Julie Walker

5 star review of the film!

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option...2604&Itemid=99

Seantn

The guy who gave it 5 stars also says this about the first movie:

"The original “Hostel” blew my ass out the back of the theatre with its engaging story, and extreme brutal horror"


Now, I enjoyed the first one, but it wasn't THAT great. I hate when people over-state things like that. With comedies, when people say "I laughed my ass of, funniest fucking movie ever!", it generally builds the movie up in my mind to expectations that simply can't be met. I really should stop reading reviews all together. I don't let them influence what I see, but sometimes it can build up anticipation that is just unfair to the film itself. My friend hated the first "Hostel" simply because he said he was expecting the most brutal movie ever. Why? Because Eli Roth was saying during production that it was one of the most violent, brutal films ever. Was it? Um, no. Not even close. In fact, the first movie is not that violent if you really pay attention to it. It seems a bit more violent than it really is because everything seems so dirty (the rooms,etc..) but the movie isn't that violent (and when it is, some stuff looks fake, like the eye.)

AdamComic2

I was not totally impressed with HOSTEL when I first saw it, but it has really grown on me in retrospect. Honestly, though, I don't know how confortable I am with watching women being tortured (not comfortable with men being tortured, either, for that matter).

Ronnie Dobbs

i went to a free screening last night. it was too over the top for me. i like horror in my horror movies, someone just getting killed isn't really horror to me its just someone being killed.

Gunde

Why does it matter? Some people do - end of story. If you don't, then move along.

And I'd never call Hostel a horror movie. It was just a splatter flick.

GreenVulture

Am I the only one here who thought the eyeball scene was meant to be funny? It was so over the top, and the situation the poor Asian girl found herself in was so absurd, that lots of people in the theater were laughing, which I thought was the intention.

And now for my long-winded but spoiler-free review of Hostel: Part II:

I also saw the workprint of Hostel: Part II and wasn't that big on it. For me, the majority of the original's "entertainment" (though that's not really the right word) came from the fact that the viewer was more or less forced to root for Hernandez's character--a major asshole who is surrounded by hundreds of years of culture, history and architecture but nonetheless decides to treat it like one giant frat party--only because he is a relatively decent person compared to the rest of the movie's characters. It was a welcome, satirical jab at the "Ugly American" stereotype. Additionally, as I mentioned up above, Hostel had a stream of black comedy and absurdity running throughout, which helped alleviate some of the more disturbing moments. And, while the idea of a "murder vacation" is quite unsettling, like the movie or not, you have to admit it's a killer concept.

But in Hostel 2, the novelty of the concept is gone, so Roth has to do some new things to sustain interest. But in all honesty, he doesn't, and essentially remakes the first movie, with a few minor changes. While at least one of the characters is aware of her surroundings and all three leads resemble decent, normal college kids, they're are all fairly bland and don't really do anything to stand out performance-wise. As much as I hated the trio of guys in the first, at least they had personalities; no such luck here.

But the biggest flaws are the fact that the sequel loses virtually all of the original's mordant sense of humor, which is what made it stand out from Hostel's main competition, the Saw films; well, that, plus decent acting and not relying on stupid twists that even M. Night Shaymalan would reject as strictly amateur hour. Since Hostel 2 takes itself quite seriously, the movie just feels like another Lion's Gate mediocrity, and the violence now just has this nasty, exploitative edge to it, with the only humor coming from references to the first film.

The other major flaw is the pacing; it honestly felt like significant chunks of the movie were missing. I appreciate Roth keeping his works lean and mean (this one clocks in at about 94 mins. w/ credits), especially in an era when almost ALL movies could stand to be trimmed, but this really could have used a bit more footage, especially in the beginning.

So in the end, Hostel 2 is a disappointment. Roth's trademark throughout his efforts--Cabin Fever, Hostel, the "Thanksgiving" trailer--is to infuse them with such an odd and dark sense of humor, and moments that are so over the top, that the audience laughs (perhaps nervously) while being grossed out the same time. That's gone in this movie, and it does feel like something from the directors of the Saw flicks or any of the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre's. Here's to hoping Hostel 3 has a bit more thought put into it; the whole thing really does have a rushed feel to it, from the writing to the editing.

