A Hostel Witness

Oh Eli Roth! How I love your movies! Let me count the ways.

I watched Hostel Part 2 three times this weekend, the theatrical cut and two of the directors commentaries. It is great. It is so obvious how tenderly and absolutely Roth loves torture porn, how he believes in the genera as a metaphor for the modern condition, and how reverently he tributes the directors who inspire him.

I really liked Hostel, it was gross and fun and was so big but also so thoughtful. And believable (well sort of) and I loved Cabin Fever, which I thought was leggy and smart and it starred Ryder Strong from Boy Meets World. Eli Roth's movies work for me because uses horror as a commentary on our societies larger issues, a conscious cultural document.

Not just that but Hostel Part 2 was beautifully made. A) The lighting was beautiful, B) The set design was perfect C) The cinematography was great D) Every shot was thoughtful and well framed. All of which is rare in successful horror movies (um, have you seen the Saw Movies? Horror-able). It is pretty clear that this is his most expensive movie to date (which I learned later, it was over double the Hostel budget) Also like Cabin Fever, the ending is so twisty and smart! And as he says, it is a feminist picture, unlike most horror films (including lets be honest Hostel), the female characters were intentionally complex

I just love how nerdy he is!! The first commentary track on Hostel Part 2 is with his buddy Quentin Tarantino and they are just like "Oh i love your work" "No I love your work" "We love super obscure directors from the 70s in Italy." THe movie is full of secret jokes, self references and hidden messages to his friends. I'm super nerdy too, so I LOVE that stuff.

Anyway, Hostel Part II is great, and it is my understanding is Hostel 3 is currently in the works. This is awesome news and I can't wait to see