There is nothing new here. Even a most a basic knowledge of 70's exploitation cinema will show you that 'torture', horror and sex have been a bedrock of cult cinema.
This is simply a return to such attitudes on a more mainstream stage. Only the modern films tend to have very little of the heart, quirkiness or that pure exploitation asthetic...They tend to be very empty and too self concious of their sub-genre.
But it's nice to see harder horror and general exploitation making a comeback.
I don't get the hype of Hostel. People calling it sick and twisted entertainment for sadistic freaks obviously haven't seen it. The "torture" scenes were few and not in depth at all. The goriest thing you ever see is a woman's eyeball sticking out, then getting cut off (gross, yes, but the film itself did not live up to it's controversy). In fact, most of the film was the main character trying to get laid, running from goons, or kicking their asses.
Re: Torture Porn in lieu of Hostel 2
Originally posted by olanternYes, and it's so sexy...especially after they stop breathing...
Curious to know peoples thoughts on the odd path that horror films have stumbled upon via Hostel 2 and Captivity. Personally, I'd pay to see Elisha Cuthbert read the phone book. But is there an audience for this?