Hostel (DVD, 2006, Unrated Edition)

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 thi

I watched Hostel last night and loved it - my only expectations going in were that it was an Eli Roth production and that means gore and twists. Hostel is an interesting look into what wealthy, twisted individuals are willing to do. The movie has two halves - the first is the set up (backpacking across Europe) and the second is the actual horror within the Hostel. I don't want to spoil the movie - so I won't reveal anything other than that the last 30 minutes are brutally exciting and very well produced / conceptualized.

Cast: Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson, Jan Vlasak, Jay Hernandez, Lenka Vlasakova, Shane Daly

This is a good movie if you want to see people getting tortured. For this type of movie, suprisingly, there is actually a story behind it all. Director Eli Roth is known to make gruesome films just like this one. Known for his movies like Deathproof and Grindhouse, for their bloody scenes and violent scenes that will make you get the disgusted, but yet will keep you comming back for more. This movie did so well on it's release that there was a second part that came out in 2007. The movie includes no popular actors, but yet an oustanding screenplay and performance by everyone.

Three backpackers head for a Slovakian city that promises to make their every dream come true. Prostitution is legal, women are everywhere, everything costs cheap and there is a party every day and all night long. Tough, they have no idea of the hell that awaits them, and how much pain can they take.

** Interesting movie of it's kind. A very good watch for gruesome fans.

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Gruesome, Vicious, Beautiful not for the feint of heart

This movie will have you squirming in terror from beginning to end.

Eli Roth, yes... the same man who brought us the absolute classic Cabin Fever (sarcasm) redeems himself with this instant classic.

Along the lines of Saw I and II on gore level, this movie is completely different from anything I've ever seen. The truly scary thing about Hostel is that it's based on real events. Not people being kidnapped to be killed, but people (mainly females) being held against there will to work in various unflattering trades (drugs, prostitution, etc...)

The movie itself offers a great lesson to all people young and old to be careful who you trust while travelling abroad.

Final Verdict:

5/5

Rent or Buy?: If you can handle the gore this movie is a definite buy. I've seen mixed reviews for this movie, so unless you're a true horror fan, you might want to rent this one before you buy it.

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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.