Finally I weigh in on Hostel. It was a tough fight that involved lots of viewings and listening to all four commentary tracks. I've also sat down and interviewed Roth on the press tour. My thoughts? Read on. I will say that the cast is fine. Barbera is a good lead. But they are only limited aspects of a film that wants to be more than it is. In the American filmscape that's essentially a good thing. Our horror films stink. But I don't think more sex and violence is the answer. Better filmmaking is, better writing is, and an awareness that horror works most intensely when it's in clear violation of what we insitnctually know to be right is. An unrated version of Hostel? More has now decidedly become less.
Completely agree with the sentiment that Eli is trying something beyond his talent. I also feel as if he was confused as to whether he wanted to do something subtle or overtly gory. With the opening shots of the cleaning of the torture rooms, you could sense that he was going for something a bit more restrained than, say, Cabin Fever, but by film's end, he went back to his old ways. Not to say it's bad in all cases, but he should have gone one way or the other for the whole of the film. You could get a feel for this in one of the torture scenes, I believe, when all of it is going offscreen with quick "aftermath" shots, but I mean, it ends with the Japanese woman's eye hanging out the entire time, indicative of the subtlety flying out the window.
Interesting view of the 'blood and breasts' paradigm. I had begun to think that the audience's general inability to connect the skin trade to the other 'skin trade' of the movie was a fault on Eli's part, but the view put forth is definitely true.
yes, roth is 'all mouth, no trousers' : a true 110% TURD of a movie.
I agree with...well...everyone. What a piece of shit this was.
"I believe Roth when he says he wants us to make the dehumanization connection between prostitution and torture for hire but I doubt many in the audience do." I thought the connection is what made the movie so brilliant. The nudity really did pay off for me.
I really liked the movie - which is why I'll go for the rated version.
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