Eli Roth Speaks Out on Piracy…Again
Posted by Rodneyon 19. 10. 2007in News Chat
Earlier this year, Eli Roth’s Hostel 2 was leaked on the net a week before the film’s initial release, and since then it has become the most downloaded film of all time. If you have read any of his blogs or any interviews you would know how infuriated the horror director is about his film being pirated, and according to IMDB, he still has some choice words to say about it.
IMDB gives us this:
“I’m furious. Here’s the thing: It’s real money. People say, ‘Oh, you can’t get mad at people downloading.’ Well then, when are you supposed to get mad? If you don’t speak out against it now, then when?” And Roth has pinpointed his target movie audience as being the very persons responsible for the majority of downloads.
Although it sucks that his movie was pirated, I’m still one of those firm believers that believe Hostel 2’s box office failure was due to it being released during the season when all the blockbuster hits are released. The reason why the original film had done so well, was because it opened in January and there was nothing competing with it. Take ‘Rob Zombie’s Halloween’ for example. His workprint was also leaked on the net a week before the film initial’s release, and it still made TONS of money at the box office.
This movie will make money on DVD. (Considering it comes out a week before Halloween) I still know tons of people who are curious enough about the sequel to rent it. So, although I think the piracy of his film sucks ass, I do think Mr. Roth should calm down a little. The movie made its money back, (despite the lack luster numbers at the box office) and will definitely make a profit when it comes out on DVD. Relax! (If it makes you feel better Eli, I went to see it in theatres! :P)
Let this be a lesson to all. If you release a horror movie during a time when the most highly anticipated movies of the year are released, expect most audiences to mutter the words, “I’ll wait for DVD.”
If you want Eli Roth to calm down and to stop talking about piracy, go out and rent ‘Hostel 2’ when it comes out October 23, 2007.
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It also doesn’t help that Hostel 2 was a HORRIBLE movie and bad word of mouth got out about it pretty quickly.
Why wouldn’t a guy be mad that his work is being stolen? Anyone would be mad.
But ya, Hostel 2 looked like crap and I didn’t see nor did I d/l it illegally.
The comb industry called me and they are mad at Eli Roth for costing them a few dollars for not brushing his hair.
It really surprises me that it was the most downloaded movie of all time – the movie was trash as was the first one. Nothing original in either films. Roth is over rated in my opinion
“If you want Eli Roth to calm down and to stop talking about piracy, go out and rent ‘Hostel 2’ when it comes out October 23, 2007.”
Ha ha ha, nice try Serena but i’ll take my chances without Hostel 2 in my life. And i hope that Roth isn’t labelling the entire demographic that are his target audience as criminals. That would be, erm, silly.
he has every right to angry…his film was stolen and pirated.
hell even a supposed “legitimate” film critic wrote his review based on an unfinished bootleg he brought before the film came out.
that is bullshit right there and roth has every right to be mad about it.
think about it any of you…you make a film and then you start reading reviews basedon an illegal unfinished workprint and then hearing that people are burning it and downloading it before it even hits theatres.
but i do believe its “failure” at the BO was more due to lionsgate releasing it during the summer then the bootlegging.
they took a gamble and thought it might be a dark horse but it wasn’t. had they have released this film earlier or closer to halloween it would have done better than it did.
Is it just me or does Eli look a lot like Zachary Quinto in that picture??
well everyone do me a favor and bootleg Saw 4 as well…if you plan on seeing it. Then do the same with Saw 5. Make them boxoffice failures so they won’t make anymore.
The reason Hostel 2 did bad at the box office is because it SUCKED.
I wish this guy would stop whining about piracy and take some responsability for his failures.
well danny if it was purely down to that then spider man 3 would have bombed as well.
and we never would have gotten a fantastic four sequel….
the biggest reason hostel 2 under performed is exactly as serena put it…
they never should have released this in the middle of the summer…especially not this summer..it was crowded enough already
@Alfie:
That is in reference to a lie someone told Roth, and Roth went off on a tangent last summer over it. Yet…the accusation was never proven, the critic (actually “critics” were never named. He even said “the studios” knew who “they” are.
But he doesn’t name the suspects. Why? Answer: because he has no proof.
There is no proof because it never took place. What is known is that Hostel 2 had some slightly positive reviews as well. Did those critics also base those opinions on illegal internet downloads? Did *all* of the critics who gave the film a thrashing see that download?
