Hostel.

[fudgeflaps]

Watched this last night.

What do you guys think?

As a movie, fudgey's rating: 2/5.

However, it has 'food for thought ' value. On discussing the movie with my old man, it is not inconceivable that in the more lawless states of the Eastern Bloc, with their atrocious humanitarian records to date, and with the Russian Mafia quite prevalent, that this sort of thing.............could actually happen, and may have some form of realistic basis.

After all, the idea was inspired by similar (though nowhere near identical) events in Thailand.

What do you lot think?

[The Last Word]

The sad thing about Hostel is that there's some quite solid ideas behind it: the carnal fantasy flips over to show its nightmare side, the central trio being victims of clients wanting greater thrills like later versions of themselves etc

Unfortunately Eli Roth's terrible writing and the moronic characters scupper it all. The first hour is dreadful to sit through, then the latter half descends into generic escape-drama. Shame, as there was a much better film to be made from this.

The sequel has already bombed, btw.

[fudgeflaps]

Yeah, Eli Roth's writing was piss-poor. The whole homoerotic buddy-movie aspect of the characters, especially with the annoying Americanisms "........., dude" at the end of every second sentence of dialogue between the main protagonists, ruined it. Totally inappropriate to the setting: but most pleasure-seekers in Europe (Yankee backpackers, stag-do Brits) are. The locals would provbably happily set up a murder-for-profit business for us pillagers. !wink!

I watched the extras too, ie Eli Roth's 'Hostel: dissected', the behind the scenes stuff.

Although an intelligent enough chap, he struck me as an attention-seeking, immature egotist.

A more accomplished director and a bit of astute, savvy writing badly needed.

I am not being biased- but the whole concept may have been far more palatable with a few Brit backpackers as main characters. I could envisage Danny Boyle doing a great job with the concept.

My 2p.

[one eyed jack]

Cor you guys are just hardcore!. I have to admit seeing it on the big screen gave me heart palpitations and I wasnt sure it was a good film at first...In fact I thought it was quite horrible but now I really do like it. Its a skull fuck of a movie. Its dark, twisted and thoroughly horrible but not without a sense of humour.

The bad guy doctor actually lives in Prague and my mate met him walking his dog one day and the creepy thing was, that guy was exactly the same as he was in the movie...Though he was friendly and unassuming enough about his part.

[Ace]

check yer mail, Tel !wink!

[fudgeflaps]

For all it's brutality, yeah, I did recoil at times............. but I remained undisturbed and unshocked. There was a cetain ridiculousness which undermined what could have been great.

If it managed to shock me, i would have probably loved it.

Or maybe it was just the mood i was in at the time.

[Big Boss Man]

I did'nt care about the two lead American's. I did'nt care if they got killed. That was a major flaw in the story.

[one eyed jack]

Yes I can dig that Big Boss man...There wasnt anything that really made you like those guys. They took drugs, had a good time and ind of acted reckless that you probably felt they had it coming to them but I think the rude awakening that we all could identify with was the sudden rude awakening and sobering experience of " what the hell have I got myself into here" and the desperate fight for survival against all odds behind enemy lines.

I think this is some kind of redemption for the error of their ways why the movie was passed I think plus the fact he lost some fingers as penance for his sins of indulging in illegal substances and lady flesh. Its as if through hell...He saw the light and was forgiven his sins.

Or something less poetic to that effect.

Remember that movie Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel directed by Driller Killer man Abel Ferrara? That movie was only greenlighted because the studio behind it said he had to die at the end for being so fucked up throughout the movie.

Shit I hope I aint spoiled it for anyone.

[one eyed jack]

Saw Hostel 2 last night and for all its fucked -upedness...I have to admit I found it disturbingly interesting. I'll make sure I wont be staying in any Hostels in eastern europe thats for sure.

Some people are really sick. Why do they do it?...Because they can! Nice to see the bold bad guy bottling it ...Some interesting intelligent insights into human psychology in place in this movie and totally understand how it passed the BBFC.

Might be a bit of an assault on the senses for some I think...But I think thats at the core of the movie hence why I saw it on the big screen

[laralatex]

i thought this film was excellent. What disturbed me about it was :

1) Who thought of this concept? They must be really sick

2) If you think about it this could really be happening - The Americans don't call it the Hostel tho' they call it Guantanamo Bay