Hostel: Part II (2007)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Eli Roth

Writers (WGA):

Eli Roth (written by)
Eli Roth (characters)

Release Date:

8 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Three American college students studying abroad are lured to a Slovakian hostel, and discover the grim reality behind it.

Plot Keywords:

Hostel | Slovakia | American | Murder | Torture

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Lauren German	...	Beth
Roger Bart	...	Stuart
Heather Matarazzo	...	Lorna
Bijou Phillips	...	Whitney
Richard Burgi	...	Todd
Vera Jordanova	...	Axelle
Jay Hernandez	...	Paxton
Jordan Ladd	...	Stephanie
Milan Knazko	...	Sasha
Edwige Fenech	...	Art Class Professor
Stanislav Ianevski	...	Miroslav
Patrik Zigo	...	Bubblegum Gang Leader
Zuzana Geislerová	...	Inya
Ivan Furak	...	Big Guard
Monika Malacova	...	Mrs. Bathory

MPAA:

Rated R for sadistic scenes of torture and bloody violence, terror, nudity, sexual content, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Slovak | Italian | Czech

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | Dolby

Certification:

USA:R | Brazil:18 | Australia:R | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:18 | Ireland:18 | UK:18 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | France:-16 (with warning) | Portugal:M/18 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | Japan:R-18 | New Zealand:(Banned) (uncut version) | New Zealand:R18 (cut) | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 (heavily cut version) | Germany:(Banned) (uncut version) | Germany:Not Rated (slightly cut) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Lionsgate

Trivia:

During a torture scene, Roger Bart says, "I'm fucking Hercules!" Roger played Young Hercules in the Disney movie, Hercules (1997).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Stuart reluctantly gets his tattoo, they show him sitting down and pulling up his left sleeve in the mirror with his right hand. The camera angle then changes and he's pulling up his right sleeve with his left hand and his left sleeve down.

Quotes:

Lorna: Would you like a smint?

Movie Connections:

References Caligola (1979)

Soundtrack:

Synecku Synecku

What It Doesn't Borrow It Steals

Apparently, Director Eli Roth has a fetish for "snuff." If fact, in a documentary I watched on the subject recently, Roth is interviewed and becomes visibly "giddy" when he comments on the realism of "Cannibal Holocaust." It is no small wonder that he developed the idea for, and directed the two Hostel films. I don't see that as an admirable quality, but then... I am old school and still believe the best horror isn't in-your-face-gore. I realize I am in the minority these days.

The first "Hostel" was not a great film. It was, in fact, not very good, but what it did have was an intriguing premise: a club whose wealthy members pay to torture and murder abducted people. What worked was that such an idea was not entirely inconceivable. I would argue that such clubs, just like "snuff" films, currently exist, and that was what made the film interestingly creepy for me.

Hostel Part 2, however, offers nothing original. Instead, it robs from various horror films of old. For example, the opening scene mirrors that of Friday The 13th Part 2. In another scene, as I watched a female club-member bathing in the blood of her "purchase", I couldn't decide which vampire film the scene reminded me of most, there are so many. It was at the ending that I actually let a laugh slip. The foiled attempt at irony was followed by a scene reminiscent of "Blood Sucking Freaks". "Hostel" provided solid potential for a redeeming sequel, but instead, "Hostel Part 2" ended up being nothing more than a compilation of already tried and over used gimmicks.