Hostel: Part II (2007) - Roth's return to Eastern Europe is a wicked horror blast

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+ Best Horror Movie of the Year + Best Gore Movie of the Year + Best Exploitation Movie of the Year + Best Comeback Actress of the Year: Heather Matarazzo 

Heather Matarazzo is caught upside down in an undeniably terrifying state of helplessness on this appropriately nasty poster for Eli Roth's Hostel: Part II

3 young women are lured to take a detour on their European interrail vacation from Rome to Slovakia, where they become victims of a clandestine society of upper class torture and murder patrons.

Hostel: Part II is written and directed by great Bostonian filmmaker Eli Roth (Cabin Fever (2002)), a sequel to his thrilling Hostel (2005), in which three male tourists experience the same type of grueling reception in Eastern Europe. Part II tops the wicked first film as an evil, grim and staggering work of exploitation horror.
Although the film by no definition of the word could be said to have a star cast, it does have a super cast: Stand-outs are Heather Matarazzo (Scream 3 (2000)), SPOILER whose death by scythe must rate as among the sickest movie death scenes in recent history, - unforgettably sadistic, - and Richard Burgi (Fatal Instinct (2014)) as a grotesque businessman. Horror fans will also appreciate Italian master filmmaker Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust (1980)) in a cameo as an Italian cannibal, naturally.
Hostel: Part II is a refreshingly inhumane, hardcore gore horror classic.

Related posts:

Eli Roth: The Last Exorcism Part 2 (2013) or, The Not So Last Chicken Exorcism (co-producer)
Aftershock (2012) - Extreme tastelessness in one of 2012's worst films (co-writer/co-producer/co-star) 
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject)
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - The Movies take revenge on Nazi scum (co-star)
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
Cabin Fever (2002) - Eli Roth's awesome skin-rash-inspired breakthrough (co-writer/co-producer/director)

Watch a terrific teaser for the film, introduced by Eli Roth SPOILER from the set of Matarazzo's death scene here

Cost: 10.2 mil. $
Box office: 35.6 mil. $ 
= Box office success (3.49 times the cost)
[Hostel: Part II premiered 7 June (Australia, Argentina and Slovakia) and runs 94 minutes. Shooting took place in Iceland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, including Prague, and Monaco from November 2006 - January 2007. SPOILER Bijou Phillips (Black Limousine (2010)) has explained that her scalping death scene required around 45 camera setups, and that her experience on the film made her lose interest for doing more horror. SPOILER Matarazzo completed the shooting of her upside down nude death scene without a stand-in, hanging for 5 minute intervals during the two days the scene was shot. The film opened and peaked #6 to an 8.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, (less than half of the first film's #1 19.5 mil. $ opening), grossing 17.6 mil. $ (49.4 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 3.5 mil. $ (9.8 %) and Germany with 2.1 mil. $ (5.9 %). The release encountered resistance of many types: Its meat-themed poster above was removed from US theaters after complaints. It was released cut in Germany, Singapore and Malaysia and banned outright in New Zealand. In UK's House of Commons in 2007, having stills from the film was cited as illegal, an offense of 'extreme pornography'. Worst for the film; a pirate version of it leaked online days before the release and was downloaded millions of times, which Roth blamed for the less impressive box office, compared to the first film's 80.5 mil. $ world gross. Roth returned with short Stolz der Nation (2009), featured a clip of in Inglorious Basterds (2009), which Roth also co-starred in, and with an episode of Hemlock Grove (2013, TV-series), which he also executive produced (2013-15), before he returned theatrically with The Green Inferno (2013). Hostel: Part III (2011) by Scott Spiegel was the much inferior straight-to-DVD so far last film in the Hostel franchise. Hostel: Part II is rotten at 44 % with a 5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hostel: Part II?

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) or, The Court Case Against Emily Rose's Exorcist

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A misty, chilling poster for Scott Derrickson's The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Rose is a possibly possessed young woman who dies during an unsuccessful exorcism. Now her Catholic priest exorcist stands accused of causing her death. - But what really killed her?