While it is true that ‘Hostel 2″ is the most downloaded film off the net…I don’t buy it that the film tanked because it was a summer release. It didn’t have the budget of say, Spider-Man 3, let’s put it that way. I’m sure some folks pirated Spidey, Transformers…and those films still made thier cash.
I’m curious…why isn’t Roland Joffe bitching that there was no audience for ‘Captivity’? Or where’s John Stockwell, putting up a fuss over the failure of ‘Turistas’. That answer is that those films tanked, and both have made better films in the past (especially Joffe- did he really direct ‘Killing Fields’ and ‘City Of Joy’?) …but again, I don’t hear THEM bitching.
The audiences aren’t interested in these kinds of films anymore; the novelty is OVER, and that is the only major reason why ‘Hostel 2′ tanked. It is sad, too, that Roth is calling of ‘Cell’. He shouldn’t have a knee jerk reaction.
Instead, he should smell the shit he is shoveling, knock off the whining and go ahead on the next picture. I thought Hostel 1 had some good suspense…I had a riot over Cabin Fever (and keep an eye for Fever 2 next year, folks!) …
actually Darren…they did HAVE proof. I even know who it was…He didn’t name the critic because he’s better than that. (That or he didn’t want to give that person more publicity.)
I think a lot of people went to go see Spidey 3 and Shrek 3 because the previous films were considered to be very good by both critics and the gerneal audience. Once people saw the films then they had their reactions and I am sure plenty of people downloaded both of those movies plus even Transformers made a lot of money and I’m sure plenty of people downloaded that film.
@ Serena
I thought it was stated that there was more than one. If there was “only one”, then that critic should be ashamed for bringing down his/her profession. I don’t think it was anyone major, however.
AND if it was only one, Roth may not name the goofball…why doesn’t anyone else? Why don’t you?
There could have been more than one…but it was the first critic that got Eli’s attention and who is the person he is referring to.
Why don’t I bring it up? Because I’m not a tattletale. :)
So, if it was only ‘one’ clown who pulled such a stunt, how does that explain the other critics who were shut out of pre-screenings and didn’t like the film (or those who did) …and why is it that not everyone who downloaded Hostel 2 (despite it having the trivia of being the most downloaded) is it fair to say that those who didn’t download the workprint and/or the actual film and didn’t like the film as much as the first told friends not to see it?
In other words, out of the folks who didn’t download, critics and audiences alike, and who did see the film, and didn’t like it as much as the first…
People stayed away not because it was summer (which in my view didn’t hurt the film at all; I think that it would have made more or less the same) and not because of download piracy (didn’t stop folks from other films)…most folks didn’t like it as much as the first.
That’s why it didn’t do as well as expected.
And, no, I don’t believe the story.
Well Darren, you don’t need to believe it…you not believing it doesn’t make it not true. I know the facts and I know what went down. Enough said on that topic…
Maybe the reason it was pirated so much is because people didn’t want to spend their money on what they figured would be a piece of crap?
theres really nothing what makes me more sick than people “defending” piracy… so, it wasn’t the piracys fault the movie tanked? so fuckin what? all people downloading movies illegally should just be shot… at least those who just don’t get they doing “bad”. there are people who it and still do it.. thats fine, they’r at least not stupid. but those defending it because “the price is so high” or “there are just suckkie movies” (why do you download then, fuckhead), theyre just the real morons.
Roth is a hack that rpoduces garbage, violence porn.
If I were a downloader I wouldnt waste my time on his crap.
He sounds like a director who know his talent is limited and he’s trying to scrape all the $$ he can get before he revealed as the pudcrank he really is.
Piss Off Eli.
“Not believing it doesn’t make it not true” LOL
It doesn’t make it true either serena, without actuall proof you have no case about the critic issue.
And the same thing goes for The highest downloaded film of all time. THere is absolutly no proof to back up this claim. If there is, show it to me. I looked everywhere on the internet, and found nothing. IMDB showed the article, and guess who their source was was???? Eli Roth himslef.LOL He probably started this whole thing just to publicise his crappy film.
alfie, how dare you compare Hostel to Spiderman, an icon with a huge following from comics to everything, else, including two very succesful, and well made sequals. Obviosly people are going to give 3 a chance. The first Hostel was crap, and people not showing up to the second one is proof of that.
Yeah that’s what I was going to say, show me the numbers for it being downloaded so much.