Hostel

While the sun may be shining in Green Bay for the first time in nearly two weeks, the situation at the movie theater remains dark and dismal. I ended 2005 with the disappointing "Munich" and started 2006 by wasting my time with "Hostel".

Billed as a horror movie, "Hostel" follows three guys back-packing across Europe in search of females and fun. After learning of a specific hostel in Slovakia that could fulfill their wildest dreams, the travelers trek from Amsterdam to a small idyllic village where the women are beautiful and the drinks flow as fast as the river. Turns out these guys aren't the only ones in town looking for pleasures. Unfortunately for them, the major source of income for this former Soviet-controlled town comes from a rundown factory that now serves as a house of torture. Apparently there are people around the world willing to pay large sums of money to take out their sadistic fantasies on unknowing tourists.

This is where the movie is suppose to be scary. Don't be fooled by previews suggesting that, or by the fact that Quentin Tarantino's name is attached to this. He is a producer, but did not write or direct this lame flick. There are, perhaps, three cringe-worthy scenes, while others were unintentionally laughable, and this doesn't happen for a full hour into the film. "Hostel" may have been number one in theaters last week, but don't expect people to return there next week. I give it a D.

"Hostel" is rated R with a running time of 95 minutes.