cave in India with an angry centipede. The beast likes to strike in the dark. He's shy around cameras. The buddies try to out run the monster while the Indian police plan to blow it up. Plenty of cardboard monster attacks follow.
"Centipede" is too cheap and too cheesy. It's also PG-13 so that should give you an idea on the violence level or lack thereof. The ex-girlfriend was hot and can really stretch her legs but other than that there's nothing much here to recommend.
I thought I'd seen 'em all...
Hackintosh7 November 2004
This was on the Sci-fi channel, on a Saturday night (11/7/04), at 9 p.m. What a waste of prime-time real estate. I'd thought they had dusted off and aired just about every horribly movie ever made, but this one was a new one to me. It was so terrible that any negative adjective would adequately describe this mess. Do not watch it, don't rent it, email Sci-fi channel for even airing it, and consider yourself lucky if you missed it. Possibly the worst character development, acting, dialogue, and plot devices ever used on an audience. I can't even compare it to another movie because it was so dreadful. Trust me that I'm being nice because of the IMDb filters with certain words. It was like a car wreck that you just can't take your eyes off of; which I should have, but I wanted to be able to say that at least I saw it in full.
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