As Springsteen wrote, it’s always “one step up and two steps back,” especially when we’re talking about the cesspool of American pop culture.
We barely get the N-word buried when another torture-porn movie is inflicted upon the public, leaving us to wonder how even 19-year old guys who were raised on satanic death-rock can stomach this stuff.
This time around, hot on the lacerated heels of Hostel II, (which, happily, continues to tank at the box office), it’s Captivity, a vein-ripper starring the alleged actress who causes endless trouble as Jack Bauer’s often-abducted daughter in the 24 series. Unfortunately, this time the captor is a gore-loving madman, and Jack’s not there to save the day or to keep unsuspecting innocents from buying tickets and wandering into this nightmare.
All we can do–besides deploring, of course–is hope that this nauseating concoction flops like Hostel II–which, alas, will probably bounce back once it’s released on DVD to satanic-rockers in 43 other countries. The reviews I’ve scanned were mostly bad. Here’s a sample from TwinCities.com:
There is precious little to recommend Captivity. It is an ultimately pointless tale that throws in anything and everything that might offend — misogyny, cruelty to animals, patricide, incest, pedophilia, mutilation, cannibalism — in the hopes of being shocking. The irony is that the film is less scary as it proceeds because it becomes all about how gross it can be rather than how clever or terrifying.
If you’d like another take, with a grueling “plot” summary, check it here.
