Hostel Part II (2007)
Opening argument by Jeff
I like Eli Roth. Cabin Fever was promising and showed the fun, fast side of horror films that I enjoy so much. The "Thanksgiving" trailer on Grindhouse is a perfect example of what I like about Roth. He knows how to make horror fun again. The first Hostel had those qualities. Although the the movie's torture premise is as dark as it gets, the film was handled with a sense of excitement. It had what I like about good horror movies. Goofy youngsters embark on a sex party vacation and then get slaughtered in crazy ways. It worked for me. Now, on to part 2.
Hostel 2 took whatever was fun, over the top, and thrilling about the idea behind Hostel and did the opposite. I am glad Roth did not just re-do Hostel, but this sequel is unnecessary. The film's main objective is to show the perspective of the torturers that were relatively mysterious in the first film. The idea is that there is an underground society that kidnaps youngsters and sells them to the highest bidder to be tortured and killed. OK premise for one slasher, not two. Roth gets much more serious in this film and tries to convince his audience that this premise is really intriguing and powerful. It's not. It's a hook. It's nothing more than a simple idea to show some gore and that's fine with me. What is not fine is pretending that this idea is more than it is. There were moments in Hostel 2 where Roth did have fun. The soccer scene at the end was hilarious and I enjoyed a few of his stylistic choices. But, unlike the first, the film's victims--girls this time--were typical and boring. His focus on the murderer characters did not interest me. This film will only work if you totally buy into the premise. I don't want to take my horror movies seriously unless they deserve it. This story does not.
Roth has the ability to bring a lot to the horror movie genre and I am sure he will make more movies I will love. He has a good idea of how to make horror films exciting, but he took a step back with Hostel 2. The several moments of fun (mostly the last ten minutes of the film), made the film not a total waste, but a disappointment for me. Horror movie killers are usually much more interesting when they are left to be mysterious. Bad idea for a film. So, Tucker, bring on the debate.
Hostel 2 took whatever was fun, over the top, and thrilling about the idea behind Hostel and did the opposite. I am glad Roth did not just re-do Hostel, but this sequel is unnecessary. The film's main objective is to show the perspective of the torturers that were relatively mysterious in the first film. The idea is that there is an underground society that kidnaps youngsters and sells them to the highest bidder to be tortured and killed. OK premise for one slasher, not two. Roth gets much more serious in this film and tries to convince his audience that this premise is really intriguing and powerful. It's not. It's a hook. It's nothing more than a simple idea to show some gore and that's fine with me. What is not fine is pretending that this idea is more than it is. There were moments in Hostel 2 where Roth did have fun. The soccer scene at the end was hilarious and I enjoyed a few of his stylistic choices. But, unlike the first, the film's victims--girls this time--were typical and boring. His focus on the murderer characters did not interest me. This film will only work if you totally buy into the premise. I don't want to take my horror movies seriously unless they deserve it. This story does not.
Roth has the ability to bring a lot to the horror movie genre and I am sure he will make more movies I will love. He has a good idea of how to make horror films exciting, but he took a step back with Hostel 2. The several moments of fun (mostly the last ten minutes of the film), made the film not a total waste, but a disappointment for me. Horror movie killers are usually much more interesting when they are left to be mysterious. Bad idea for a film. So, Tucker, bring on the debate.
Rebuttal by Tucker
Hostel and its sequel Hostel part 2 are very much of their time. Just as horror films of the past have held a mirror up to society to show us all the ugliness that terrifies us about the world in which we live, so do theHostel films. The first film dealt with the fear we as Americans feel with regards to world travel post-Iraq. We are told that the rest of the world hates us and these mysterious lands are filled with people who want to kill us and writer/director Eli Roth exploits this very effectively. The victims of the first film are also not very sympathetic which I think worked for the film. These young men partake in all the sex and drugs they can buy. In this place where every vice is for sale they are quickly turned into the ultimate product when they are kidnapped and sold for murder and torture. Whether we are ugly Americans or not, that may be how the rest of the world sees us and that's what makes them sympathetic. This and the torture scenes reminiscent of Abu Ghraib make the first film an important one for the horror genre that should stand the test of time.
Hostel part 2 picks up where the first left off and is truly a second half to that film. This time a trio of girls are duped into coming to the Hostel and offered up to the highest bidder to be tortured and murdered. This is the typical horror movie half of the film but where the film really comes to life is when Roth examines the inner workings of the company providing this grisly service. We follow two American businessman through the process of purchasing and preparing to kill these girls. They are two models of American emasculation. Richard Burgi plays Todd as an over-macho, overzealous deal-maker while his partner Stuart is sympathetically portrayed by Roger Bart as a timid, apprehensive follower. What makes Stuart so scary is that he is likable and our first instinct is to ask why he's there in the first place. The obvious answer is that he is going along with his buddy, but that's too easy and not realistic. There is something at work in Stuart that is much more menacing than his friend's brio; something that has driven him to this extreme moment of violence.
And the violence is horrific. Roth knows what his audience wants and he delivers plenty of blood and guts as well as a nod to gore-hounds with a clever cameo from Ruggero Deodato directer of Cannibal Holocaust. Roth gives us all the horror movie staples. There's boobs, bush, peen, decapitations, nose-biting, cannibalism, castration, circular saw to the face, nub-chewing cat, penis-eating dog, head soccer, child killing, bloodbath, grotesque sound effects during scythe killing, and a scythe killing. All this and some social commentary for the nerds.
While the first Hostel may have worked better as a straight horror film the sequel puts us in the position of caring about a villain. Hostel played upon our fear of the other while Hostel part 2 exposes those fears as ourselves.
Hostel part 2 picks up where the first left off and is truly a second half to that film. This time a trio of girls are duped into coming to the Hostel and offered up to the highest bidder to be tortured and murdered. This is the typical horror movie half of the film but where the film really comes to life is when Roth examines the inner workings of the company providing this grisly service. We follow two American businessman through the process of purchasing and preparing to kill these girls. They are two models of American emasculation. Richard Burgi plays Todd as an over-macho, overzealous deal-maker while his partner Stuart is sympathetically portrayed by Roger Bart as a timid, apprehensive follower. What makes Stuart so scary is that he is likable and our first instinct is to ask why he's there in the first place. The obvious answer is that he is going along with his buddy, but that's too easy and not realistic. There is something at work in Stuart that is much more menacing than his friend's brio; something that has driven him to this extreme moment of violence.
And the violence is horrific. Roth knows what his audience wants and he delivers plenty of blood and guts as well as a nod to gore-hounds with a clever cameo from Ruggero Deodato directer of Cannibal Holocaust. Roth gives us all the horror movie staples. There's boobs, bush, peen, decapitations, nose-biting, cannibalism, castration, circular saw to the face, nub-chewing cat, penis-eating dog, head soccer, child killing, bloodbath, grotesque sound effects during scythe killing, and a scythe killing. All this and some social commentary for the nerds.
While the first Hostel may have worked better as a straight horror film the sequel puts us in the position of caring about a villain. Hostel played upon our fear of the other while Hostel part 2 exposes those fears as ourselves.
Grade: A-
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