In which V. has been to the cinema and was amazed by a new experience.

So I saw Hostel 2 today. I decided to go to the cinema closer to my house, what with gas costing $3 a gallon. I used to work at this cinema when I was in school, and for this reason I usually try to avoid it. But in these crazy times of insane fuel pricing, we do what we must.

So in the past week, they're refitted this cinema with digital projectors. No more old-school projectors, no sir. It's all digital. I've been hearing about this technology for a while, but having been a film student was mostly opposed to it. IMO part of the reason for seeing films in the cinema as opposed to at home on television is for the aesthetic experience of it. Yes, film flickers. Get over it. I like that.

Anyway, I don't exactly live in Hicksville, but I don't live in a major metropolitan area either, so I didn't really expect to be seeing anything digital in the local cinemas. But I arrive at Ye Olde Carmike this afternoon and there you go. It's all digital. I was aghast. DIGITAL? WTF. THIS IS A TRAVESTY.

But then I actually saw it with my own two eyes, and it is pretty amazing. The picture quality is a whole new world of sharpness. Sharpness and clarity, that's what I'm saying people. Between the previews and the actual film, they showed a little information segment about The Benefits Of Digital Projection, which made the case that whether it's the first time or the 100th time a film is shown, picture quality will never degrade. It can't get scratched or dirty or otherwise damaged. Which, I mean, that's a good thing.

All that said, I still don't think I'd want to see a digital projection of a classic film. Something like Citizen Kane, I think deserves that old-school flickering light aesthetic. But I think it's the perfect way to show stuff like, for example, Transformers.

Moving on, how about I actually review the film, eh?

Hostel 2 was just like Hostel 1 except this time the protagonists were girls instead of boys. The girls were also more sympathetic and likable than the boys were, so you feel worse about it when they start getting torture-killed. The people doing the torture-killing were maybe slightly more depraved than the last time around, too. But then they'd sort of have to be, wouldn't they? Otherwise why bother making a sequel. Oh, and there's a twist at the end that I didn't completely see coming, but wasn't too surprised by either. So yeah, I recommend. Unless you don't like ultraviolence. Yeah.