Leave Hostel Alone!!!

[poopontheshoes7]

I really dont understand all the hate Hostel has been receiving. What was really so bloody horrible about it?

Dont worry, Im not going to try and act like my opinion is the right one, I just want to know why Hostel has so much hate. Here are some complaints I've heard so far.

"Eli Roth seems like a complete prick. He's an imature asshole!"
How the fuck does that make his movies bad? I actually agree that he does seem like a pompous ass in his interviews and what not, but the guy IS a good director IMO. The directing is hostel was very simple, steady and fluid. He knows how to work a camera without using flashy tricks. The directing is very old school.

"The story sucked! The characters were imature and stupid! That just shows how shitty a film maker Roth is!"
Well, His arrogance may come off in his writing, but come on!! Are you telling me 3 MALE COLLEGE kids in AMSTERDAM wouldnt act like that? Talk like that? If anything those three guys are some of the most realistic teens or VERY young adults portrayed in a horror film in a long time. Walk around any high school in America, and try to find asshole kids who dont act like that.

Another thing, Horror fans were bitching, bitching, bitching about how horror didnt have any balls left. How its just PG-13, J-horror fare without the old school horror vibe that includes gore and nudity. Rememeber that horror fans? Remember how you yearned for hardcore horror with a punch? I do, it wasnt to long ago. I recall people asking for the a little gore here and there, and maybe some nudity to go along with it. Then here comes Hostel along with a few others to deliver what you guys asked for in spades, and what do you do? Fucking hate it! No, it wasnt as gory as it was made out to be, but it wasnt dry as a bone by any means.

The film also had a good, interesting story and managed to set up a good little mystery along the way.

Once again, if you hate it, fine by me, not trying to act like an elitist who's opinion is gold, but I just want to understand why Hostel has so much hate.

[Korny]

I don't "hate" hostel, but i felt it was a huge let down for me.

I just didn't find it interesting enough, and it had a kind of 'seen this done before' vibe to it. Add to that i didn't care about any of the characters and the screenplay was slightly immature and sloppy at times to me.

[JackassFan]

I liked Hostel.

[bob]

Well, you either buy into the film's atmosphere or you don't, and if you don't, it's gonna look like 45 minutes of bad porn followed by 45 minutes of good torture porn.

Personally, I liked it, but I can't blame people for being turned off by it.

[Shockwave]

I didnt hate it, but it didnt really like it either.

[slasherfan]

I loved Hostel, but I can understand how someone wouldn't, it's not for everybody.

[poopontheshoes7]

I know it's not for everyone, Im not saying it is. I'm just simply a little mystified about how many horror fans hate this movie with a passion.

I bet if Hostel was made in the 80's it would be a damn classic of the genre.

[stickmangrit]

as much as i hate to say it, it really didn't do a whole lot. the gore really wasn't that horrific, the characters were all a bit one dimensional, and realistic or not, out of the two likable members of the trio, one got his chest dissected and the other ended up a mounted head. the guy we got stuck rooting for was the king asshole of the crew, which made the horror a bit hard to invest in. however, he wasn't unlikable enough to hate and cheer his death(see Final Destination 3 for a fucking brilliant execution of this premise), and there was no defining interest for the killers to make up for the bland hero(see Saw III for how to accomplish the latter, in addition to far better gore and torture). it was just really meh. and whenever you get people cheering and raving about mediocrity, you're going to earn the ire of the hardcore fanbase(see Boondock Saints for further examples thereof).

[ElderPredator]

It was an extreme let-down for me as the first half of the film is nothing but these guys getting stoned and screwing chicks and that bores the hell out of me. By the second half, I was begging for someone to come along and start torturing these guys.

The horror aspect of the film did very little for me because I didn't feel sorry for the characters. They were stupid throughout the entire movie and I just couldn't stand it. I was very hyped for this movie but I was totally shot down.

[ElderPredator]

Originally posted by bob
Well, you either buy into the film's atmosphere or you don't, and if you don't, it's gonna look like 45 minutes of bad porn followed by 45 minutes of good torture porn.

You know what bob, you nailed it right on the head for me. That's exactly why I can't stand this movie.

[sirdizzy]

why should we leave hostel alone, why should we let film makers get a free do not go to jail card for making such utter shit

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 this movie, if you could give a negative score to a movie as far as ratings go I would. Garbage beyond garbage, god how I miss you Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant oh bogey where have you gone. Where are movies that have stories that were good, has society truly reached such depravity that we glorify ourselves in watching people being brutally massacred? Hug someone you love, enjoy a good book, take a nice long hot bath but whatever you do avoid this movie at all costs.

[Backstabba]

Hostel was a major dissapointment to me. I didn't hate the movie, but I didn't love it like I expected.

