31 Days of Halloween: Day Twenty Two
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Turistas (2006 Rated R in the US for strong graphic violence and disturbing content, sexuality, nudity, drug use and language. All in all, a good Halloween college party)
Summary (from IMDB):
While traveling on vacation through the country of Northeastern of Brazil by bus, the American Alex Trubituan, his sister Bea Tribituan and their friend Amy Harrington meet the also foreigners Pru Stagler, Finn Davies and Liam Kuller after an accident with their bus. They follow a track through the woods and find a hidden paradisiacal beach. They decide to stay in the place drinking beer and dancing funk and parting with the locals and they meet the amicable Brazilian teenager Kiko. They are drugged with “Boa Noite, Cinderela” (Ruffies, literal translation: “Good Night, Cinderella” – a trick used by smalltime crooks to steal naive people) and when they wake up, they are practically naked, with all their belongings, clothes, money, jewels, passports, backpacks etc. stolen. They walk to a small village trying to find a police station, they get into trouble with the dwellers and they are helped by their acquaintance Kiko…
RB Wood’s Rating (Out of 5): 3.5 Carnival scantily-clad women
This really isn’t a bad picture, despite some of the reviews out there. In fact, I’d say the only disappointing aspect is the ending which, for me, feel flat. The Tension-building and setup are superb, and the acting much better than I’d expected–even upon last night’s repeat viewing. John Stockwell’s “Turistas” mines territory explored by “Hostel”, but it substitutes Brazil for Europe. A bunch of young tourists from Australia, the UK, and the US, are left high and dry when the bus they are traveling in is destroyed and their personal effects are stolen. There are no points for guessing what happens next. There are elements of “Dr. Butcher MD” in this beautifully shot horror pic that lavishes attention on the hot bodies of its female stars. It is not violent or as gory,but director Stockwell (who played Arnie’s best friend in “Christine”) does a great job of building the suspense by intercutting the situation the turistas are facing with what the bad guys are up to. There is one gory scene in which a stomach is cut open in graphic detail and organs are removed, but as an avid CSI watcher, this has less impact now than it did back in 2006. Some of the underwater material is gorgeous to look at, recalling the mood of Argento’s “Inferno”, and the jungle setting is unsettling. Although the film runs out of steam towards the end and spends a bit too much time underwater, it is, nevertheless, a very decent horror pic set in an exotic milieu and enhanced by some gruesome, realistic scenes of violence.
Tomorrow: “Plans are pointless. Staying alive’s as good as it gets.”
Peace
