Same old, same old

Rating: 4/10 (19 January 2006)

Each year, less than 50 % of mainstream AMC films can truly be called "good movies." The majority of them are unoriginal, poorly made, or crowd-pleasers. When it comes to the horror genre, it is rare to see a true mainstream gem.
This year, Eli Roth's pseudo-horror film, "Hostel," is best described as a modern Roman coliseum. It is a wasteful piece of violence and sex-filled entertainment, in which moviegoers, sadly, waste their money on. At the local Cineplex, "Hostel," was sold out opening night. The audience laughed and cheered at the sex, violence, and torture. Entertainment, and film-going in general, has reached a pathetic new height.
The premise of "Hostel" has potential. Three pleasure-seeking males go on a foreign escapade of drugs and sex, hoping to sleep with as many women as possible. What starts off as an imitation of Eurotrip or a Van Wilder movie soon turns into a masochistic vacation from hell. Rich men have payed big money to torture and murder these American pigs.
When "Hostel" shifts drastically in its tone and filming style, one would expect some kind of substance or genuine type of horror. Unfortunately, Roth's film is a flat-liner. This film is not scary, and nothing comes unexpected. Unlike the best horror film of 2005, "Wolf Creek," Eli Roth presents "Hostel" for pure shock value. His characters are ridiculously 2-D, and seeing them get tortured does not feel all that bad. The viewer should have some sort of empathy for these helpless victims, but they are seen as puppets in a circus act.
Takashi Miike, the modern king of Japanese horror, has a cameo in "Hostel." Referring to the warehouse where the torture is happening, he says, "Be careful. You could lose all your money in there." What a true statementÂ—for Eli Roth, for his worthless characters in the film, and for moviegoers squandering money to see a disgraceful waste of bad horror.