Hostel: Unrated Widescreen Edition DVD Review

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Title: Hostel: Unrated Widescreen Edition

Region: One

Genre: Horror

Stars: Derek Richardson, Jay Hernandez, Barbara Nedeljakova, Eythor Gudjonsson, and Paula Wild

Writer: Eli Roth

Director: Eli Roth

Feature length: 94 minutes

Extras: Commentary Tracks, Documentary, Multi-angle Interactive Featurette, Previews

Languages: English and French Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions and English and French Language Subtitles

Packaging: Amaray Keep Case

Chapter Stops: 28

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 2006/DVD Release: 2006

Theatrical Distributor: Lionsgate Films

Home Video Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Filmed in Eastern Europe, “Hostel” taps into the primal fears of the unknown by presenting the darker side of human nature as three backpackers are lured to a quaint town with the promise of beautiful Eastern European women that just love American men and soon discover a terrifying trap. Wealthy people who belong to an underground club or society pay money to have young people from all around the world abducted and placed helpless in a chair so that they can be tortured to death for the thrill of the kill. Roth knows that no monster in the world can be as frightening as humanity’s inhumanity for itself and other things because while we can reasonably be sure there are no monsters or supernatural creatures lurking about, we all know that even within ourselves there is a predatory nature that can be awakened given the certain circumstances. “Hostel” is very much like a journey into the “Heart Of Darkness” that lingers in the viewer’s mind long after the film has concluded.

Distributed by Lionsgate Films theatrically, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is distributing the film on both DVD-Video and UMD.Video for PSP. The DVD edition presents an unrated cut of the film in an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio with a choice of either English or French Language Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and English and French Language Subtitles are encoded onto the dual layered DVD as options too. The picture quality is quite remarkable with a slick almost neon look for the first act that gradually grows more muted and dark as the film’s horrific events unfold. The Soundtrack can be piercing at times so be careful. Eli Roth is a very articulate speaker and a good interviewer and he also has a great passion for horror genre.

Like he had for the DVD for his film “Cabin Fever,” Roth participates in four feature length audio commentaries. The most entertaining commentary track is the one with Roth and Executive Producers Quentin Tarantino, Boaz Yakin, and Scott Spiegel, who all inspired Roth during the filmmaking promise and since they are all huge genre film fans, they are very informal with each other and share a lot of laughs. Tarantino is actually very fun to listen to here because he has a lot to say and his laughter is infectious. The next commentary features Roth with the film’s Editor as well as Actress Barbara Nedeljakova and Eythor Gudjonsson as well as “Ain’t It Cool News” creator Harry Knowles. This commentary is where Roth displays a remarkable talent for interviewing his cast and crewmembers. I am surprised he is not featured on more programs that discuss films because Eli Roth could have a second career on his hands while continuing his evolution as a filmmaker.

The third commentary features Producer Chris Briggs and Eli’s brother Gabriel Roth, who documented the production of the film for the DVD. Finally there is Roth’s own solo commentary, where he explains that there are just so many aspects about making the film that he wanted to get across to the viewers that he felt one commentary alone was simply not enough. Having watched “Hostel” on DVD six times, once by myself, once with my brother, and the other four times to listen to each of the commentary tracks in their entirety, I am surprised that not too much information is repeated between the tracks. Five tracks can feel a bit excessive though and while I liked the film, I can honestly say that seeing it six times can burn one out so I hope the next DVD Roth does will feature maybe only two commentaries because as much as I think they are all great, outside of hardcore fans, the only people who will likely listen to them all are critics like myself and personally that many commentaries is too much and slows me down. This is no putdown to Roth and anyone else associated with the film. If I did not like “Hostel” I would not have screened it six times before writing this DVD review.

Other extra value features include a multi-part documentary that covers the complete production of the making of “Hostel” that runs approximately 48 minutes in total. There is also a three camera interactive multi-angle feature of the car-bashing scene from the film. Previews of “When A Stranger Calls” (2:00), “Silent Hill” (3:00), “Underworld Evolution” (2:00), “The Cave” (3:00), “The Exorcism Of Emily Rose” (3:00), “Ring Around The Rosie” (2:00), and the remake of “The Fog” (2:00) wrap up the bonus materials on this DVD. The interactive menus are easy to navigate. “Hostel: Unrated Widescreen Edition” is available on DVD-Video now at retailers on and offline courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

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