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Hostel

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[Eng/Esp] My opinion on Hostel: One of the bloodiest and most intense films I have ever seen@veneciabia379d
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  1. Film Review: Hostel (2005)@drax695d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    In the years following the fall of Communism, Slovakia emerged as a popular shooting location for numerous high-budget Hollywood productions. However, films actually set in Slovakia were exceedingly rare. When one such film finally surfaced, it garnered significant attention – but unfortunately, not for the right reasons. The portrayal of Slovakia in this 2005 film, Hostel, directed by Eli Roth and considered one of the most influential works in the horror genre at its time, left Slovakians displeased with their country's representation.

    The plot introduces us to Paxton Rodriguez (played byJay Hernandez), a young American tourist, along with his friends Josh Brooks (played by Derek Richardson) and Óli Eriksson (played by Eyþór Guðjónsson). The trio is travelling around Europe, indulging in drugs and sex. In Amsterdam, they discover that their lavish lifestyle might soon deplete their funds, prompting them to consider alternative destinations. A stranger named Alexei (played by Lubomir Bukovy) convinces them to visit Slovakia instead of Barcelona, promising lower prices and more beautiful women. Initially, things seem promising as the friends meet and engage with two local women named Svetlana (played by Barbara Nedeljáková) and Svetlana (played by Jana Kaderabkova). However, Paxton's world takes a dark turn when he discovers that Josh and Óli have vanished. Paxton soon uncovers his friends' gruesome fate after being lured into visiting an old factory that serves as a torture chamber for an international ring of wealthy psychopaths who delight in torturing, mutilating, and killing their victims. To survive this nightmarish scenario, Paxton must rely on all the luck and ingenuity he possesses.

    Slovakians had valid reasons to complain about the film's portrayal of their country, as it was depicted as a Third World hellhole with "easy" women, rampant crime, corrupt police, and Romani street children gangs robbing and murdering people. Although the film was actually shot in neighbouring Czechia, this misrepresentation sparked controversy among locals. Critics outside Slovakia, however, were primarily concerned about the high levels of graphic and disturbing violence depicted in Hostel. Many saw Eli Roth's approach as exploitative and gratuitous, pandering to the lowest instincts of his audience in a way that would later be known as "torture porn".

    The treatment of women in the film has also been criticized for being misogynistic, with characters portrayed as promiscuous, manipulative, or weaker than men. However, Roth's intentions were not without merit. Inspired by classic 1960s and 1970s grindhouse exploitation cinema and discussions with Quentin Tarantino – who had faced similar criticism over excessive violence in his films – Roth sought to bring back the transgressive quality to the horror genre that was at the time dominated by family-friendly and "safe" PG-13 mainstream Hollywood fare.

    Despite its low budget, Hostel showcased great skill from its director. The film's commercial success, along with the success of Saw one year earlier, marked the beginning of a shift towards a slightly more "edgy" form of horror films.

    Another factor that contributed to success of Hostel was the change in global sentiments following 9/11 and the War in Iraq, namely the chasm between Americans and the rest of the world, with the former being seen as parochial, arrogant and ignorant. The film played into these newly apparent differences between Americans and the rest of the world by portraying two American characters who display disrespect or ignorance towards foreign culture, which is, together with their naivety and lack of common sense, major catalyst for their later predicament. This is shown at the beginning when the protagonists are lured into Slovakia with the promise of local women “having lost all men in war”, despite that country not being affected by such conflict in near past. The film, as well the villains in the film, played to Americans’ mistaking Slovakia for Slovenia and/or Yugoslavia.

    The concept worked well, but was undermined by Roth's inclusion of an Icelander as one of the trio of protagonists. This detail seemed to be introduced out of misplaced notions of "political correctness" rather than any genuine artistic intent.

    The success of Hostel led to inevitable sequels, with Hostel: Part II directed by Roth and released in 2007 failing to replicate the impact of its predecessor. The direct-to-video sequel Hostel: Part III followed in 2011.

    While some scenes may be disturbing or contain levels of violence that are not suitable for more sensitive audiences, Hostel remains a good piece of cinema that can be recommended to fans of the genre. Its basic premise – an international society of wealthy and powerful perverts using ordinary people as their playthings – now seems less fantastic or far-fetched in light of recent revelations related to Epstein Island.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  2. Hostal (2005) review: The point isn't to be scary.@richardalexis999d

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    I wanted to take advantage of the fact that it is officially "Halloween" to watch as many horror movies as possible, this is a tradition that I honestly try to do every year, but due to my inconsistency when it comes to watching movies I find it difficult to maintain.

