Release Date: 10/23/07

The Film

Eli Roth has quickly made a name for himself in Hollywood with his brand of over the top gory horror goodness. While some may claim that Roth is simply appealing to the pubescent/adolescent sensibilities of moviegoers with his “torture porn” style, I’m going to go ahead and say that the man simply knows how to combine aspects of chilling horror and a little bit of that excessive and violent gore. Let’s face it, anyone can make a bad horror movie. Roth has perfected the art of making intense and gut wrenching horror movies, and it’s apparent with Hostel Part II – Unrated Director’s Cut.

The premise of the film should be familiar with those who have seen the first installment of the series. Preying on young American students who are off backpacking through Europe looking to find themselves, have a little fun and romance, and are simply filling time till the next adventure, there is a twisted organization who use hostels as their mice traps. Baiting them with attractive and mysterious European men and women, the young kids make a few bad decisions and find themselves involved in a sick Ebay-like auction where the highest bidders try for a chance to torture and essentially have their way with them. Making it far more disturbing is the clientele of this Elite Hunting group comprised of the world’s most distinguished, accomplished, and wealthy.

The premise alone is enough to make this xenophobic reviewer to crawl back into bed out of fear, but it’s the visuals that the film’s director utilizes that take this film to the next level on the scary level. Some may argue that the scares are more of a product of the over the top gore, but there are enough genuine jump out of our seat creepy moments to tide those folks over as well.

The DVD

The main menu comes with a very nice introduction and animated backgrounds with accompanying music. Submenus include silence with static backgrounds.

The video is offered in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Format. The picture is crisp and clean with a high level of detail and rich colors. This a great transfer and should please those who must see each splash of blood in all its glory.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Digital 2.0. The sound is extremely well mixed with a good amount of positional sound to engross you within the actions on screen. Dialogue is clean and easily understood while the music comes through with just the right amount of kick and effect. Submenus are included in English.

The Extras

The disc comes in a standard Amaray case inside of a cardboard slipcase. The Unrated Director’s Cut doesn’t really add much to the film story-wise, but what it does add is extended looks at the gorier parts of the movie that far exceeds what we saw in the theaters.

There are 3 Audio Commentary tracks included on the disc. The first track is offered by Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, and Gabe Roth. The second track is offered by Eli Roth alone while the third track includes Eli Roth, Richard Burgi, Lauren German, and Vera Jordanova.

There are also 4 featurettes included: Hostel Part II: The Next Level (26:27), The Art of KNB Effects (6:02), Production Design (6:43), and Hostel Part II: A Legacy of Torture (23:44). All four pieces take you backstage with interviews and into the inner workings of what it takes to make a film on this level from the make-up effects to the writing and design process.

The bonus options round out with 10 Deleted Scenes, a 4-minute Blood and Guts Gag Reel, a lengthy Radio Interview with Eli Roth entitled “The Treatment,” and Previews.

Final Thoughts

Call it what you will, Hostel Part II – Unrated Director’s Cut still gave me the chills and even though I had no intentions of traveling out of the country any time soon, I definitely don’t have any intentions now. For fans, this is an easy purchase, and for those who want a Saturday night rental, you could do a lot worse.

- Morris Tang