| Overall Grade: |
F |
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| Story: |
F |
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| Acting: |
F |
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| Direction: |
F |
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| Visuals: |
F |
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A Disappointing and Pathetic Essay on Pop Culture
by J. (movies profile)
Apr 26, 2008
71
of
83 people found this review helpful
Neither t.v. advertisements nor (shockingly) critic reviews could prepare me for the graphic violence, misogyny, and audacious lack of moral that oversaturated this dismal excuse for a film.
From the opening sequence to the end credits, there was nothing redeemable about this film. The first half of the film introduces us to our "protagonists," two young Americans and one Icelandic man who have travelled to central Europe in search of nothing more than sex, drugs, and good times. Hopping from country to country and sleeping in various hostels (with numerous un-named, easy, and nude women), the film fails to evoke any sense of concern or empathy for what these men are in for. Enthused by advice given from a weasely local, the boys head further east to Slovakia, where they are told all of their carnal fantasies will be fulfilled.
The second half of the film serves as nothing more than shock horror and snuff as the men find themselves trapped in a "business for bodies" art show that allows individuals to pay money to torture and slay indisposed victims.
I am a fan of horror movies, whether they be thrillers, slashers, and the like. Other movies in this genre, such as the "Saw" series and the recent "Wolf Creek" at least make the effort for we as the audience to sympathize with the main character's plight. We want the victim to escape, even seek vengeance. However, when the main characters themselves have abused others so voraciously in the beginning, it's difficult to find sympathy when the tables are turned later in the film.
My stomach churned throughout this movie, and not because of the dismemberments, but because of the disgust I felt for every single character and scene in this film.
Unfortunately, this film has topped the box office this weekend, which paves the way for more movies of this caliber to be made. I should have known; during the most horrific sequences in the film, the audience in the theaters actually applauded. If this is where the future of horror lies, my sympathy shifts from ill-fated protagonists to the culture that supports their demise. |
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