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The hallowed tradition of the post-college European backpacking trip turns into an unimaginable nightmare for two unsuspecting American 20-somethings in Eli Roth's (CABIN FEVER) sensational second outing. Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson) have embarked upon a hedonistic tour of the continent, and somewhere along the way they picked up an Icelandic lunk named Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson). In Amsterdam the trio partakes of the pastimes most dear to frat boys everywhere: weed, prostitutes, and nightclubs. But when a fellow traveler tells these thrill-seekers about the decadent scene that awaits them in Bratislava, they find themselves unable to resist its lures; enticed by the promise of a hostel full of beautiful girls who love Americans, they set out for the remote areas of Eastern Europe. There, the sex farce to which the film's first half is devoted slowly turns ominous, as the boys hook up immediately with the gorgeous Natalya (Barbara Nedeljakova) and Svetlana (Jana Kaderabkova), whose eagerness masks more sinister intentions.Soon, the disagreeable backpackers find themselves on the other side of the flesh trade, sold by the girls into an exclusive human trafficking operation that gives its customers the opportunity to torture and kill a helpless victim. Much of what follows consists of the squirm-inducing surgical horrors that characterize precursors such as SAW, with the implications regarding the capitalist system and the human soul becoming ever darker. Produced by Quentin Tarantino, the film amps up the gore factor as much as it can get away with, and, in the tradition of the best horror films, offers a satirical socially conscious commentary.
Realistic gore to the max is what this film is-the beginning reminded me of soft porn to catch the average teens' eyes and keep men interested-almost dull and the acting wasn't up to par. What landed these 3 young males into this pickle was going to a foreign land with the intention of picking up any females that would go for their ideas and then got drugged, kidnapped and tortured in the second half of the movie. It was so extreme, I got weak in the stomach at times and felt my heart racing a few times wanting to get those poor guys out of there!! It was too much like Nazi-Germany torture horrific stories you might have heard about years ago...too real and just too scary for anyone younger than twenty one or in my case, forty!
As if "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" & other films like it, too numerous to name, aren't enough to keep you from traveling in the USA, along comes Hostel which will keep you from traveling in Europe! What's left?
Hostel is a tale of a group of 3 misguided lads traveling through Europe who are suckered into going to a certain eastern European town by an odd man on a train. The town seems cool enough, but people soon begin to disappear around them & soon the lead character's friends come up missing as well. He investigates to find that there is a group which caters to the most vilest instincts of it's ultra rich clientele. He, his friends & other young people are being sold off as guinea pigs to be tortured & killed by these ruthless people.
Hostel is incredibly slow moving at first. the whole first half of the film is very boring actually as we are only given vague snippets as to what is happening. Gore is not a problem though & we are treated to some of the most gruesome sequences ever portrayed! It seems to be what this film is all about; a vague mystery supplanted by gore & horror as we are treated to people's basest instincts! It's hard to really call this a great horror movie, but it is certainly different & somewhat entertaining once it gets going.Read full review
Two adventurous American college buddies, Paxton and Josh, backpack through Europe eager to make quintessentially hazy travel memories with new friend Oli, an Icelander they've met along the way. Paxton and Josh are eventually lured by a fellow traveler to what's described as a nirvana for American backpackers--a particular hostel in an out-of-the-way Slovakian town stocked with Eastern European women as desperate as they are gorgeous. The two friends arrive and soon easily pair off with exotic beauties Natalya and Svetlana. In fact, too easily. Initially distracted by the good time they're having, the two Americans quickly find themselves trapped in an increasingly sinister situation that they will discover is as wide and as deep as the darkest, sickest recess of human nature itself--if they survive.
Why? Who sat back and said to themselves you know what a pornographic film is missing, it’s missing some sadomasochistic torture. Because that’s what Hostel is, it’s half porn and half the sickest most depraved ideas that can be splattered on the big screen masquerading as a film. The movie is utter and complete garbage, it hasn’t a single redeeming value and those who try to say that between all the bloodshed and gore that the movie tells a story are fooling themselves. Much like those in the movie who pay to torture another human being you yourself are like a voyeur into this world delighting in the brutality and the desensitizing of modern society. The characters in the movie did what the Nazi’s did to the Jews as they reveled in the torture and the death of others, yet if this movie was about Nazi’s torturing Jews rather than yuppies torturing tourists you would have been sickened to your very soul. Movies should have a purpose it can be nearly anything as long as they know they are movies. A movie could be purely for entertainment ala the popcorn film. It could be the emotional love story that is overly sappy and clichéd hence the chick flick. It can be political like Syriana need I say more. But when movies like Hostel come out that have no purpose other than to sicken and just simply go so far beyond what anyone else has ever done before at that point I must cry foul. Why don't we stop take a step back and admit that we have seen everything we could ever possibly see and instead focus on what we want to see. I don’t want to see people die gruesomely, I’d rather see love, I’d rather see mystery, I’d rather laugh and be happy then take a voyeuristic look into a world that I would never ever want to be apart of.
Near the end of this movie when Paxton finally takes some vengeance on the men who would commit such brutality you find yourself almost insanely cheering for him. It has nothing to do with Jay Hernandez performance as an actor nor does it have anything to do with the directing of Eli Roth or even the story itself, the reason you find yourself cheering so blindingly for him is that because the men he is about to kill our monsters. We have all heard stories of monsters as we have been tucked in for bed of ogres, giants and even goblins but the proprietors of this Hostel are true monsters. Their depravity is so far beyond anything that you could ever imagine that you cheer for and root for Paxton to eradicate them from the very earth. What does that say about the movie that it portrays such horror and sickness that you find yourself rooting for murder and death in a violent manner.
Words truly fail me on how much I disliked thiRead full review
I have to say I was anxoius to get this movie, due to the fact I was looking forward to a good scare, but the result was basic disappointment.
Apparently the director name sells nowadays and this is no exception, as I found nothing interesting for the first half of the movie, and nothing that scary in the second half.
It started to reflect the old style 1970's "slash & gash" movies for a little while ... too much meaningless nudity and drugs in the beginning had me thinking we had a winner here.
But, all the movies lately seem to be shooting only for "shock factor" with a pale storyline ... now, I do have to say I did love the storyline itself, and it could have been really twisted up ... anyone who has even gotten lost while out of their hometown could have associated their anxieties & fears with this story.
The film is too rushed, the gore was good, but not to the level I think the audiences want, and the ending was good, but it was a bit on the odd side ... I guess I just missed the point maybe, but it seems there are others who did feel the same way I did.
WHEN IS HOLLYWOOD GOING TO PUT OUT A REAL HORROR MOVIE ... KEEP THE SCRIPT AWAY FROM SHYAMALAN AND TARANTINO AND FOR GOD'S SAKE SOMEONE CALL GEORGE ROMERO OR WES CRAVEN AND LET THEM GO WILD WITH NO EDITING ... I'M SURE THEY CAN MOVE AN AUDIENCE OUT OF THEIR SEATS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS !!!Read full review
It wasn't the scariest movie that I've seen, nor the bloodiest and the amount of nudity was surprising. But the idea and plot behind the movie were both clever, so I didn't feel cheated by Tarentino. For those of you who don't know, a hostel is basically a cheap European hotel. Most college kids that vacation during the summer months are very familiar with them. 3 students miss curfew and get locked out. A supposed new friend takes them in for the night and tells of a little known hostel where a harem of gorgeous women will satisfy their every whim. To good to be true, of course, all three are tricked into a world of sadistic, roll-playing torturers and killers who pay top dollar to have their way with unsuspecting victims. I wouldn't suggest the film to granny, but definitely a young adult, "sign of the times" film.Read full review