Blu-ray Review: Hostel, Part II

THE MOVIE: 1 star out of 5

Presented by Quentin Tarantino and written and directed by Eli Roth, Hostel Part II is the sequel to Hostel and centers on an underground torture ring in Eastern Europe where rich businessmen pay to torture and murder their victims. Quite frankly, this is not my type of movie (hence the grade) and was quite difficult to watch. If you are a fan of this type of film, I have no doubts that you will be more than satisfied with this presentation. It is not for the faint of heart.

THE VIDEO: 4 1/4 stars out of 5

The content of the film aside, this is an excellent transfer and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2:35:1. This is a very dark film (in more ways than one) where most of the action takes place in the shadows. It also has an overall golden tone, much like what was seen in the film Invincible. This is especially noticeable in the daylight shots were the fleshtones have a golden color. This is a purely artistic decision on the part of the director and is reproduced on this disc beautifully. This is a very sharp looking transfer despite the fact that much of the film takes place in the shadows. Shadow detail is excellent. There isn’t a hint of softness in this transfer with textures of the skin, clothing and backgrounds well deliniated and easy to make out. I was also not able to detect much noise in the darker scenes of the type that have plagued some transfers I have seen with similar looking films. Fans of this film will love this transfer.

THE AUDIO: 4 3/4 stars out of 5

The audio presentation on this disc is a good as the video. The only high rez track is an uncompressed 5.1 PCM track which is presented with excellent fidelity. The dialogue track is clear, full sounding and well integrated into the mix. The soundfield is truely immersive, with one clearly feeling as if one was in the dungeons with the characters. The sense of air arounfd you is palpable. The overall audio presentation can be characterized as smooth, open and airy with full and deep bass. The audio track really helps to heighten the overall mood and tension of the film and is very well done.

IN CONCLUSION

While I am not a fan of this film or the film’s particular genre, those who are will be more than happy with this presentation on Blu-Ray.

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