MovieChat Forums > Severance (2006) Discussion > East Europe?

East Europe?

posted 17 years ago by enigmatic-5
23 replies | jump to latest

I mean wth? What, with the ruin of Soviet Union and fall of comunism Hollywood still must use eastern part of Europe as some kinda savage part of the world where people get killed, mutilated and hunted down. Its a bad publicity stunt where that part of the world is charatarised as backwater *beep* where tourist shouldnt go without battalion of soldiers as bodyguards and it couldnt be farther from truth and simply its ruining tourism of those countries where people of those countries depend on good tourist seasons.
Americans should look at their country and they would find parts of it that are by far worst and more savage.

(Sorry for the spelling but english isnt my native language).

[–] Ohiowatha 17 years ago

Movies about Eastern Europe are "ruining tourism of those countries?" Your opinion is unfounded in truth. Tourism has never been a cornerstone of any Eastern European nation and movies like Hostel and Severance are not compromising their economy. Instead of asserting your paltry opinion as fact, why don't you show us some figures about a declining tourism industry in Hungary or Serbia before mongering lies.

There are myriad horror movies set in America and they do nothing to impinge upon our tourism industry.

Sounds like someone woke-up on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain! Just get a job in the UK like everyone else and shut-up...

By the way, your English is indeed excellent--much better than my Slovenian or Romanian.

[–] lyonsfellow 17 years ago

We have passes to see this tonight at a screening in Dallas. This sounds like a European version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Can anyone actually recommend anything about it? I am on the fence about going.

[–] tuffysmom 17 years ago

I'd definitely go, unless you don't like gory horror movies. It's very funny as well.

[–] aremeny 17 years ago

"Just get a job in the UK like everyone else and shut-up..."

Aren't you a little bit ignorant? Don't you think that everyone should get a job in their own country?
You shouldn't speak in such manner just because you live in a country that has never seen a war inside its borders (except the Civil War, where americans slaughtered each other for seemingly no major reason). Hungary once was one of the most powerful and richest country in Europe, long before America was discovered by Colombus. So back off...

[–] Potter_obsessing 17 years ago

well said Ohiowatha

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Handy_B 17 years ago

This movie has nothing to do with Hollywood or americans. It's a british film with some funding from Germany. And is filmed in Hungary.

[–] Ohiowatha 17 years ago

Thank you, Handy B, of COURSE this has nothing to do with America. But it is just hilarious and sad that some people are so bitter that they'll project their own fears and insecurities onto anything--including a British horror film with two American actors.

Enigmatic tells readers to look at parts of America to discover that "they are by far the worst and most savage." Worst and most savage WHAT? Worst and most savage people, environment, government--what?!?! The Americans have poor public school, but it seems no worse than whomever taught Enigmatic how to state his (hollow) case.

Yeah, yeah, Enigmatic, you are unemployed, pathetic, lonely and disgraced by the rise of American hegemony, so why don't you cry about it? In fact, why don't you blame everything on the Americans? You know EVERYthing that goes wrong in this world is their fault, right? Who cares that they provide more aid to developing countries than the rest of the G-8 combined. Who cares that they provided more relief to the 2005 tsunami victims than anyone else and got NO relief when their Gulf Coast was ravaged by Hurrican Katrina? Why don't you go to Afghanistan, join the Taliban, and put your money where your mouth is? Go get 'em, tough guy!!!

LOL

[–] stevsmith332 17 years ago

Parts of America (read most of) are often portrayed as savage in film. That doesnt mean they are.

The irony is that eastern europe is a hell of a lot more civilised than western europe. I'm not talking about expensive cars or designer clothes, Im talking about the fact that the further east you go the better people's values, respect and courteousy etc are.

Im British btw, lived in Budapest.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] hoyaeldridge 17 years ago

I spent last summer working and traveling in five Balkan countries in addition to Hungary:

I was drawn down upon by (friendly) soldiers because I wandered down the wrong side of a isolated monastary.

I watched the nightly television PSAs about unexploded land mines if you walked off the paved roads.

I attended a policy meeting where a Kosovar farmer ridiculed agriculture assistance because all his land grows are "mortars and Kalishnikovs."

But beyond all that, I had a wonderful time. The people were wonderful and mostly open. The history and culture is ancient. It is a fantastic place to travel and enjoy. I don't think this slasher/comedy of a British movie is going to take away from the tourist industry...since most of the Balkan area never was and probably is not a tourist business.