I agree, the direction was VERY nice. In my opinion, he's a great director, but I think he honestly needs some help on his screenwriting. It spent too much time getting to the Hostel (IMO) and that time went by VERY quickly. Plus, he's as subtle as a fan man in a chicken outfit.

"Hey, dude, did I ever tell you I like, saw a girl die once?"

Nice, Roth.

Great idea, great direction, crappy writing. (Again, just my opinion.)

[poopontheshoes7]

Jeeeeez sirdizzy, didnt know I was fooling myself so badly. forgive me while I wash the filth from my body and pray for forgivness for liking such filth.

[sAtAn666]

It's dull and idiotic. The amount of flaws in the script is almost hilarious though, if quite staggering. It's the worst horror film since...well...Cabin Fever :rolleyes:

[poopontheshoes7]

Please explain yourself. What kind of flaws?

[stickmangrit]

Originally posted by poopontheshoes7
Please explain yourself. What kind of flaws?

as was said earlier, these characters simply weren't likable. they were the typical dumbass teenagers who got in over their heads. and unlike, say, a Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street, these dipwads brought thi entirely upon their own heads. they were looking to get fucked up and well-laid in mass quantities, and paid the price for thinking they could have their cake and eat it too. all of the sympathetic characters(Oli, the latently homosexual kid, and the asian girl) all get killed, leaving only Jay Hernandez, who led them all headfirst into this crap to begin with. when you have bland, unidentifiable villains, bland uninteresting heroes, and a slow, dawdling plot filled with half softcore porn and half softcore torture porn, the end result is just a bland mess.

[sirdizzy]

I have never seen anyone defend the movie that actually liked it. Maybe you should wash the filth from your body. I presented a case for the reasons I didn't like it, yet all I have seen you do is whine about how people are picking on it. You have yet to give a reason why it's any good.

[ElderPredator]

I'm glad that other people liked it as it may be their taste but I have to honestly say that it's one of the worst horror movies I've ever seen. I thought the torture scenes weren't half as gruesome as they were made to look in the trailers. I was laughing while watching them. I know that sounds a little sick but this movie has nothing on SAW! ;)

But as I said before, I'm glad that other people liked it and I wouldn't try to make them think otherwise. It's their opinion.

[poopontheshoes7]

I liked it for the GREAT, yes, GREAT directing. like I said before, the directing was fluid, simple and did not depend on shaky cam tricks and quick editing like alot of recent horror films do coughsawcough.
The story managed to slowly pull me in with its well ploted mystery.

Yes I thought the plot was very smart for the fact that places like that can very likely exist and people really would pay to do shit like that to people. And what better people to do it to then dumb college kids looking for fun in Europe? Very easy to take advantage of imo.

Stickmangrit, you are absolutely right. The dumbasses did bring it all onto themselves. Thats the whole point of the movie. There own stupidity and naive nature led to their downfall. Thats the whole point of the story!! Isnt it what thats like in every single Friday the 13th film?
I agree Paxton was an asshole in the beginning but I warmed up to him when the shit started to hit the fan. He was determined to find his friend and wound up biting off more than he could chew.

To each his own.

[thedudeman69]

I thought the direction was good, but the writing creeped me the fuck out.

[LordSimen]

Hostel is one of my new favorites of the genre.

[jaw2929]

Originally posted by slasherfan
I loved Hostel, but I can understand how someone wouldn't, it's not for everybody.

Exactly... I loved the movie, thought it brought everything that modern horror has been missing, the nudity/gore/violence and sick/uncomfortable atmosphere... I'm looking forward to Part 2! :)

[Crazy Dud]

Originally posted by poopontheshoes7
I liked it for the GREAT, yes, GREAT directing. like I said before, the directing was fluid, simple and did not depend on shaky cam tricks and quick editing like alot of recent horror films do coughsawcough.
The story managed to slowly pull me in with its well ploted mystery.

Yes I thought the plot was very smart for the fact that places like that can very likely exist and people really would pay to do shit like that to people. And what better people to do it to then dumb college kids looking for fun in Europe? Very easy to take advantage of imo.

Stickmangrit, you are absolutely right. The dumbasses did bring it all onto themselves. Thats the whole point of the movie. There own stupidity and naive nature led to their downfall. Thats the whole point of the story!! Isnt it what thats like in every single Friday the 13th film?
I agree Paxton was an asshole in the beginning but I warmed up to him when the shit started to hit the fan. He was determined to find his friend and wound up biting off more than he could chew.

To each his own.

This is actually the best defense of the movie I have yet to see, but I'm afraid I have to (mostly) agree with sirdizzy. What positive reasons can one have for desiring this type of entertainment. People complain that horror needs more violence, gore, and T & A, but why? Really. Ask yourself why.

BTW, I'm not trying to pass any judgments here. I genuinely want to know what attracts many of you fellow schmoes to these films. I have liked many gory horror films, myself . . . just not the torture films, so I think it's helpful that we all ask ourselves what attracts us to them.

