Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61279 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-04-18
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Czech, Dutch, English, German, Icelandic, Japanese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 94 minutes

Review
Cabin Fever director Eli Roth offers a finger-chopping, Achilles heel-slashing, blood-soaked, breast-filled variation on The Most Dangerous Game in this sophomore shocker that shifts the focus from goofy humor to squirmy splatter to nerve-shredding effect. To those familiar with the torture-happy films of Takashi Miike (who makes a humorous cameo as a satisfied customer) or the reprehensible horrors of the infamous Guinea Pig or All Night Long series of films, the sadistic concept that drives Hostel may be familiar and even somewhat pass� by now. Casual filmgoers looking for a simple shock are in for quite a surprise, though, when they find out just how far Roth is willing to go in order to bring these Asian atrocities to the cozy, MPAA-policed confines of the American multiplex. Make no mistake, Hostel has a mean streak a mile wide, but horror is relative, and in the end it's the ability or willingness of viewers to endure the visceral terrors of the torture subgenre that will likely make or break the film for them. The fact that Roth's central trio of horny hikers are so instantly unlikable may make their grim fate a bit easier to endure, given that the viewer is hard-pressed to connect with them on any kind of emotional level, but the gut reaction that one gets when witnessing someone handcuffed to a chair and tormented with chain saws and rusty medical instruments just might not be everyone's idea of entertainment, regardless of whether or not one can relate to the characters. In a time when the multiplex is filled with watered-down horror remakes that strip away any and all social subtexts that may have been present in the original films to simply offer a glossy, jump-scare variation on a familiar central concept, Roth deserves credit for crafting a film that, even if it isn't entirely original, truly is relevant to his generation. It's as interesting to witness the reactions that two young Americans traveling abroad have to their new surroundings as it is to see how those from other cultures react to them, and even if they are little more than sex-crazed, frat-boy caricatures of Western values, Roth is obviously attempting to make a comment on how the U.S. is viewed from an outside perspective. When all is said and done, Hostel is most definitely more interested in making audiences cringe than it is in making any sort of bold political or sociological statement, but the presence of those aspects within Hostel is testament to Roth's successful ability to utilize the genre in a similar manner as Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper (two filmmakers who obviously made a big impression on the fledgling genre specialist) did in the 1970s. Though Roth may not have quite earned the privilege to be ranked alongside those two undisputed masters as a result of his first two features, he's certainly headed in the right direction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

On the DVD
Full-length movie
Widescreen presentation
DVD Picture quality

Synopsis
Cabin Fever director Eli Roth skips the humor of his freshman feature and goes straight for the jugular in this unrelenting scare-fest about a pair of libidinous American backpackers seeking cheap thrills in the European countryside. Their carefree college days close behind and the responsibility of the real world looming ever closer on the horizon, Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez) strap on their backpacks and prepare for a stratospheric last hurrah of booze, babes, drugs, and debauchery halfway across the globe. It's during a visit to Amsterdam that the pair meets up with raucous Icelandic backpacker Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), and after the three globe-trotting thrill seekers catch wind of a Slovakian city whose male population has dwindled as a result of civil strife -- leaving the ladies ready and willing to accept any male companionship that might turn up at the local hostel -- the trio quickly beats a hasty retreat to the out-of-the-way oasis. Upon check-in, the trio is greeted by a bevy of beautiful locals and is quickly convinced that the hedonistic hideaway is indeed the real deal. Hazily awakening the following morning to find no trace of backpacking buddy Oli, Paxton chalks his former traveling companion's disappearance up to capriciousness and prepares for another day of debauchery, despite Josh's rapidly elevating sense of unease. Now trapped defenselessly in a foreign land without any means of escape and no way of anticipating the unimaginable hell that lies ahead, the pair is plunged into a torturous netherworld where the screams of the damned fill the air with dread and the warm rays of the sun are little more than a fading memory. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

Hostel is an Eye-Popping Gore-Fest!
Three college students (Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson and Eythor Gudjonsson) decide to backpack across Europe. They have no idea what lies in wait. When they meet an older man on the train, they're told about a village where women will do anything to satisfy a man--especially Americans. Checking into a hostel in Slovakia, the three men discover that their room comes with a few perks. Three gorgeous women. And this of course leads to one thing.

Most of the first half of the film is filled with the gratuitous sexual encounters so prevalent in today's horror movies; however, since it's actually a key part of the story line, I guess they had to do it. (No pun intended.) The women are bait. And once the men are lured in, they're drugged and find themselves in a terrifying predicament.

As a longtime fan of horror movies, I felt there was extreme shock value in the gross chopping, drilling and slicing of human flesh. It made me cringe and turn away at times, and I have a strong stomach. It isn't a psychological thriller or ghostly horror, so much as a movie that tests your limits on what you can visually handle seeing.

The final explanation of what's actually going on is perhaps what sets this film apart from other random slasher films. In fact, it's the 'hunt club' aspect that makes the story line more believable and even, dare I say, feasible. Yet instead of hunting down victims, wealthy men can torture, maim or murder in order to satisfy their sadistic needs. And as a subtle humorous dig, it's the Americans who are most prized. For what better way to get back at the US than to torture and kill future generations? The shocking violence of the group of children that appears occasionally also sends a strong message. If you travel to a foreign country, it's a good thing to carry gum and candy!

At least the acting in Hostel was a far cry from the poor readings of the actors in the movie Saw--a movie that made me groan and sigh, wishing I could have written their dialogue and had my neighbors act it out.

Unlike many of today's horror films, Hostel does leave you with a vaguely fulfilling ending. Of course, you'll just have to see it now to find out what that is. This is the perfect dieter's movie too, by the way. You won't be too hungry or thirsty while you're watching it. This movie is definitely for 18+!!! If you enjoy a movie that makes you gasp, cringe or has your stomach churning, this is it. If you can't handle blood and excessive gore and brutality, I'd recommend you watch a comedy instead. Now...where did I put my saw?

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, [...]

Never thought torture could be so fun
Thanks to the rise of Asia Extreme horror, American horror seems to be stepping away from the teenie bopper-slasher crap of recent years. Hostel is one of the best American horror movies I've seen in years. Full of never-shattering torture scenes, tense moments and even humor, this surpasses Eli Roth's Cabin Fever by far. Not since watching Takashi Miike's Audition have I felt like turning away from a scene at what I was watching. although I loved it, the happy ending was a little disappointing, until I found out there will be a squel. Now coming out on DVD as Unrated I can only imagine what new horrors will be added to it. Now, if you like your horror to be the Jasons, Freddy's or Final Destinations...this is not the movie for you. If you are a fan of Saw, Ichi the Killer, Oldboy or the Devil's Rejects...this is a movie for you.

Saw with a Sense of Humor
I'll keep this short, I liked Hostel for the reasons I didn't like any of the 3 Saw films; it doesn't take itself too seriously, which I think makes it more effective. Horror movies need a few laughs between the scares, it keeps you on your toes and unprepared for what's to come. Good flick!