The Aughts (and The Aught-Not- Haves)

Journal Entry:  September 14^th, 2003

Today was a pretty monumental day for me.  I sat there, at Mann’s Chinese, just staring at the Marquis that read “Cabin Fever.”  I had always read about George Lucas sitting at Hamburger Hamlet across the street watching people line up for “Star Wars” opening weekend, and now I was doing the same with my own film.  The people at the table behind me were talking about it, the people next to me were talking about it.  I had a great time hanging out with the projectionist at Mann’s Chinese. She  showed me Sid Grauman’s private balcony.  Five seats, just for him.  Your view is completely unobstructed.  It’s incredible.  And that’s where I sat, enjoying the film, as if I were in control of the whole theater.  Making them jump where I wanted them to jump, and laugh where I wanted them to laugh.  And people complain there isn’t enough gore.  What more do they want?

2004

After a year and a half of taking meetings, setting up projects that never got off the ground, I said fuckit, and with Quentin’s encouragement, wrote “Hostel” in ten days.  I was going out of my mind, because I had “cooled off” and the directing offers had stopped coming in.  People were starting to see me as a one trick pony and I knew I had to make another film to prove I was not a fluke.  Plus I was running out of money.  I felt like I was back where I was before “Cabin Fever.”  I was being offered terrible scripts to direct but felt like I hadn’t clawed my way to where I was only to sell out and jump on a studio job I didn’t really care about.

I have to shoot an NC-17 film with no compromises. Something relentless and unforgettable.

I met producer Dan Frisch in December, 2004.   Dan was an American producer based in Prague, and told me about the advantages of shooting there.  I told him I’d love to check it out, and he said “just get on a plane.”  So that day I booked a ticket, and spent my own money going there to scout locations and do research.  I spent two weeks in Prague, and then flew to Iceland to convince my friend Eythor to act in the movie.  Eythor had no previous acting experience, but he was one of the funniest, most charismatic people I had ever met, and I had written the role for him.  I knew he wouldn’t do it at first, so I set up casting sessions in Iceland and started meeting actors as backups.  Once he learned other actors wanted the part he jumped in and said that no one could play the part but him.  All I had to do now was find the money.  The journal picks up on my way back from Iceland.  I still did not have funding for the film, but was confident I could get it, and even more confident I could make the film for $3 million dollars.

Journal Entry:  January 4^th, 2005

To say this flight is a zoo would be a massive understatement.  I must be sitting in the family section because there are kids EVERYWHERE.  It’s fine, whatever, I didn’t need sleep anyway.

It is 2005.  I have been in Los Angeles for six years now.  That’s a long fucking time.  I am not married.  I have a directing career, but the bigger budget projects take forever to get going.  The only way to make movies is to do them at a low budget until you have a few hits under your belt and people are throwing money at you.  I am very upset I’m not in preproduction on a film right now.

There are kids everywhere.  This looks like a frickin’ jungle gym.  Even in the row behind me – both sides – there are kids.  Do they put them all together on purpose?  No wonder there was an open seat.

My mind is schizophrenic.  I need to be singularly minded and focused and get HOSTEL underway and off the ground.  People are depending on me for it.  My reputation is depending on it.  Fuck, we have to get this money NOW so we can start prepping the film.

Quentin Tarantino loves the idea of me making HOSTEL.  He thinks that there are these other movies out now getting all this praise, and I’ll show them how it’s done. I have to shoot an NC-17 film with no compromises. Something relentless and unforgettable.

I shot “Hostel” in the spring of 2005 in Prague for $3.8 million dollars.  I cut it over the summer, and in August did 2 days of reshoots for a new ending, after the original ending left test audiences confused and somewhat unsatisfied.  I initially fought the whole process, but it was Quentin who said “Well Eli, have you ever considered the possibility that a better ending exists?”  I said no. “Maybe you should. Think about it.”  Once Quentin said that it kind of gave me permission to open my mind, and ultimately I went with what the studio suggested, and really liked it.  I had a great time filming it, and audiences went berserk when they saw it.  The movie finally got the reaction I wanted.  I was a little better at going through the testing process this time, and was able to get what I wanted from the studio while giving them what they wanted at the same time.  The film was released in January 2005 and opened #1 taking in almost $20 million dollars.  The film went on to be a #1 hit around the world and ultimately made $80 million dollars at the box office worldwide.  I had finally arrived. “Hostel” was a runaway hit, completely unexpected, and extremely profitable for Sony and Lionsgate, who released the film together.  The only question was what to do next.

>>>NEXT: What To Do Next? (Click here to print.)

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.