If you’re willing to do without the nasty things like special features, and trailers, the four horror hits from Mill Creek Entertainment isn’t really that bad a purchase. If you can stand to sit through two terrible horror films and two mediocre ones as well, then you’re really not going to be disappointed considering the price tag on the four film set.
Another in a line of consumer friendly sets, Mill Creek releases a four horror film set for modern horror fans and all things considered it’s a solid release with four films that may not be masterpieces but are at least worth experimenting with. With the four movie collection on DVD, here is what you’ll ultimately get:
Hostel (Unrated Director’s Cut) – Produced by Quentin Tarantino, “Hostel” is a torture porn horror film and box office winner directed by Eli Roth that sets the light on a group of American travelers who end up in a ring of depravity and torture when they attempt to find random sex and sew their wild oats in Europe over their vacation. Though Eli Roth’s horror film suffers from bad writing, an uneven tone, and a horribly homophobic narrative, “Hostel” does come out ahead with some strong performances and a good lead role by underrated actor Jay Hernandez. And for folks who appreciate it, there are cameos from major horror icons who play members of the elite Hostel who pay thousands of dollars to torture innocent people for their own pleasure and satisfaction. Don’t believe the hype, hostels don’t exist.
Hostel Part II (Unrated Director’s Cut) – The follow up to the shockingly successful “Hostel” is about as predictable as all get out. Director Eli Roth this time sets his sights on women going on vacation who end up in the ring of the Hostel to be tortured and maimed by horrible rich sadists. Roth sticks to conventions giving Bijou Phillips the role of the slutty college girl, while Heather Matarazzo is the geeky student yet again. Cribbing story elements from “Last House on the Left,” along with some shades of misogyny, Roth traps the girls in the web of the Hostel and explores their horrible murders.
This time he also allows a sub-plot for the psychos in the Hostel, showing the exploits of two businessmen who venture in the Hostel with violent results. Save for a wonderful cameo from Edwige Fenech who appears to take part in a beautiful but gruesome scene where she bathes in the blood of her victims with the health of a scythe, “Hostel II” tries for different and fails big time.
The Tattooist – The 2007 New Zealand Export stars Jason Behr as a tattoo artist who unleashes an evil spirit when he attempts to learn an ancient art of tattoo artistry.
The Hunt for the BTK Killer – Another weak and tame TV movie chronicling the exploits of the inhuman BTK Killer casts Robert Forrester and Michael Michele on the track of the great Gregg Henry as the titular serial killer. For folks who love repetitive fodder like “Law and Order” this is the film to go to.