Mr. Black's Grade: B+

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2005)

Hostel (Toronto Film Festival Cut) Mr. Black's Grade: B+ Starring Jay Hernandez.
Hostel is a work in progress, and some effects weren't finished, and there was a temp soundtrack in use. This Midnight Madness screening was in a small theatre because the studio was only able to supply an HDcam version of the film. Well acted, spooky, funny and a very non-traditional Hollywood horror film. What more could fans want? Let's just hope they get as much as possible into the theatre.
In a year with - for the most - pretty crappy horror films, Hostel certainly does stand out. This is not your traditional Hollywood horror film, for there is a very different flow than your standard PG-13 rated thriller. Director Eli Roth admitted owing a debt of gratitude to filmmakers like Takashi Miike and Chan-wook Park. That's OK - Roth throws a very uncommon spin on things. This film is very effective.
Be forewarned, this film is very, very violent. What we saw on this day was likely the director's "Dream Cut". Roth said the film was going before the MPAA the very next day. He was not sure what would happen, but stressed that the film's producers knew what they had, and would likely try and buck the current trend of PG-13 rated horror films.