[poopontheshoes7]

What attracts me to these films and horror films in general is because horror movies show that life isnt all puppys and posicles. Horrible, disgusting, depraved, evil things happen to people everyday. Thats how life is.

Horror films show the side of human nature that other movies are afraid to show.

[The Postmaster General]

Since when has 'moronic characters' been a valid criticism against a horror film? I get what the OP was saying by comparing it to an 80s horror flick.

[sirdizzy]

You don't need gore, or blood, or T & A, to make a good horror film and I wish more directors realized this.

Using all that gore and visual depravity is just a poor excuse for a good imagination. Its poor directing as you couldn't find away to tell the story without resorting to sledge hammering the violence through scene after scene of pure disgust.

Take Pyscho, considered one of the best Horror movies ever, not one ounce of blood, not one scene of depravity and gruesome gore is shown in the film. It takes more talent to scare and audience, thrill and audience without resorting to the cheap tactics of sensationalism and shock value.

Good directing my ass, the directing seen in Hostel by Eli Roth is the some of the worst directing in all Hollywood, as it lacks imagination, as it lacks the skill to do something without resorting to the cheap tactic of disgusting your audience.

Look at the Shining another fantastic horror movie, very little blood and gore,

To call what Eli Roth does as good directing is an insult to real directors like Hitchcock and Kubrick who did it without cheap tricks and tactics.

[LordSimen]

Originally posted by sirdizzy
You don't need gore, or blood, or T & A, to make a good horror film and I wish more directors realized this.

Using all that gore and visual depravity is just a poor excuse for a good imagination. Its poor directing as you couldn't find away to tell the story without resorting to sledge hammering the violence through scene after scene of pure disgust.

Take Pyscho, considered one of the best Horror movies ever, not one ounce of blood, not one scene of depravity and gruesome gore is shown in the film. It takes more talent to scare and audience, thrill and audience without resorting to the cheap tactics of sensationalism and shock value.

Good directing my ass, the directing seen in Hostel by Eli Roth is the some of the worst directing in all Hollywood, as it lacks imagination, as it lacks the skill to do something without resorting to the cheap tactic of disgusting your audience.

Look at the Shining another fantastic horror movie, very little blood and gore,

To call what Eli Roth does as good directing is an insult to real directors like Hitchcock and Kubrick who did it without cheap tricks and tactics.

I see what you're saying, but honestly as a long time horror fanatic I hold a special place in my heart for the genius masterpieces like The Shining, The Exorcist and Psycho as well as the simple splatterfests like Hostel. I love both, and honestly I think Eli Roth is one of the next generation of horror genius'. He is pretty much alongside Alexandre Aja, Neil Marshell, John Gulager and quite a few other horror directors putting the balls back into horror.

[echo_bravo]

Poopontheshoes, I dug Hostel dude.

I waited for it when it hit DVD and I thought I was going to hate it. However, I was really entertained. Definitely not Oscar worthy or anything but it was very entertaining.

I kinda dig Eli Roth films. I can see how people would be turned off by them, but I dug how they are so filthy, tasteless, politcally incorrect, dark humor and of course loads and loads of tits & ass!

I do agree with someone in this thread that was clowning on some of the dialogue. LIke when Jay Hernadez's character tells his friend ,"Hey dude, did I ever tell you I saw a girl drowned once?"
That made me roll my eyes.

Overall, I liked it and am looking foward to the sequel.

[poopontheshoes7]

Sirdizzy, did I ever say a horror movie isnt good without the gore? No, I did not. Dont go throwing The Shinning and Psycho in my face to tell me what your definition of "real" is. I happen to love both those films to death, and I totally agree a horror movie doesnt need galons of gore to be good, I just like it occasionally. Sue me. Sorry my opinion offends you so much.

Glad to know you dig the movie echo-bravo and LordSimen:)

[thedudeman69]

I like how the old school horror fans try to discredit the new wave of horror directors by comparing the new with the old. It's retarded. i mean, this is Eli's 2nd film and his third and possibly 4th are coming out

[Squid Vicious]

Originally posted by LordSimen
He is pretty much alongside Alexandre Aja, Neil Marshell, John Gulager and quite a few other horror directors putting the balls back into horror.

It would be much better if these directors were more concerned with telling a coherent story and directing actors than with "putting the balls back into horror".

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Originally posted by Squid Vicious
It would be much better if these directors were more concerned with telling a coherent story and directing actors than with "putting the balls back into horror".
I agree, but I'd say Neil Marshall should be taken out of that list, as The Descent was the antithesis of Hostel and The Hill Have Eyes. And it was a damn good movie. Dog Soldiers, not so much, but it was still pretty damn entertaining.

