Hostel: Part II (DVD)

Yikes, there is so much to say here, but I don't want to get too unfocused. Let me first say that Hostel: Part II is everything Hostel isn't. If you enjoyed the first film because of how unique it was and how it managed to use gore to tell its story rather than as a device to disgust the audience then, like me, you will not like Hostel 2 because that is where this flick fucks up everything Hostel managed to accomplish.

Eli Roth has been quite outspoken, and he continues in his commentary on this DVD, as to how his films have been misclassified as torture porn and even how the phrase "torture porn" is most often misused (he bases his comments on this article, which Roth likes but believes the point of the article was taken the wrong way). He compares this second film to his first by talking about its social commentary, and while the commentary in this second film is far more obvious, and in that sense effective, it doesn't help the film. To go along with that, the gore used in this film is an example of exploitation by choice, and gratuitous without being necessary. The first torture scene is described by Roth as his Elizabeth Bathory scene and while the idea would work great for an Elizabeth Bathory movie, here it is entirely unnecessary and out of place, and that is how pretty much every scene in this film feels.

The idea behind Hostel 2 is inspired by the fear of the guy next door. Roth's social commentary is displaying how capitalism has run amok. He goes on to say that he wanted to make a movie about capitalism and about greed, saying that corporations are making money off the death of Americans. Making money off the death of Americans is at the heart of this film and the idea of the scary guy is the guy living next door involves two American businessmen whom you would never assume would hurt a fly. Yet, they just won a bidding war to hunt down and kill a couple of college kids on vacation in Europe.

This idea might have worked if the whole movie wasn't so cliché. Roth's bad guys are typical bad guys wearing sunglasses and menacing scowls. His torture scenes are no longer unique, they are cleaned up and glorified; they are gross instead of something to be viewed as despicable. Based on his sentiments toward critics of this film I think there is a rather large chip on the writer/director's shoulder. He seems mad at the world, and I just wish I knew if his commentary on the film was recorded before or after the reviews came out and his movie bombed at the box-office. Here is a segment of his commentary where he really goes off the deep end:

It was amazing to watch these critics attacking me going, 'How dare he put this violence in a movie.' Yet they say absolutely nothing about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, they say nothing about the war going on in Iraq. I can't believe it, I just don't understand how people get so upset with violence in a movie and then go and vote for an administration that goes to war so that the oil companies can get richer. To me it seems so fucking ludicrous, but whatever, stranger things have happened I guess. This is the way the world is and my films are a comment on that."

Hopefully Eli knows that movie critics aren't typically writing op/ed pieces on hurricanes and wars. However, if the critics he is referring to are anything like me, I think they may have found Hostel so unique and off the charts entertaining that Hostel 2 was about ten steps in the wrong direction. It was almost as if he didn't learn anything from Hostel and fell back into the trap of typical horrors, which is a damn shame.

As for the special features on this "unrated" DVD you get a 25 minute making of featurette, a look at the production design, a rather boring gag reel, a KNB special effects featurette and a feature called "Hostel: Part II, A Legacy of Torture" taking a look at the history of torture. This look at the history of torture had potential to be incredibly good. Unfortunately, we are meant to suffer listening to the stiffest gentleman ever guiding us through a torture museum. The things he has to say are interesting, but the process of getting there is so boring he may as well add it to his museum as another form of torture.

Finally there is a radio interview with Roth and Elvis Mitchell called "The Treatment". Outside of the three audio commentaries it is probably the best feature; if you would like to give it a listen before buying the DVD click here and click Listen once you are there.

Roth has never been one to keep his opinion to himself; he lays it on the line and I can respect that. However, he seems relatively misinformed and a little too pissed off to be making grand social comments and he should get back to writing unique horrors as opposed to making horror films that remind us of every other horror film we have ever seen. I am still not sure whether or not Roth is going to turn out to be one of the great directors of our time or fade into the background. A lot depends on his next flick as in my opinion he is 1 for 3 after Cabin Fever and the two Hostel pics. If you take my advice add the first Hostel to your collection and avoid the others at all costs.