Eli Roth should make comedies

Rating: 6/10 (19 May 2006)

The best thing (or shall we say the only good thing?) about Eli Roth's first movie "Cabin Fever" was its final joke that was totally out of place but funny nonetheless. In his second work, "Hostel", Roth increased the silliness and it takes the whole movie one step up. A story as stupid and unbelievable as this one just couldn't have been done as a full on, "serious" horror flick. I do believe the advertising was kind of misleading in that aspect. Sure, "Hostel" does get down to the nitty-gritty (two, er, thumbs up for the eye scene!), but it's all so hilarious that you're not going to take any of it serious. I sure hope that all the stereotypes featured in this movie were exaggerated intentionally. God only knows, why Roth has all his European characters speak German (and badly) and why he put a gang of criminal eight year-olds in the movie. At times one felt as if this was the missing cousin of "Top Secret!" and "Eurotrip". Anyway, even though the movie is hilarious to watch, it's questionable how long Roth can disguise bad writing with silly jokes. Is this man able to come up with a really good horror movie? Well, his next project, Stephen King's "Cell" is going to show. "Hostel" didn't totally change my mind about Roth's talents, but it convinced me that he's got a great sense of humor.