Hostel 2 -- again in Slovakia
R. P.
curious if I could recognize some of the locations in it. Well, I did
seem to have vague recollections but could not be sure. I thought that
some of the "village" street scenes looked a lot like what I remember
from Bratislava, especially the narrow streets up to the castle. Can
anybody confirm it? Also, I am curious where that featured spa might
be.
R. P.
Otto Mann
Here are some of the details:
HOSTEL PART II
Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
Lionsgate/ Museum of the Moving Image
Grade: A-
Directed by: Eli Roth
Written By: Eli Roth
Cast: Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips,
Richard Burgi, Vera Jordanova, Jay Hernandez, Jordan Ladd, Milan
Knazko
Opens: June 8, 2007
There's a reason that the Czech Republic gets all the tourists and
Slovakia, poor Slovakia, gets left out. See Part 2 of Eli Roth's
"Hostel" and you'll know the reason, one which, unfortunately a few
people had to find out the hard way. There are killers and torturers
in Slovakia, and we get to watch what they do from the safety of our
comfy theater seats, munching on popcorn, shlurping our Cokes. (OK
just kidding, there are no more killers in Slovakia than on Staten
Island, so far as I know, and somehow Staten Island doesn't get the
tourist dollars that Manhattan does.) Ironically, not even the film
team that captures all the bloody action in Slovakia sets foot in the
Slovak areas of Bratislava, Bojnice, Nimnica or Dudince or anywhere
else in that lovely land filled with spas and lovely mountainous
scenery. Director Eli Roth's photographer, Milan Chadima, took most
scenes in the medieval Czech town of Cesky Krumlov with a couple of
breaks to get some hot springs footage in Iceland and more in southern
France.
What makes "Hostel Part 2" one of the superior films of the genre
(slasher films, by the way, are considered by some a sub-genre of
horror pics) is that director Eli Roth does not line up one gory scene
after another. He takes his time, letting us get to know the
characters, each of whom has a distinct personality. In fact, truth to
tell, the opening half of the film is so intriguing, so nicely
photographed, so, well, European and collegiate, that audience members
cannot be blamed if they are in no hurry to proceed to the gore.
There's nothing seedy about the locale of the destination. This is
not the backwoods of Christopher Smith's "Severance," another gem of a
slasher pic which takes place in a more remote area of Eastern Europe,
nor are the killers as crazed. They're as normal as you and I - on
the outside. Here's the point that writer Roth is bringing out.
Almost all of us come across as decent people to our friends and
working colleagues, but inside, a good many of us are bundles of
repressed rage, itching to hurt others, just like the two principal
villains in "Hostel 2," whom we meet halfway into the movie.
Essentially, this is the story of a corporation in a Slovak Republic
town in which everyone, including two of the most vicious dogs ever
seen on the screen, are involved in a cutthroat industry. Axel (Vera
Jordanova) has the task of luring victims into a hostel. In this
instance, she entices three college travelers: sexy Whitney (Bijou
Phillips), on the lookout for men; Lorna (Heather Matarazzo), a
virginal, sensitive, poetic type; and Beth (Laura German), rich enough
to buy the town and the would-be leader of the trio. The
"corporation" then sends emails to wealthy executives, who reply with
bids for the young women. The highest bidder for each is invited to
flying on down, get tattooed, and to torture and kill the woman of his
or her choice, all for about $70,000. The male execs who win the
chance are a macho American businessman, Todd (Richard Burgi) and his
nerdy and reluctant best friend, Stuart (Roger Bart). One of the
movie's ironies will be how the two men each turn an about-face in
character when faced with their gruesome task.
Every so often a nightmarish vision springs up, the chief one being a
group of youths known as the Bubblegum Gang, ready to attack any
outsider who arrives on the scene. When a head is sliced off, they
are not at all horrified by use it gleefully as a soccer ball. When
one of their members is shot dead for an unknown offense, they take
the execution in stride, silently.
Ultimately, though, "Hostel Part 2" deviates in some ways from the
slasher genre and follows the formula in other ways. This one does
not involve psychopathic killers who murder in a random unprovoked
fashion, people who are away from mainstream civilization or far away
from help, or involved in illegal drug use. On the other hand, the
conclusion is very much a part of the formula, one which could make
"Hostel Part 2" the feminist picture of the year.
Rated R. 94 minutes © 2007 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics
Online
R. P.
So the picturesque little town on that small river with all the folk
festivities is really a Czech town. No wonder everybody sounded more
Czech there than Slovak. I assume the same goes for the attractive
actress Vera Jordanova, right? She looks like a fashion model.
R. P.
Otto Mann
> I pretty much agree with the review.
> So the picturesque little town on that small river with all the folk
> festivities is really a Czech town. No wonder everybody sounded more
> Czech there than Slovak. I assume the same goes for the attractive
> actress Vera Jordanova, right? She looks like a fashion model.
>
> R. P.
It turns out she's ethnically Bulgarian. From MySpace.com:
---
VERA JORDANOVA was born in Helsinki, Finland to Bulgarian musicians.
She traveled throughout Scandinavia with them during their tours and
spent her
childhood in Bulgaria attending elementary school and living with her
grandmother.
Vera has one younger sister, Victoria.
Due to the political situation in Bulgaria, Vera's parents decided to
relocate the family
to Finland when Vera was 14.
She started attending a Finish high school for languages.
During the next three years she studied Finnish, alongside with
English, French and Russian
and successfully graduated from high school.
Shortly thereafter she was discovered by the premiere Finnish modeling
agency and
began to appear in national campaigns, and on magazine covers.
Vera went on to shoot a campaign for cosmetic giant Clarins, with
renowned
photographer Gilles Bensimon.
For several years Vera pursued an international modeling career and
lived in various
locales such as France, Italy, Spain and South Africa.
While living in Barcelona, Vera attended a contemporary art school,
where she
discovered her love for abstract painting, installations and most of
all
photography.
At this time Vera also started her acting career in Finland where she
appeared in a few TV series.
Vera now resides in Los Angeles where she pursues her acting career
while continuing
to work as a successful model with Elite Modeling Agency.
Her debut in American cinema will be for the high-anticipated horror
movie
HOSTEL: PART II, directed by Eli Roth where she plays the part of
Axelle, a mysterious
femme fatale.
Vera is seen as well in acclaimed director Frank Borin's video for the
band
Rocco De Luca and the Burden, whose current album appears on Kiefer
Sutherland's
Ironworks Music label.
Source: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=81393640
---
O.M.
R. P.
"Otto Mann" <otto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It turns out she's ethnically Bulgarian.
Thanks again. It looks like nothing in this movie is what it seems.
R. P.