Hostel

[MacGuffin]

Scream Kings: Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino
Source: NY Metro



Filmmaker Eli Roth, 33, is a true horror believer. Instead of doing the electric slide at his bar mitzvah, he had himself sawed in half with a chain saw and insisted on a fake-blood-splattered cake. In 1995, he won a Student Academy Award for his NYU thesis film Restaurant Dogs, which cribbed the title sequence from Reservoir Dogs and so offended his professors that several protested the prize, calling the movie “sophomoric, overtly offensive, and gratuitously violent.” In 2002, Roth’s feature debut, Cabin Fever, a sick film about teens stranded in the woods with a flesh-eating virus, grossed $100 million (in ticket and DVD sales) on a $1.5 million budget—and, perhaps as importantly, it got the attention of Roth’s idol Quentin Tarantino. Now the two are buddies, and Roth’s second, nastier feature, Hostel—about doomed American backpackers in Europe—is opening as a “Quentin Tarantino Presents” film this week. Logan Hill talked to them.

Quentin, I assume you’ve seen Eli’s homage to you by now?
Q.T.: It’s really funny. And to win that award and have professors mad at you? For a horror director, that’s perfect.

Eli, you decided to make Hostel while floating in Quentin’s pool, right?
E.R.: I was getting offered remakes, but one day Quentin says, “What are your ideas?” I told him about this one movie that would be really cheap, $2 or $3 million, and completely sick. He said, “That’s the sickest fucking idea—make that movie.”

You made it for less than $5 million.
E.R.: Horror audiences don’t need to see some TV actor they’re familiar with. So we said, let’s keep the costs low to keep the gore high.
Q.T.: One of the exciting things about Hostel is there’s this kind of new horror film right now: ultraviolent, get-under-your-skin movies. It’s really the first new wave since the eighties slasher films—even the Scream movies still owed stuff to that period.

Where does it come from?
Q.T.: Man, it all started with Takashi Miike [the Japanese director known for fast, cheap, and viciously out-of-control films like Audition]. He’s the godfather. And Seijun Suzuki, and of course Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale. It really heated up in Japan about six years ago, and America has been warming to it. Saw, Saw II, Wolf Creek, these are all a part of this subgenre. For Kill Bill, I had to make one version for Japan and a less violent version for America. Eli was able to make the Japanese version and release it in America.

Why?
Q.T.: Because audiences have had six years to absorb Japanese films on DVD. That level of intensity would have pushed people away. Now audiences have made it mainstream.

But isn’t it still just teenage guys in the theater?
E.R.: No! They say half the audience for Saw II was teenage girls.

Quentin, how does Eli fit into this new scene?
Q.T.: He’s what horror films have been waiting for: not a video director trying to make his first movie and then move on or the older guy who resents the fact that he’s still doing horror films. Eli wants to make horror films.

How do you rate his gore?
Q.T.: The problem is, if you go to see an ultraviolent movie, you’re buying a ticket to contraband. Only, most are rarely as shocking or intense as their trailers. But this new group of films is really scary—and I think Eli’s made the most horrifying entry.

A lot of genre filmmakers seem—annoyingly—to be sticking metaphors in their films, like George Lucas inserting Iraq commentary. Does yours have a message, too?
E.R.: Well, I think you’re really talking about that feeling people get when somebody’s doing a terrible job of it, trying to cram a message down your throat. At Crash, I couldn’t breathe. But you know, a lot of people read Cabin Fever as a metaphor for AIDS. I’m just not going to spell it out.

What about Hostel?
E.R.: Look, I just want to scare you. But maybe you watch it a second time and you see that all the stuff the American backpackers are saying about Amsterdam hookers in the beginning of the movie could be said about the Americans at the end. That this slaughterhouse they end up in is a demented version of Amsterdam’s brothels and the movie’s really about exploitation.

Is that why it’s so scary?
E.R.: I was really just thinking about how terrifying those Al Qaeda videos are—that idea that no matter what you say, they’re still going to torture and kill you. And I thought, Wouldn’t it be more terrifying if it wasn’t a political act but a sexual act? Like those Americans paying for a hooker in Amsterdam.

[Gamblour.]

At least Eli hated Crash. This kind of self-aware, exploitation stuff isn't impressive. Isn't there a reason why most exploitation films are relegated to a b-movie genre?

[grand theft sparrow]

I didn't think Cabin Fever was as good as the Harry Knowles' of the world would have me believe but it was interesting.  I haven't seen Saw I or II, and if not for Pubrick's review, I would have NO desire to see Wolf Creek at all... but for some reason, I want to see this.  I can't put my finger on it but I think it's because from interviews with him I've read, I think that Eli Roth has it in him to make a truly great horror movie someday, not like those douches that made that Chaos flick.

And at least Eli hated Crash.

[modage]

just found this in Ghostboy's AICN review of Cabin Fever...