[God of War]

Originally posted by Shockwave
I didnt hate it, but it didnt really like it either.
Same here, dude.

And I thought that SAW 3 was far more gripping at times. But Hostel had some nice girls in it. Bitches, but nice looking. :D

[aerocrystallake]

Originally posted by sirdizzy
why should we leave hostel alone, why should we let film makers get a free do not go to jail card for making such utter shit

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 this movie, if you could give a negative score to a movie as far as ratings go I would. Garbage beyond garbage, god how I miss you Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant oh bogey where have you gone. Where are movies that have stories that were good, has society truly reached such depravity that we glorify ourselves in watching people being brutally massacred? Hug someone you love, enjoy a good book, take a nice long hot bath but whatever you do avoid this movie at all costs.

What did you expect going into this movie? It advertised itself exactly as it presented itself. You can't tell me that you were tricked into thinking it was something else. Also, I don't know what this is about the "sickest and most depraved ideas ever on film." There was a lot of hype regarding Hostel, but there are far gorier movies out there. And this idea of redeeming values? What redeeming values do you expect to find in a horror movie anyways? I love Psycho, but I really don't see a whole lot of redeeming values in it. I don't go to movies for moral lessons, I save that for Church. I just take it for what it is, a movie. It's unfair to play the whole "you're a sick fuck if you liked this movie" card.

"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."

Then don't go into a horror movie if you are expecting a deep love story. If you wanna laugh and be happy go check out a comedy. It sounds like horror, for the most part, is not your cup of tea. It's nothing new for gore and violence to be components in horror, and I think it's inaccurate to make Hostel the whipping boy for this tendency.

"God how I miss you Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant oh bogey where have you gone. Where are movies that have stories that were good, has society truly reached such depravity that we glorify ourselves in watching people being brutally massacred? Hug someone you love, enjoy a good book, take a nice long hot bath but whatever you do avoid this movie at all costs."

Give yourself a cookie dude, this might just be the most pretensious statement I have ever seen on the JoBlo boards. Your self-righteousness is disgusting. I honestly don't understand why you would have gone to see this movie in the first place, which by the way, makes you part of this society that glorifies watching these sorts of movies. I'm sorry your cliched choice of actors are no longer making movies. However, there are plenty of talented actors and directors out there entertaining us. I don't go to a movie like Hostel looking for a heart-warming tale of love and redemption. I go to it for cheap thrills and I leave it at that. Have fun on your nice little moral crusade of rising above those that you consider to be below you for watching certain movies.

[CletusHorniblow]

Personally, I'm a HUGE Eli Roth fan and I've defended him plenty of times all over these boards. All I have to say is that if The Bubblegum Gang didn't warm up your demented gore & sex-loving hearts...then you obviously have no souls.

[Crazy Dud]

To several on this thread, calm thyselves. This is a forum for free expression of opinions, so do not attack opinions that are different from your own.

And BTW, telling someone that their self-righteousness disgusts you is walking the fine line of a personal attack, which is not allowed on these boards.


I'm not trying to point out anybody in particular, and I've been guilty of this a few times on these boards. I guess we should just all be careful to disagree respectfully.

[LordSimen]

Originally posted by Squid Vicious
It would be much better if these directors were more concerned with telling a coherent story and directing actors than with "putting the balls back into horror".

Their stories feel coherent to me and I've never felt any of the directors I've mentioned have had a "bad performance" out of their actors. I'd also add Rob Zombie to the list, I forgot to mention him.

[aerocrystallake]

Listen, I'm sorry if my post was seen as a personal attack, but it was merely a retort at what I thought was a very antagonizing and preachy post. It may have came off harsh, but I was only trying to respond to a post that suggested that people were morally/mentally sick if they enjoyed such movies, which I think is a vast overgeneralization.

[sirdizzy]

If you start a thread that begins by leave Hostel alone and din't expect some kind of backlash from those who found the movie to be utter garbage you must be smoking some pretty good crap.


I have been tempted to go into the leave Uwe Boll thread as well and go apeshit on that topic , just haven't done it yet

[Crazy Dud]

Originally posted by aerocrystallake
Listen, I'm sorry if my post was seen as a personal attack, but it was merely a retort at what I thought was a very antagonizing and preachy post. It may have came off harsh, but I was only trying to respond to a post that suggested that people were morally/mentally sick if they enjoyed such movies, which I think is a vast overgeneralization.

No problem. I just don't want to see this turn into a IMDB or AICN thread.:D

[Crazy Dud]

Originally posted by sirdizzy
If you start a thread that begins by leave Hostel alone and din't expect some kind of backlash from those who found the movie to be utter garbage you must be smoking some pretty good crap.


I have been tempted to go into the leave Uwe Boll thread as well and go apeshit on that topic , just haven't done it yet

I would to, but I don't want to get rated!:D