By Jeremy
 | A daily dose of Horror History! Each day we highlight a piece of history in the world of horror. |
Throughout my time on both Youtube and The 22 Shots of Moodz and Horror I have stated my love towards French cinema particularly the movement known as "New French Extremity". The first time that I watched a major block of these French Extreme films they created a level of emotions that I have never felt before in the past. It was not just the extreme violence that shocked me but the way that they were able to create characters that I cared about and wanted to see survive. When I first saw Saw in the middle of 2005 I was amazed because I saw some common themes between the French films that I loved so much and this new-hybrid of horror film that seemed to have picked up steam. I kept hearing the term "Torture Porn" around more and more often and it started to drive me insane. While I agree that Saw objectified violence in a sick and twisted way I just did not see how the film fell under the category that so many film critics loved to use. Needless to say I was intrigued to see where this term would go and how it would be pushed to its limits, I knew that the term was originated with the French Extreme films that I saw but I wanted to see how the Americans could create that same kind of feeling I had with those French films. While Saw did implant something into my mind it was not the same kind of feeling I had when I finished the French Extreme films so I kept on searching for the next film that might achieve this feeling......
It was at this moment that I heard that the director of Cabin Fever was directing a film that was going to push this term "Torture Porn" to the limit and that critics who saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival was up in arms about its brutality, needless to say I was hooked. When the summer of 2006 finally rolled around the films release date was getting closer and closer. I remember going to the cinema with my grandmother and seeing the posters of Hostel posted on the wall with the release date of January 6th plastered at the bottom. When January 6th finally hit the film was released in theaters me and my grandmother (who I always went to see horror films with and still do) hopped into the car and headed to the cinema. Hostel unfortunately did not create that same sense of feelings that I had with the French's films but it was one of the most memorable experiences that I have had sitting in a cinema. Not because of the violence but simply due to the fact that the film that a certain level of nudity that I never saw before, needless to say I was only fourteen years old but ever today it is truly staggering. How the film ever got passed the MPPA rating board with an R rating is one I will not understand but the film seemed to have hit something with the audience who flocked in droves to see the film. The results was that the films opening weekend grossed a little over $19 million dollars which at the time for a low budget horror film in the mid 2000's was a feat of itself. The film went on to make $48 million dollars in the United States and close to $81 million worldwide. While the film was not an extreme hit for Lionsgate like Saw was but the film still was a massive success and spawned a sequel in 2007 and a third film that was straight to video in 2011.
Will we ever see another Hostel film, who knows? But what I do know is that the film's impact on the history of the horror genre during the mid-2000's is a very important one. It brought back a certain level of interest in the genre that was mainly just focusing on straight- to- video releases and staying away from the cinema. Do I love Hostel? Not at all, I am even here to say that I don't particularly even like the film but whenever someone comes up to me and asks me whats a film that they should watch from the mid-2000's I always point them towards Hostel because it is truly an important film.
Hope you guys enjoyed my look at Eli Roth's Hostel!!
I will be back on January 9th with a look at Dead Snow!!!!
It was at this moment that I heard that the director of Cabin Fever was directing a film that was going to push this term "Torture Porn" to the limit and that critics who saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival was up in arms about its brutality, needless to say I was hooked. When the summer of 2006 finally rolled around the films release date was getting closer and closer. I remember going to the cinema with my grandmother and seeing the posters of Hostel posted on the wall with the release date of January 6th plastered at the bottom. When January 6th finally hit the film was released in theaters me and my grandmother (who I always went to see horror films with and still do) hopped into the car and headed to the cinema. Hostel unfortunately did not create that same sense of feelings that I had with the French's films but it was one of the most memorable experiences that I have had sitting in a cinema. Not because of the violence but simply due to the fact that the film that a certain level of nudity that I never saw before, needless to say I was only fourteen years old but ever today it is truly staggering. How the film ever got passed the MPPA rating board with an R rating is one I will not understand but the film seemed to have hit something with the audience who flocked in droves to see the film. The results was that the films opening weekend grossed a little over $19 million dollars which at the time for a low budget horror film in the mid 2000's was a feat of itself. The film went on to make $48 million dollars in the United States and close to $81 million worldwide. While the film was not an extreme hit for Lionsgate like Saw was but the film still was a massive success and spawned a sequel in 2007 and a third film that was straight to video in 2011.
Will we ever see another Hostel film, who knows? But what I do know is that the film's impact on the history of the horror genre during the mid-2000's is a very important one. It brought back a certain level of interest in the genre that was mainly just focusing on straight- to- video releases and staying away from the cinema. Do I love Hostel? Not at all, I am even here to say that I don't particularly even like the film but whenever someone comes up to me and asks me whats a film that they should watch from the mid-2000's I always point them towards Hostel because it is truly an important film.
Hope you guys enjoyed my look at Eli Roth's Hostel!!
I will be back on January 9th with a look at Dead Snow!!!!
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