Saw and Hostels II

Hostel Part II was kinda good. I’d like to start a feminist gorehound comm, if there’s any interest. I’m kind of shocked at the dearth of feminist criticism of Eli Roth written by those who have actually seen his films. Flawed as they are, the boy has spunk and talent. There was enough right with this film to warrant a serious critical analysis, whether or not Roth’s claim’s of feminism are anything but self serving. If you like horror and gore, and have any kind of conscious gender politics, this movie will push your buttons. I just watched a bootleg and ejected on a cotton candy high, after worrying that I’d overestimated Roth about half way through. He’s good at his craft, and I think I have a guess as to why the film underperformed--and it’s not cuz this is an uninspired retread or audiences have lost their appetite for “torture porn” or any of that nonsense. I think I see why certain fanboys were so hostile. I’m not gonna spoil, but I called the “twist” at the end just based on Roth’s hype and(supposedly spoilage free) critical reaction--and if any of you out there were paying attention, I’d wager you may have too. That said, I was not expecting the twist to prove so effective, expectations and all. I’d be curious to discuss the film with Roth--I might end up annoyed, but I’d buy him a drink. He’s introduced another solid entry in the privileged white male psycho genre, which as you may know is one I enjoy. I’m curious to see Hostel Part 3--both the film itself and any studio pressure as to plot.

But for real...feminist gorehound comm. Takers?

This had some points.

So I need some help with the Saw films. I just watched Saw 2 in preparation for watching Saw 3 so I can accompany MNBFBW to Saw 4 which he is uncharacteristically psyched to see (I’m the gorehound in this relationship!) after also uncharacteristically seeing all three of the release films, a task I obviously have not completed myself.

Anyway, don’t get it twisted, I enjoyed Saw 2. I liked seeing Rev. Lucy Camden screamin’, and cop Donnie Walberg...well, I wouldn’t want to SPOIL things on a years old flick. As horror franchises go, Saw is quite entertaining. Rube Goldberg contraptions + gore = good fun at the movies. Who cares that they’re Se7en ripoffs, down to the lighting, but with crappier “mtv style” editing? I didn’t like Se7evn anyway. The Saw series is way less pretentious and glum.

NOW SPOILERS:

But not by enough, the pretentious part. See, I don’t get the point that people claim Saw has, something about an examination of human nature and the inability of people to change mixed with the lack of right to life for those who don’t appreciate it. I mean, fine, but I don’t see how these films illuminate much of anything about any of that, as the logic of John/Jigsaw’s games is completely inconsistant and often just stupid. Oh, someone who’s a snitch can’t pry out his own eye within 60 seconds = he can’t part with what has earned him his...snitchititude and thus lacks “survival instinct” and deserves to die? Huh? The metaphorical level (he watched crimes so will he part with his eye in order to live?) doesn’t work for me, esp as he had way to little time to get over the survival injstinct that might hinder one’s ability to gouge out one’s eye.

The people locked up with the gas...the Black dude showed the ability to change (as evidenced by his “we could go at each other like we did in the yard or...” cringeworthy speech, as well as smarts and survival instinct and...dead. Beverly Mitchell too. I guess it’s a hard knock life in the Saw world, but I fail to see how the vast majority of deaths by Saw are due to an inability of the victim to “change” or a lack of survival instinct.

What exactly are these movies even pretending to be about? It seems like some weird mix of faux-Nietsche and evolutionary psychology, as imagined by someone who has read neither.

I started Saw 3 last night and stopped cuz I needed to go to sleep but...damn. It kinda makes Saw 2 look like a brilliantly plotted masterpiece. I appreciate that they upped the gore but...is Jigsaw's "I want to play a game" schtick even a teeny bit creepy anymore? No, it is not. To be fair, I never thought it was, but the lulz quotient was a little lower. Or at least the scary voice/puppet combo was funny and not just...old, and eye roll inducing. Then again I only saw 30 minutes. maybe it gets great later on.