As for Hostel, that’s another film that doesn’t deserve the ‘torture porn’ label. There’s a lot of torture, for sure, but there’s also a really original story there that’s quite good and very compelling.

That’s so funny, because I just tweeted about that Zep scene, as soon as I finished this post. Not something I really took note of the first time I watched the movie, but such a brilliant little touch. All of the scenes in Gordon’s home are fantastic. The stuff with ‘the man is the closet’ feels most like a James Wan film, looking back on it.

Didn’t make it out to the theater to see it, but I watched it recently, and it definitely holds up. Most of the things I like best about it are actually not really things that have become “iconic,” and are mostly never really even talked about. Probably those little details like you mention.

My favorite part is where Zep is holding Dr. Gordon’s family hostage and pointing the gun at them while listening to the heartbeats (reminds me something out of an old Argento movie). And when he’s hiding in the closet (the Black Christmas shot), and when he comes out in the sheet. I also like the scene where Adam’s in his apartment in the dark, and keeps flashing his camera until the pigmasked figure finally jumps out at him. The shotgun trap and Danny Glover are also high points.