And for the gorehounds: perhaps because the victims this time are women, the violence/torture is even more sparse than it was in the original, though that's not to say you won't get your money's worth; it's just not doled out as much as the original.

Jackskeleton

Don't believe the hype. That five star reviewer is full of shit. I agree with the post above mine. The first was a better film. The second is just really not even as interesting as the first one and lacks all the character of the first.

Corvin

Because I think it's important to take a critical look at our culture; it says a lot about who we are as a people. But hey, that's just me, sometimes I like to question things and try to figure out an answer.

Seantn

Just so you know, any humor coming from the scenes in Hostel 1 was not intentional on Eli Roth's part. He stated that he wanted to start the film off lightly and once it got dark, it didn't let up at all until the end credits.

RichC2

How could his homage to Suicide Club not be hillarious.

Seantn

Beats me, ask Eli Roth!

GreenVulture

Seriously? He failed spectacularly then if he intended Hostel to be a serious, heart-pounding ride. But it was the good kind of failure.

chanster

Just saw a clip from wwtdd.com and the wow. what a piece of unmitigated trash. i really can't believe this movie is getting a wide release...

Yavin

I like gory movies and all, but I think I'll stay away from Hostel 2 all the same. Seems a bit much.

Hmmm, I wonder what they'll add on the Unrated dvd ...

Seantn

Honestly, after watching that clip, I'm not interested in seeing the film. That seems like over-kill (no pun intended). I love horror movies, and have no problem with violence, but as long as the movie it is in is entertaining. The stuff i've seen from the film so far doesn't show me anything entertaining, and then having that clip top it all off, well...I just don't see any point. I'll see it eventually on DVD, i'm sure.

Gunde

It really doesn't. Don't go judging me 'cause I like different stuff than you. Besides this stuff has always been around - in all cultures.

Corvin

You're right. Our culture says nothing about who we are as a people.

All irony aside, I think you're right--"this stuff" has always been around. The gladiators, public executions, all that fun stuff.

...okay, maybe I'm still being slightly ironic.

In any seriousness (seriously), I don't think you're a bad person for liking this stuff. But I do think it's worth asking why people find these types of films entertaining. It ultimately comes down to this: people watch realistic depictions of people suffering, and that suffering brings pleasure. On some level, that doesn't bother you?

Julie Walker

I'm not going to let reviews of the workprint diminish my interest in the film. Since from what I've read. It is missing some scenes that are in the final cut. And it's a workprint. So of course the pacing and everything will be pretty shitty. All films are pretty crappy in workprint form and can't be enjoyed on the same level as a completed film.

I saw the workprint of Return of the Living Dead and it sucks in that form. It's nice to see the deleted scenes. But it's not a 'fun' way to view the movie. Since it's so rough and incomplete. It's more of something to 'study' and see what was taken out and how the theatrical cut was fine tuned from this footage to make an entertaining flick.

DthRdrX

The problem I had with the workprint is not the violence, but I felt a severe lack of creativity given what happened in the first movie. This film is basically the first Hostel with three women instead of the three men. Past that, I didn't find the actual "torture scenes" to be anything great or even pushing the envelope, and what happens during the ending happened in a B movie I saw on Cinemax back in the day ....

dsa_shea

Doesn't Jay Rodriguez (sp?) return in this one?

project86

Yes

dsa_shea

That's pointless.

Mondo Kane

Have you seen Friday The 13th Part 2?

Original Desmond

i also just saw the workprint. There are two versions of the workprint floating around. The second one has the time coding blurred out instead. Honestly after a while i didn't even notice the blurring out.

Now onto the film. Hostel 2 suffers greatly from sequel syndrome. A lot more than other horror film sequels. YOu know whats coming, there is no suprise in that at all which just leaves the death set pieces as the X factor. Now maybe i am mega jaded because i've probably seen every video nasty under the sun from all around the world including many Japanese shock horrors, so the deaths were neither anything special or shocking to me but maybe to a more mainstream movie goer, they would be, i dunno.

Add in the fact that there was LESS nudity than the first film and you have not too much of a reason to go see it. I'd wait for the unrated dvd.

Seantn

The film really can't win in that area. So many people complained about too much nudity in the first one, saying that it might as well have been a porno. And then when he doesn't put enough of it in the sequel, people will complain.