"Let me break into my normal review mode to say that I've seen the movie twice now, and the second time Eli Roth was there to answer questions. I asked him about Lynch's involvment; he said that while he was in pre-production, he asked Lynch if he could put his name on the project to get more attention. It worked, better than he had expected, and by the time Lynch went to Cannes in 2002, people were thinking that he had directed 'Cabin Fever.' When he finally saw the movie for himself, he told Roth that it was great, and that it didn't need to be overshadowed by his name. So they replaced his exec producer credit with a very special thanks."

David Lynch: Classier than Tarantino

[Sal]

Hostel definitely delivered.  I disliked Cabin Fever immensely but I play fair.  I thought Eli Roth brought what he wanted so if he wants to keep making horror films, I'm game. 

[Brazoliange]

it was nice to see he gave Special Thanks to Takashi Miike, because this really did feel like a Miike film. Especially the last 20 minutes or so.

[modage]

yes thank god for RK and his reasonable review months ago.  without it, this movie may never have had a chance.  it was good, not great and about 6 skulls or 6 1/2 is right on the money.  the movie gets tons of credit though regardless of the execution because it's not a remake or a sequel or a ripoff and it's an original scary great idea.  i'm still not totally sold on roth as a director (or writer for that matter) but like rob zombie i root for him to be because his head definitely seems to be in the right place.  (and like devils rejects i felt this was a big step forward for roth).  the theatre i was in was passing out hostel barf bags and it was super sold out and everyone there was just so psyched for this film to be good it was a great community experience.  many people seemed disappointed afterwards, but i wasnt.  i think the main mistake in this film was in the marketing.  every freaking ad for this film, playing every 10 minutes on tv is ONLY scenes inside the awful place which takes up a relatively small part of the film.  so, it ruins the surprise and it builds the expectation for things that cannot possibly be delivered.  the glimpses you get build a movie far scarier than anything that could be shown.  i think the ads should've been all leadup and goodtimes and then just hinted at 'but things went wrong.  really wrong.'  and shown subliminal like 6 shots of awful so quickly you cant even make it out and then HOSTEL.  because if you didnt know where they were going to end up and what sort of shit was going to go down the film would've been 10x as successful as a viewing experience.  when things seemed bad you'd just have to keep following it, waiting for the other shoe to drop and when he finally is inside that place you would just FREAK OUT, but unfortunately thats just where you meet up with all the trailers, so oh well.  still, it was pretty good and definitely sat with me afterwards.  also pretty funny in a really sick way.  go see it, horror fans, but please be reasonable. 

[md]

it was nice to see he gave Special Thanks to Takashi Miike, because this really did feel like a Miike film. Especially the last 20 minutes or so.

i believe he has a cameo in it.....when there outside the "art" museum, and rodrqeuze asked the asian dude, im pretty sure that is him.

[modage]

yes, it was him.  "Be careful. You could spend all your money in there."

[SiliasRuby]

Its in the vain of takkashi mike and battle royale...and if your a fan of those films you should certainly like this

Right on the money, really really great horror film and to sum it up in a few words I'll quote my friend
"The equivalent to seeing Hostel is this: Watch a hardcore porn and then take a butcher knife and cut up some thick juicy steak you see in the fridge for an hour"
But, ya, loved every minute of it.

[NEON MERCURY]

just got back from it...i usually dont wirte my dumbass reviews about film until much later but nothings going on tonight...not drinking ...so, ....

this did live up to the hype for me....its not perfect but i loved it anyway...and it will make my top ten in 06....

spoilers...................

-i liked the tits and the hot women..
-i like oli?...he reminds me of a guy i know...
-the guy who gets drilled in the knee acts like me aroudn women..
-the puke and suspense/terrro was incredible...
-i like the bubblegum kids
-i loved the torch eyeball and the puss coming out after its cut off
-i liked the roth cameo w/the bong kid
-the pulp fiction shit was pointless
-the cell phone picture w/oli was priceless
-roth is funny
-i like how the tone was diveded in 3 parts: humor-horror-horror/comedy


end of spoilers................

roth delivered the goods...

[w/o horse]

The Bob Dylan-dressed kid walking out in front of me gave the film a rather crass but appropriate review, "That shit was weak.  It wasn't scary or gory."

It was a well made film that was chocked full of suspense that never lead anywhere.  It was like a horror painting.  An image that'll follow me around.  And the next time I'm in a dimly lit garage perhaps the film will occur to me.  I will probably feel chilled.  I will not, however, watch the movie again I imagine.

Hell I might rent it.  C+.

Nah.  B- because I agree with all of neon's points.

[Ultrahip]

I enjoyed this movie. Not so much scary as just really, really gross. So gross that it becomes funny, which complements the earlier, purposely funny aspect. This is the pitch-black comedy of 05.

Overheard some bozo on the way out: "There was too much story." He must have hated King Kong.

[samsong]

Overheard some bozo on the way out: "There was too much story." He must have hated King Kong.

uh... King Kong just blew. well, kinda.

anyway, Hostel's sweet (in that it's a "SWEET MOVIE DUUUUUUUUUDE!").  there, i completely encapsulated what it is to watch this movie.  it's good shit.

[Pubrick]

uh... King Kong just blew. well, kinda.

what are you smoking??

it's good shit.

oh, right, i forgot..