Turistas

Another helping of sadism disguised as entertainment, director John Stockwell's slice-and-dice horror flick Turistas is about beautiful young foreigners (from the U.S., Britain, and Australia) set upon by psycho killers while vacationing in Brazil. Dubbed “Hostel-with-a-tan-line” by Variety, the film serves up a series of victims skinned, eviscerated, and otherwise misused in the most appalling ways. Unfortunately, viewers have to wait for most of the movie before the premium bloodletting starts. The first half-hour involves stranding six twentysomethings in a remote area after a bus accident, while the second 30 minutes follows their trek to an isolated house in the mountains. Granted, there are a few shocks along the way—an incident involving a machete and a steep cliff, an eye-gouging, and an “operation” on an injured scalp with a staple gun. But it's not until the 60-minute mark that the real gore sets in, and then—oddly—it only lasts briefly before the film embarks on an extended underwater chase that's visually murky. Even aficionados of the genre are likely to find Turistas a long slog, and the lame attempt at depth—the killer's motive involves wealthy nations' exploitation of the Third World—makes it even worse. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include both R-rated and unrated versions on the same disc, audio commentary by director John Stockwell and co-executive producer Kent Kubena, 11 deleted scenes, including an alternate ending (22 min.), “The Bloody Truth” makeup effects featurette (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)