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    Yesterday I spoke briefly about Maid Droid, a horror film with erotic elements that managed to establish itself as the worst thing I've seen all year, a praise that I never take lightly.

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    Today, on the other hand, I gave a chance to a gore classic that many of you probably already know: Hostel, directed in 2005 by Eli Roth.

    Like many other films of that time, it is difficult to decipher if Hostel is a rather silly film, or if it includes in its core one of the most stinging satires of post-9/11 North American society, where the fear of foreigners was beginning to grow irrationally and the language barrier was treated with more panic than any monster or supernatural creature.

    This is how we come across a group of young adults who, before starting university, decide to embark on a backpacking trip throughout Europe in search of unbridled sex, drugs and alcoholic beverages.

    This is how they end up in a small town in Slovakia where one of their friends mysteriously disappears.

    As expected, those segments prior to all the violence become unbearable, something that is reinforced by the lack of charisma of its protagonists as well as the absence of a clear plot thread.

    However, when the blood starts to flow, the footage starts to get lighter...ironically.

    The funny thing about the whole thing is that we could not classify Hostel as horror, its purpose is not to produce tension, there are no jumpscares of any kind, and the information is presented to the viewer in an unusually "casual" way... perhaps this is why many They prefer the term "torture porn", something that undoubtedly makes it stand out from other similar works, but that could well align those more delicate palates.

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    In my case? At times it entertained me and at times it annoyed me, Hostel is a very important piece in the functioning of modern horror and unconsciously tells us a lot about the historical moment in which it was released, but in the end, I'm sorry to say that I didn't like it too much.

    1000026633.jpg Score taken from my Letterboxd Account.

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    Quería aprovechar que oficialmente estamos en "Halloween" para ver la mayor cantidad de películas de terror posible, está es una tradición que honestamente intento realizar todos los años, pero que debido a mi inconsistencia a la hora de ver películas me cuesta mantener.

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    Ayer les hablaba brevemente sobre Maid Droid, una película de terror con elementos eróticos que lograba erigirse como lo peor que he visto en todo el año, un elogio que nunca me tomo a la ligera.

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    Hoy, por otro lado, le di una oportunidad a un clásico del gore que probablemente muchos de ustedes ya conocen: Hostel, diriga en 2005 por Eli Roth.

    Al igual que muchos otros filmes de esa época, es difícil descifrar si Hostel es una película bastante tonta, o incluye en sus entrañas una de las sátiras más punzantes a la sociedad norteamericana post 9/11, en dónde el miedo a los extranjeros empezaba a crecer irracionalmente y la barrera del lenguaje era tratada con más pánico que cualquier monstruo o criatura sobrenatural.

    Así es como nos topamos con un grupo de jóvenes adultos que, antes de empezar la universidad deciden emprender como mochileros a un viaje por todo Europa en busca de sexo desenfrenado, drogas y bebidas alcohólicas.

    Así es como terminan en un pequeño pueblo de Eslovaquia en dónde misteriosamente uno de sus amigos desaparece.

    Cómo es de esperar, aquellos segmentos previos a toda la violencia se hacen insoportables, algo que se ve reforzado por la falta de carisma de sus protagonistas así como la ausencia de un hilo argumental claro.

    No obstante, cuando empieza a brotar la sangre, el metraje empieza a hacerse más ligero... irónicamente.

    Lo gracioso de todo el asunto es que no podríamos catalogar Hostal de terror, su finalidad no es producir tensión, no hay ningún tipo de jumpscares, y la información se presenta al espectador en una forma inusualmente "casual"... quizá por esto muchos prefieren el término "torture porn", algo que sin duda la hacer sobresalir sobre otras obras similares, pero que bien podría alinear a aquellos paladares más delicados.

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    ¿En mi caso? A ratos me entretenía y a ratos me fastidiaba, Hostel es una pieza importantísima en el funcioamiento del horror moderno y nos dice mucho inconscientemente sobre el momento histórico en el cual se estrenó, pero al final, lamento decir que no me gustó demasiado.

    1000026633.jpg Puntaje sacado de mi cuenta de Letterboxd

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    Twitter/Instagram/Letterbox: Alxxssss

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