Whenever I see Eli Roth, I think of a young Delta Phi frat boy gone horror movie wanna-be...eh, so on and so forth.  Sure, I liked Cabin Fever, and I was right up there with the other horror buffs that found it to be a breath of fresh air from the regular PG-13 style slashers that kept unfortunately popping up, but still...  Eli’s debut was impressive, although it lacked in certain developmental areas that could easily have been distinguished as part of the film's charm, it still finds its way to my DVD player every once in a while.  When I sat down to watch Hostel, I wasn't sure what to expect.  The movie was billed as being extremely gory, but I knew better than to trust any bogus marketing scheme.  It was time to see the sophomore effort of the director that everyone has been talking about since Cabin Fever.  Will Hostel be another grind house special?

First, let us meet a group of young scholars.  They're all doped up and as horny as hell while backpacking across the European countryside.  Throughout nearly the first 45 minutes of this film you will learn very little else about them.  Roth throws in as much hash and softcore porn as the MPAA would ever possibly let slide.  Sure, our main characters are still a likable bunch of stereotypes, but throughout the first half hour of the film, you can't help but ask yourself where good ol' Eli might be going with such a staggering group of kids and unexpected opening sequences.  So, how is Eli going to go from such sexual ruckus to an all out gorefest?  Well, the gorefest never really takes off in full swing and to tell you exactly how Roth intertwines the soft-core with the gore would be giving away way too much of the film's overall charm.  Let's just say that these American kids are about to take you on a very twisted tour ,and as the film rolls on, you’ll be glad to find that Eli Roth can actually weave together a very interesting premise along with a fairly creepy 70's grind house atmosphere. 

With a lack of a better word to use, Hostel still seems quite childish.  Maybe it's the fact that Eli still likes to use a group of sexy young actors to play almost every single role in his films.  Maybe it's that Eli is forgetting what made the original Texas Chain Saw so compelling and terrifying to watch.  He depends too much on gore and cheesy dialog to move the film.  As much as he admires all the Hooper's and Miike's out there...he doesn’t actually like to learn from them. 

The actors aren’t impressive enough to mention, but they still get the job done.  You’ll probably recognize them from shows like Felicity and other teen horror films such as Joy Ride.  Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing a bunch of beautiful young actors run across the screen from some maniac killer, but it’s just that in Hostel, it’s not really taken to an entirely new approach. 

I still have to admit that when I walked out of the theater after seeing the film, I was actually impressed even if the movie did settle in my stomach as more of a guilty pleasure than an actual well-crafted horror film.  Roth manages to totally gross me out as well as throw in a couple good twists and surprises.  In the end, there are a lot of things I can mention that displease me about the film...but I’ll admit it damn it!  I like gore and naked women and Hostel brings the goods!.  You'll either be totally disturbed by the films underlying premise, or shrug your shoulders in complete disappointment.  I for one was very intrigued as to where the story headed, and was in shock throughout most of the second half.  Not everyone will feel this way, and if you have ever read more about this film, you’ll find that there is plenty of disagreement as to whether it's a hit or a miss.  See it for yourself.  Either way, it's worth the look.