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'Hostel' set visit

Interviews and a set report from Eli Roth's sick, twisted and depraved new film, 'Hostel'.

Jun 9 2005

Eli Roth Q&A.

Jay Hernandez Q&A.

Derek Richardson Q&A.

'I want to make a movie that's too scary for people to see. That's terrifying like 'The Exorcist' was. That's the goal. I don't know if I will achieve it but you should at least go for it.'

So says Eli Roth of 'Hostel', his forthcoming follow-up to the 2003 global horror hit 'Cabin Fever'.

Holed up in a huge studio on the outskirts of Prague, the writer-director spent most of April and May making the movie, and we spent some quality time on set to find out first-hand what depravity he has planned.

Perched in front of the director's monitor as he organises the first set-up of the day, Roth tells Time Out that the inspiration for 'Hostel' came, in part, from Quentin Tarantino and 'Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles.

Knowles chipped in first, when the pair were discussing horror some years back, and the subject of 'sick shit' on the internet cropped up; in particular certain sites that offered the opportunity to indulge in some extremely violent, serious and illegal acts in exchange for large sums of money.

Roth was intrigued by the notion, investigated further and before long the idea for 'Hostel' was born.

He showed what he had to Tarantino, and the man who killed Bill was immediately enthused by the concept, apparently saying: 'That's the fucking scariest, fucking sickest idea I've ever heard – you've got to do it!'

The pair threw about several ideas late last year, and in no time at all the project was in motion and Eli was plunging head-first into the world of hardcore horror.

'I just sat down and wrote the sickest, most violent thing I could,' he explains between set-ups. 'Within weeks it was ready to go – I wrote it to be set in Eastern Europe with Eastern European actors, two Americans [Jay Hernandez and Derek Richardson] and one from Iceland [newcomer Eythor Gudjonsson]. I then flew to Prague, interviewed production people, met with a really good team of co-producers and here we are!'

Time Out visits the set on day 21 of a 38 day shoot, and although Roth assures me that the film does have some light moments (particularly in the first half), what TO witnesses has a seriously dark and sombre tone.

The bulk of today's action takes place in a small, sinister room that resembles a primitive, medieval dungeon. Perverse instruments of torture adorn the walls and in the middle sits a lone chair, which as the day goes on becomes a throne of terror on which one of the film's characters experiences insufferable and indescribable pain.

It's shocking stuff, a million miles away from the enjoyably light-hearted tone of 'Cabin Fever', and it's immediately clear that the graphic violence will cause quite a stir when the film is released later in the year. I ask Roth why he didn't play it safe and make 'Cabin Fever 2' instead of taking a chance with such relentlessly grim material.

'I made this movie because I want people to think about what the fuck we're doing – where society is going in terms of exploitation and pornography,' he explains.

But judging from the ultra-violence being shot today, won't he be the one accused of such exploitation?

'Everything in the movie is set up very carefully,' he quickly shoots back 'Anyone who criticises this movie for exploitation – I'll find a hundred reasons to shut down their argument as to why its there. It's no accident that these guys are American, that they are very sexist in their attitude towards women, and that the things that they feel about the girls in Eastern Europe is very much based in American fantasies and stereotypes. Everything comes back to bite them in the ass though; they definitely pay for it.'

And in the scenes being shot on this particular day, pay for it they do, and in kind.

Intense, horrific violence bursts forth upon the monitor at regular intervals, and although I can't go into exact details for fear of giving the plot away, it's fair to say that Roth inflicts human suffering of the most devestating kind on his characters.

Feeling a little queasy at the site of it all, I take a break and head to the KNB special effects trailer, where Howard Berger and Kevin Wasner are busy creating blood-drenched splatter and mess for the movie.

One look at their work confirms my suspicions – the parade of prosthetic arms, legs and torsos, punctured and maimed with increasingly horrific injuries, reinforces the fact that when the violence does kicks in, 'Hostel' will contain some of the most explicit and extreme scenes of carnage ever to appear in a mainstream film.

After the gruesome twosome have shown me around, Berger is kind enough to pass me a ball-gag puking device, the likes of which I thought never to see during my short time on this earth. 'We've done piss, blood and vomit so far' he explains, 'In fact, shit is the only bodily fluid we haven't done on 'Hostel' yet.’

Impressed with this fact, but deciding I no longer feel like joining the cast for dinner, I instead corner Eli to ask him just how he expects such material to get an R-rating.

'I just don't know', he confides, 'I think this movie can be made very well for an R, and I’ll have my 18 for England and my director's cut for DVD. But after seeing some of the stuff I've shot, it's pretty horrifying and I'm pretty nervous. Whatever – I'll go out and make the best film I can and fight that battle when it comes.'

We then discuss the movies that inspired 'Hostel', namely 'The Vanishing', 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance', 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer', 'The Wicker Man' and 'Audition'; all films that shocked and stunned audiences worldwide on their initial release. Is this what Roth is aiming for?

'The way I think about it is you want to be the one that sets the bar that everyone imitates. I'm not saying I will, but that's what you go for. You want to be the one that re-writes the book; that makes all other horror directors go "I wish I'd made that!"

