# 9 - hostel: part II

Hostel: Part II (2007)

Director:  Eli Roth

Actors:  Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips, Richard Burji, Vera Jordanova, Jay Hernandez, and Jordan Ladd

Let me preface my review by saying that I am no Roger Ebert or Peter Travers.  I am not claiming to be a connoisseur of horror movies, nor am I suggesting that I am worthy of rating films for a renowned publication.   I’m simply a person who loves movies and who likes to write about “stuff”.  If you are not interested in scary movies or if you don’t like reading… then delete this immediately.

The movie is Hostel: Part II.  It’s like the original Hostel, except its Part II.  I don’t really know what else to say.  If you liked the first installment, you’ll probably enjoy this movie.  But if you don’t like torture, nudity, um… embellished “amputation”, or blood baths (literally) then you might want to pass on this one.

The movie was written and directed by Eli Roth, affectionately known to some as a key member of the “Splat Pack”.  He, along with his comrades, is accredited with bringing back the R-rated uber-gore horror movie on a low budget.  But he is too good for that.  It’s time he get away from the Saw and Rob Zombie-esque films and move on to bigger and better things.  He was great as an actor in Inglorious Basterds and is a talented writer, as well as a passionate aficionado of the horror genre.  Why on earth is he wasting his time and expertise on such garbage?

I have to admit that I did like Hostel: Part II better than its predecessor, which isn’t saying much.  If you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig… am I right political enthusiasts?  Roth added some meat to the story, no pun intended, but the plot was still the same.  Except instead of a few overzealous boys being brutally tormented, this time we have a trio of cliché girl characters. 

Lorna (the sensible one)(Heather Matarazzo), Whitney (the slutty one)(Bijou Phillips), and Beth (the nerdy one)(Lauren German) are studying abroad in Rome when they decide to pack up for a weekend getaway.  With the suggestion of a beautiful stranger (Vera Jordanova), they head to Slovakia for a mini-vaca.  Next thing you know, they are gagged, bound… and you guessed it, tortured.

The torturers are two wealthy American businessmen (Roger Bart and Richard Burgi) who have bid for the right to kill young travelers in any way they see fit.  They are given a simulated Chili’s buzzer (as in Michael Scott and baby-back, baby-back, baby-back) to alert them when their prey has been captured, i.e. checked-in to the hostel.  (Nice touch by Roth).  Time for dinner… grab your chain-saws and machetes.  Now who wants chips and salsa?   

I gave the movie 2 ½ stars because it was half good.  I liked the angle Roth took with bringing the torturers to center stage as opposed to solely focusing on the victims.  It’s a touch of sophistication that we didn’t see the first time around.  I did not, however, enjoy the lack of character development (I couldn’t have cared less whether they lived or died, I just wanted the movie to be over) or the vast amount of blood and guts.  I mean, really, how many beheaded noggins do you need in one movie? 

No doubt, there are going to be people who love this movie.  If you are into splatter horror/torture porn, then you will be thirsting for even more after the 93 minutes are up.  The last 15 minutes are intense and will certainly wet your palette for the next installment (in pre-production as we speak…why?!).  I personally do not find these types of films scary or particularly entertaining, but to each his own.

All in the all, Hostel: Part II is exactly what you would expect it to be:  Hostel, the original, in a new DVD case.  My main take-away?  Don’t use the c-word… ever.

Was Hostel: Part II scary?  No.

Jami’s Rating:  2 ½ out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this movie:  No.