Torture Porn, or out of control emphasizing?

(Pictured, Elisha Cuthbert in Captivity): For a few months now, there's been a debate growing. Outside the horror community, as well as inside it. The debate is over what people are deeming to be "torture porn", which also goes under another phrase which has been recently coined...."gorno". Alot of films are taking it on the chin due to this debate. It started last Halloween when Bill O'Reilly on his show, blew up over "Saw 3"'s very successful opening weekend. The film opened in first place on the weekend before Halloween, and O'Reilly took the opportunity to lay into that film. Along with others like "Texas chainsaw massacre: the beginning", and "The Hills Have Eyes" (2006).

"Saw 3" director Darren Lynn Bousman fired back with a blunt and necessary response to the scathing report, and the issue died down. That is until "Hostel Part II" was released back in early June. The film was immediately hammered by critics, this amongst the whirlwind of pirated versions of the film which had somehow made their way online, and angered Director Eli Roth who blamed the pirating for a majority of the films bad review, and sluggish box office. Other than all of that, the torture porn debate had once again been riled up by the films release.

Back a few weeks ago talking to the New York Daily News, "28 Days Later" Director Danny Boyle criticized "Hostel 2" director Eli Roth, stating quote..."His movies aren't even particularly well done, they're not even scary. They're horrible, but that's not scary. It's not suspense. And if you watch my films in detail, there's actually not a lot of violence in them. You get numb with violence very quickly."..end quote. Then recently writer Don Kaye on MSN Movies, in a recent article made mention of Roth's placing blame on piraters for "Hostel 2"'s apparent failure by saying..."Perhaps Roth should stop pointing fingers, and concentrate on making a film that relies on more than a chain saw slicing off half a woman's face."

Roth however fired back at Kaye's piece recently in an email, part of which read..."I would like you to back up how "Hostel II" is a failure, a claim you repeatedly make. While the film did not do what the first film did at the box office, (which was a total shock to everyone - myself included) "Hostel II" cost only $10 million dollars to make, and is currently at $30 million dollars worldwide box office, with many territories left to open. How many other films this summer have earned triple their production budget in their theatrical run? Are those films failures as well?" The situation is beginning to get ugly, obviously. But Eli Roth seems to be taking the brunt of the heat.

So is that because his films, which are very graphic just make such an easy target for those who disagree with the current direction of the genre? Or is it just because "Hostel 2" didn't do as well as "Hostel" and people are seeing it fit to pile on and kick Roth while they think he's down? Who knows. But one thing I do know is that "Captivity", which opened last Friday tanked, big time. Coming in at number 12 for the weekend of July 13th-July 15th. Now alot of people have said, well torture porn can only ride the high wave for so long before it comes crashing down. Using that as a reason for "Captivity's" box-office flop.

But I think it's because genre fans, horror fans, who alot of people deem as evil, and brainless voyeur's of filth and human destruction...are simply alot smarter than people give them credit for. Sure, horror fans might flock to a film and fall in love with it. A film that mainstream critics might completely pan. But the majority of horror fans know when they're being pandered to. The "Saw" series has become the huge success that it is because it mixes the blood and gore that we all want, with a brainy plot, and good performances. There's no doubt about that. And while "Hostel" as a series may not be as smart as "Saw", it certainly is alot more sinister, and really delves into the sadistic and evil nature of some human beings out there in the world.

Sure, the sequel, which I enjoyed, didn't do as well as "Hostel", a film which I admit I did not like. But what sequel has really? When you look back through the horror genre, sequels just simply do not do as well as their predecessors, and those that come close or match what their predecessors made....consider themselves in a tiny minority. And if your film isn't pushing a big star like Samuel L. Jackson or Neve Campbell, it's even tougher. "Hostel 2" did well, making it's 10 million budget back in one weekend, and going on to a 30 million dollar intake at this point. But box-office intake is beside the point. Like I said, genre fans know when they're being pandered to, which is why "Captivity" flopped over the weekend.

Genre fans knew what was going on. The film was an obvious attempt, a "blatantly obvious" attempt...to cash in on the "gorno" crowd, who flocked to films like "Saw" and "Hostel". I myself knew that going into the film, and the reshoots to give it a more graphic tone went on to prove that point even more. So this stuff about gorno, torture porn, and the crumbling of moviegoing society is simply nonsense. Genre fans may dig this new breed of "push the envelope off of a huge cliff" horror film, but they're bright enough not to flock to just anything that has a pretty girl getting doused with acid, suffocated in sand, boiled alive, or anything else. They also want atleast some sembelence of a story, and some interesting characters to go along with that stuff. Simple as that.

The whole scenario is, in my opinion...being over-emphasized. Other than "Hostel 2", only one other horror film which critics would deem as "torture porn" has been released this year, and that was "Captivity". And we've got one more on the way, "Saw 4". Critics, and some in the media, would have you believe that these films are coming out every weekend, and people are flocking to them like there's no tomorrow. That.....simply isn't happening. To sum up this whole deal, the horror genre has changed, and is changing. Just like it did from the 70's to the 80's, the 80's to the 90's, and the 90's, into the new millenium. And directors such as Eli Roth, Darren Lynn Bousman, and a few others understand that genre fans need something in the marketplace to offset the neverending remake train. Because trust me, that thing isn't gonna stop any time soon.



Article by Mr. HoRrOr.





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