Here are some things I learned about backpacking in Europe from Eli Roth's latest film, Hostel:
- Do not travel to Slovakia.
- If you do travel to Slovakia, do not stay at a youth hostel you find that is not on any map.
- If you do stay at the hostel, and you are put in a room with attractive women who will have sex with you, do not let them drug you.
- If you do have sex with the women, and are drugged, and awaken in a small room, chained to a chair, with a man in surgical garb who has very sharp instruments and is heading towards you, you're screwed. Not in the good way, either.
Oh, and if you encounter gangs of children demanding candy, give it to them. Or they'll bash your head in with a rock.
Hostel is writer/director Eli Roth's follow-up to Cabin Fever, and I suppose is meant to be a gift to the fans who have been craving some quality R-rated gore. You know who you are. And when the movie starts and you see a title card that reads, "Quentin Tarantino Presents," you might get to thinking you're in for a bloody good time.
You'd be wrong.
Dead wrong.
Roth had good intentions with Hostel. I think he was trying to pay homage to the gory early 1980s Eurosleaze films of directors like Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento, and the current crop of gory Japanese horror films (the Japanese director Takashi Miike, who has made his share of gory films, even has a cameo). His failure was in execution, if you'll excuse the pun.
The film is supposedly based on true events — Roth was inspired to write the film after discovering a Thai web site that promoted a "murder vacation" which, I assume, involves taking a vacation and then killing someone.
On to the film. American backpackers Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson), along with their wacky Icelandic buddy Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), have arrived in Amsterdam for drugs and women. That's what the whole backpacking experience is all about, after all.
While in Amsterdam, the trio gets a tip on where to go next: to the sun-drenched beaches of Slovakia (okay, there aren't any sun-drenched beaches) where the women just love warm-blooded American men. Emphasis on blood. And before you can say "free love", the men are off.
They arrive in Slovakia where they find a hostel featuring co-ed rooms and, of course, lots of sex. Any film that falls into the genre of horror film with characters having sex is, of course, a harbinger of death to come.
After a night of partying, Oli comes up missing. Paxton and Josh are a little worried, but figured that Oli just up and left, which is apparently the norm in backpacking; one of your fellow backpackers will take off without so much as a good-bye. Only, as we learn, Oli went on something of a one-way trip to his death.
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Article comments
1 - senthil
Elements hostel is Madurai's first hostel which is Luxurious, affordable, safe and comfortable place to stay in Madurai for Backpackers and any other kind of travelers.
2 - Josef
I thought this film was just horrible and i actually have no desire to watch any Horror films of this nature again... it just had a nasty effect on me so i suppose it did its job well but i questioned why i watched it afterwards... it was really horrible.
3 - Annie
In my opinion, this movie has left very horrible image of Slovakia and it's accessibility to possible travellers. If I'm not mistaken, I believe this movie was filmed in Prague. People now have the impression that Slovakia is a dangerous place, when in fact it is a beautiful country that displays a very interesting history. The people are extremly kind and welcoming. Last summer I watched the 'hostel' movie, in a youth hostel in Bratislava and was disgusted by the way the city and country were portayed.
4 - M
Well Tarantino has been always producing crapy movies and Hostel is not exception. I live in Slovakia and nothing of displayed stuff is not happening here. Most of the scenes have not been even filmed in Slovakia, but in Prague and Romania. I would lie, if I'd say, that there ain't no disgusting parts here (same in all countries, especially railway stations etc.), but it's definitely not the way, that Hostel displays.
In Bratislava (the city, which Hostel tried to discredit) there aren't many hostels and most of them are more expensive than regular hotels. I would recommend to anybody to come here and see the truth and get known about Slovakia, instead of watching "wet dreams" of Quentin Tarantino.
5 - Someone
Yes, Slovakia is beautiful.
6 - yourfriend
worst movie ever.....not only kids..i feel even adults should'n watch dat stupid movie...afterall slovakia is a nice place.
7 - dutch
I thought the movie was ok, but can someone explain to me why all the people that are supposed to be Dutch speak German in American movies? I know we're a small country but, where do they get all hose Germans from in the middle of Amsterdam?
8 - Right
I was so angry about that movie. Who the heck would want to see people being tortured? It's just a cheap, sadistic movie and don't give me the shit that it's just about message, culture and art! One day if a psycho is inspired by this movie, would the producer, director or even actors really feel they've no guilt about that if someone got tortured the same ways they were in movie? These sickening movies should be banned and those producers, whoever involved should be punished.
9 - jack
disaster movie ,horrible for slovakia tourism
10 - jack
slovakia is apoor country with much population dont think yhis might happen to you in dreams but in real life
11 - Billy
This movie is sick and so is the producer..it is pure garbage and the sick minded producers will probably be in prison soon with the way they think.......what a waste of time...i did not even watch the whole movie...trash!