I saw "Hostel" again this morning, along with Roth/Tarantino commentary, and it's a little better the 2nd time around.
The way I see it now is like this. The characters are absolutely despicable, and purposely so. The brothel in Amsterdam is part of the culture, and ended up being an easy way to get the whole sex and nudity aspect of traditional horror movies out of the way. I think it was a little too gratuitous, personally, and what Roth got away with in an R rated movie was amazing. After about 30 minutes, after the one night stands are all said and done, it picks up and gets tense. Merging into the 3rd act, it just gets nuts. Nothing is sacred, no holds barred kind of shit...just brutal.
It was a good premise, a well rounded story with a big snap, it was just that I just now realized that the characters are made to be hated, so that when Jay Hernandez exacts his revenge, you're rooting for him to ruin Amsterdam.
So, in a nutshell, I did like it more the second time around, but not sure that it's worth owning, but it was DEFINATELY better, and more mature and original than "Cabin Fever".
The only good thing I got out of this movie was the gore, and the suspense leading to the gore. And that was only sometimes. When the girl got her face burned, they showed it a little too long and it became just another makeup job in my eyes.
And the way it cut away just when we were going to see something brutal I didn't like. How the editing stayed this way in the unrated version is lame.
I didn't buy into the whole gang of twelve year-olds. They were unnecessary, cheesy, and they made it hard to take the movie seriously after each of their scenes.
And the last guy's ordeal was just too convenient. [SPOILER - highlight to read]: The guy that was torturing him just happened to slip on his blood and saw his leg off. Then while driving away, the kids happen to be there to stop the people chasing him. Then while driving, he just happens to find the two hookers. It must be a small town.
Registered: Nov 2003
Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
This is without a doubt one of the best gorefest films I've seen lately! Hostel and the remake of Hills Have Eyes are my picks for best horror films so far....full review coming soon.
(Why the *BEEP* did I pick that pool of shit flick Date Movie over Hostel...WTF is wrong with me?)
This movie doesnt even deserve the Horror forum. It had potential but it took ages until we really got some piece of some action. The only decent thing it had was the prosthetics, but you dont build movies around prosthetics.
Another thing that pisses me off is Eli Roth's lack of confidence. In Cabin Fever he asked Peter Jackson to help him out. Now in this one he asked Tarantino. Its unfair to see the DVD or the movie poster at the theatre with those names on it, simply to generate revenue and then be regaled with that bullshit.
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Deferrals get you nowhere - Just Do It.........Or Ineptitude will consume your life like a Cancer
Registered: Nov 2005
Location: The Land of Bernie Sanders
man, I didn't go to see Hostel for Quentin Tarontino. If I wanted to look at his work, I'd watch Pulp Fiction. I went to see Hostel to see and damn horror movie.
Registered: Nov 2003
Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
To begin this review let me address some of the homage (or at least I saw them as a tribute) of different horror films. The chainsaw scene in which the guy get his leg cut off is quite evident it was inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original) Then there is the scene with the japanese girl eye getting cut. This is truly a homeage to Lucio Fulci! I'm sure if he was alive today he would have love it! Then of course the gang of children which reminded me of Children of the Corn. Quite good I must say.
The film is basically a depiction of our brutal and violent nature. There seems to be a hint of our own brutal human desire to inflict pain onto others. Except the film illustrates and focus exclusively for those who can afforded (rich sadistic mentally disturb folks). The film doesn't really goes into depth as to the reasons but gives a basic explanation as to why these people do it.....they're just sick.
Hostel begins with a simple story of three guys traveling in Europe looking to get some action. They just want to get laid. Their own desire to find sexual ecstasy travels them to a city in which there is a huge chance for them to obtain that sexual experience they're trying to find. They finally get it but at what price? Their own lives.
The film switches from sexual depraved to cruel and evil torment. Anyone who claims that they would suck up and toughen the tortures is BS themselves. Heck, if I was caught in such a scenerio I would be screaming like a little biatch. The tortures scenes were disturbing (but then again all torture is disturbing) and gore. This is the highlight of the film. The gore factor was very good.
The film then switches from torture to revenge (yes! I'm loving it) This is where the film does justice to the story. When the police can't help you and when you're trap in a place no one can help you....all reason is thrown out the window. You gotta fight to survive at any cost.
Hostel is indeed a brutal, cruel, violent, and savage film. The story may seen minimal. The gore maybe too much. The characters are well acted. But for me the film totally deliver a suspenseful and disturbing emotional state of mind. Worth every penny buying the DVD.
Jan 25th, 2006 11:18 PM
Tell Alison I'm sorry. Now that you're gay, I assume you've retracted Prince's phone number from the Minneapolis white pages.
never watching it again ..