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is written by Paul Harris Boardman (Deliver Us from Evil (2014)) and co-writer-director Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange (2016)), based on a true story. The story is told through a mix of choppy, flickering flashbacks of Jennifer Carpenter (Battle in Seattle (2007)) as the demonically possessed - or merely psychotic - Emily Rose with the post-death present plane, wherein we get Laura Linney (The Details (2011)) and Tom Wilkinson (Snowden (2016)) injecting integrity into the tale with fine performances.
The film surprises as more of a court room drama than the horror we are led to expect from the title and poster. SPOILER The ending is an incomprehensible misfire, as Father Wilkinson is found guilty but still simply gets to walk away. Still, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is fairly entertaining.

Related posts:

Scott Derrickson: 2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Sinister (2012) - Derrickson's genuinly unpleasant horror

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) - Unduly bashed sci-fi drama

Listen to a track from the film's soundtrack here

Cost: 20 mil. $
Box office: 144.2 mil. $
= Huge hit
[The Exorcism of Emily Rose premiered 1 September (Venice International Film Festival) and runs 119 minutes. The film is based on the story of German Anneliese Michel, who passed away in 1976 after 67 exorcisms at a weight of just 68 lbs. Comparisons of film and the real and disturbing story can be found here. Filming took place in Los Angeles and in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from November 2004 onward. The film opened #1 to a stellar 30 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top five for another two weeks (#2, #5) and grossed 75 mil. $ (52 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Catholic: Mexico with 7.1 mil. $ (4.9 %) and Spain with 7 mil. $ (4.9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars, translating to one notch higher than this review. The same story has inspired a much greater German film by Hans-Christian Schmid, Requiem (2006). The Exorcism of Emily Rose is rotten at 45 % with a 5.5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Exorcism of Emily Rose?

Burlesque (2010) - Love the stars and the flashing lights like a real fangirl

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1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Song: You Haven't Seen the Last of Me - Diane Warren, performed by Cher (lost to The Treme Song - John Boutté for Treme S1)
 
+ Best Music Movie of the Year
+ Best Comeback Actress of the Year: Cher

Cher and Christina Aguilera on the appropriately glitzy poster for Steve Antin's Burlesque

A beautiful, blond songbird with star dreams comes to LA and promptly finds the vampy, incredible Burlesque club, where she begins to work her way up the ranks.

Burlesque is an enjoyable, glitzy trifle. If you're a Cher (Moonstruck (1987)) fan, - and this reviewer sure is, - you'll enjoy her performance, warmth and the two fine songs she performs. Christina Aguilera (Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)) also impresses with her vocal and show talents, making her starring debut here. Cam Gigandet (Twilight (2008)) is the hot roommate, Kristen Bell (The Lifeguard (2013)) is the scheming star of the club, and Stanley Tucci (Shall We Dance (2004)) gives fine life to its backstage homo.
Burlesque is a chick-flick guilty pleasure romance, and if one is in the mood for it, it's a good one of its kind. It's light as a merengue and a fantasy, essentially, - a beautiful place cut off from reality, - that magical place called Hollywood.
Burlesque is the feature debut of actor Steve Antin (Inside Monkey Zetterland (1992)), who has written and directed it. 

Related posts:

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Watch a clip from the film here

Cost: 55 mil. $
Box office: 89.5 mil. $
= Big flop
[Burlesque was released November 24 and runs 119 minutes. Filming lasted from November 2009 - March 2010. The film opened #4 (behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Tangled and Megamind) to a 11.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 39.4 mil. $ (44 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 9.4 mil.$ (10.5 %) and Australia 7.6 mil. $ (8.5 %). The film was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and won one of them, for Best Song (You Haven't Said the Last of Me) as well as 2 Grammys. Burlesque is rotten at 36 % with a 4.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Burlesque?