'And in the current horror landscape, I can tell you that there will not be another film that's as intense and sick as this one!'

With that, Roth is called back to the set to shoot the final, devastating, scene of the day, and I follow him to get my last glimpse at horror, 'Hostel'-style.

But even though this final shot is brief, it's one that will live long in the memory, involving a helpless victim, a flash of chainsaw, a rush of blood and… well, you’ll just have to buy a ticket and see for yourself when the film hits cinemas at the end of the year!

UPDATE: To read about Eli's proposed Stephen King adaptation, click here.

User comments on this story

vikisis said...

Thanks for the movie... your giving a bad impression to the east european countries..... such an arrogant american movie.. Posted on Apr 25 2006 16:52

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jakie said...

to much nudity but besideds that good movie Posted on Apr 23 2006 17:07

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Daniel said...

Apparently the only thing worse than this films stereotyping of Slovakians is this messageboards stereotyping of Americans. Posted on Apr 21 2006 21:55

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Doug said...

This movie started off as a comedy and ended with what can only be described as nail biting, macabe and twisted. Great horror flic! Posted on Apr 19 2006 11:08

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CHRIS said...

WELL DONE. Give the rest of the world another reason to fucking hate America and the wankers who occupy the country! Posted on Apr 18 2006 14:53

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thehewi said...

MUST ADMIT I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT FILM! TYPICAL AMERICAN APPROACH BUT I THOUGHT IT WORKED WELL. AS AN ENGLISHMAN THAT LIKES TO TRAVEL AROUND EASTERN EUROPE IT COULDN'T BE ANY FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH - BUT THERE AREN'T MANY FILMS THAT ARE ACTUALLY BELIEVABLE THESE DAYS! NICE ONE CASTING THE 2 CHICKS! REALLY NICE. Posted on Apr 18 2006 14:42

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darkside666 said...

im a big horror fan of all genres and this film hostel was brilliant .it had all the gory horror type sickness but with no humor or bad acting everything was in the right place and it left me cold and thinking in a dark place afterward .very good film good and a plot that keeps you on the edge the whole time ...see it or miss out on one of the best horror films ever ....intense and will make you hold body parts of your own to make sure there still there Posted on Apr 13 2006 21:42

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Peter said...

Rubbish film Posted on Apr 12 2006 11:26

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Mark Foster said...

The film is not a reflection of Slovakia ,its a film set there.Im not so stupid (unlike some on this site)as to think the place is like the film shows.Its a good film guys. Posted on Apr 11 2006 08:49

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Ryan said...

the most gorry film i have ever viewed. try to imagine urself chained 2 a chair with a chainsaw infront of your face which is about to saw right down the centre of your body, your archilles being slit, knee caps drilled, mouth sewn alive and your eyeballs hanging out! Cant take your eyes off this film for a split second. i will buy this film when out on dvd! Posted on Apr 10 2006 10:05

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dave said...

man you crowd are sad heads its only a film your muppets, i am not american but, i sure am not going to slate american people for a film. Anyway no one is better, well that is unless your Irish ha haha ha Posted on Apr 08 2006 11:16

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Mario said...

What a crap movie!
Scary - NOT
Disgusting - NOT
Stupid - Yeah
American - Yes
Out of 10 I give it -10 if possible.
No story nothing to watch here lets move on..... Posted on Apr 08 2006 00:19

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Lisa said...

This seems to be another American who doesn't have a clue what goes on outside of his country. I find it extremely offensive to film this kind of movie in Slovakia. Why can't the Americans stay in their own country and shit on it. I am so sick of Americans belittiling Europe simply because they are too ingnorant to understand another culture. I wish they would open their eyes and see they have a half witted President, who can barely speak English and a country full of people who think that they are the centre of the universe. This movie is pathetic and besides making me feel ill it did nothing for me. Why not show Fred and Rose West at least they did it with effect! Posted on Apr 07 2006 16:39

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tara said...

I saw Hostel last night and i must say i thought it was ok- i prob wouldnt recommend to pay to go to the cinema to c it but it was good. As for people not going to slovakia i think that it wont matter at all-people are not that small minded. i think there are enough intelligent people out there who realise its fiction and not real life- ease up guys! Posted on Apr 06 2006 14:54

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amy elizabeth said...

we were not informed that there was to be explicit scenes of nudity in it.(which in my opinion, are highly unnecessary and degrading to women). although, the characters are sexist,who just want an easy 'ride', i feel that the degree of nudity is astounding-as a director,i doubt it should be there where not needed. there is one frame of the film which is just a computer screen of naked women,and it freezes on that image for at least 5 seconds,and it is irrelevant! i was disappointed,(to say the least) that there were these images, when in the advertisements i saw (what seemed to be) an exciting horror movie, yet more than half of the ACTUAL film could be released as a soft porn movie. misleading advertising, and a disappointed reaction by the end of it,is nothing to be satisfied about Roth! Posted on Apr 06 2006 00:02

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