Most people would never think to go to an off-the-beaten-path country; it will by the positive word-of-mouth from very satisfied travelers/workers like myself.

BONUS TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE BALKANS

Kosovo: Go to Decani Monastary, untouched since the 1400s
Macedonia: Spend a weekend at Lake Ohrid in the SW. The Lake Trout is great.
Serbia: Belgrade is like Paris without any landmarks...still it has some charm, definately go to the War Museum. Kinda creepy, but a good half-milenia of stuff.
Montenegro: Go to Kotor and climb up to the fortress...all 1,400 steps!
Croatia: do everything, and see everything

[–] ABlindEclipse 17 years ago

You dumbasses Hungary is NOT eastern europe.

[–] Ohiowatha 17 years ago

How would you categorize it then? SOUTHERN Europe? Of course it is both. It's East of Poland, even. It was behind the Iron Curtain and that had been the established demarcation of Eastern Europe throughout the Cold War.

[–] raf-33 17 years ago

Not sure what annoys me more, the fact that the original poster is an obvious troll or the fact he's another simpleton who assumes every movie he sees comes from Hollywood.

British people travel around Europe, I know it's hard to believe for some but having a landmass the size of Eurasia on the other side of a twenty mile channel of water led to the inevitable. We go there.

[–] wizkid79 17 years ago

It depends, you can include it in Eastern Europe as for example the United Nations Statistics Division does, or you can include it in Central Europe. Both are legitimate definitions.

[–] tshock 17 years ago

Hungary is usually referred to as Central-Eastern Europe. It's western neighbour is Austria.

Southern Europe is Greece, Albania etc.

I as a Hungarian, personally don't get a headache from people calling my home country Eastern European, as long as they don't use the term in a derogatory way. :)

A small fact: Hungary is not in the Balkans, it starts with our southern neighbour, the beautiful Croatia.

[–] sziz 17 years ago

Few things about this topic. (BTW I am from Hungary)

1. I do not care about horror movies based in Hungary. People who would not visit because of it: would not come anyway. they have probably no idea where Hungary is.

2. Where the hell is Hungary? Well, definitly not East of Poland:-)))) (actualy South of Poland is slovakia, and South of Slovakia is Hungary.

3. So is it Eastern Europe? Southern? Or what? If You watch the map and do not think in political categorieas, than hungary is Central Europe. But because many people thinks in political Easter-Western categories, they say: Austria is Western Europe, Hungary is Easter. In fact: both are central European countris.

4. Do i care? No. Does it tell anything about the country? No. Do I care you do not know anything about Hungary? No.:-)))

5. Many people of the "political Eastern Europe" think that "Western Europeans" are ignorant, brainlass dum.b.a.sses. (Same time the same "Eastern Europeans" are very sensitive,disappointed that "Westerners" did not know anything about our culture, geography, history etc. Which is not logical. Why to care what ignorant brainless dum.b.a.sses think about you?:-)))

6. Hm..does that mean that in every country all around a world there are many stupid and brainless people? Yes it does. And I am one of them.:-))

+1.The most important point: I think this is a good movie:-)

[–] Dances_with_Weasels 17 years ago

Great thoughts, sziz.

I am American, and seeing this movie reminded me that I want to see Eastern Europe someday. So in my case, it has potentially increased tourism.

Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle "Dixie"?

[–] p-o-thunder 14 years ago

Personally i as a swede would rather go to Hungary any day rather than the evil USA.

[–] nucleus_012 17 years ago

Its true that such movies cant do real harm to tourism, but I would argue with those who think that Hungary has no real tourism:

according to the World Tourism Organisation, Hungary had 9.3 million foreign tourists in 2006. with this, we've reached the 22nd place on the world list of most visited/popular countries. our small, 10 million country had more tourists than Egypt, or South-Africa! And we dont even have an ocean-connection!
(2004: 12,2 million tourists, 18th place)

Our tourism cant be screwed up by movies, because we have a far stronger cultural-reputation among travelers than any horror could depict! So im not too worried about it.

[–] silesius-1 15 years ago

It's in fact a "translation" of American horror stereotypes into European - the woods etc.: A landscape where you can really get lost. You won't find this in Western Europe.

(And of course, Hungary is not Eastern Europe, but part of the very core - Austria, Bavaria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary.)

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] marbleeye 13 years ago

Think yourself lucky for not having fat American tourists.