Editor’s Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on July 30, 2007, and we’re proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
Next to Grindhouse, the most unfortunate horror box-office disappointment of the past spring was Vacancy—a movie that, apart from its star leads and slick widescreen veneer, could easily pass for a movie from the grindhouse era. A lean, no-frills thriller-shocker in which a married couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become stranded and trapped in a remote motel whose proprietor turns the guests into snuff-movie stars, it’s got jump-out-of-your seat jolts and audience-pleasing cathartic moments aplenty (see previous review here). The film really should be seen with as many fellow viewers as possible for maximum effectiveness, but watching it at home via Sony Pictures’ DVD should do just fine.
The 2.40:1 transfer (there’s also a fullscreen version included, but don’t even go there) is up to Sony’s usual high standards, suffused in eerie darkness without losing clarity. Equally fine is the 5.1 soundtrack that makes the most of the film’s nerve-jangling audio FX and Paul Haslinger score. Too bad the supplemental package is as sparse as the Southwestern desert in which the story unfolds. Why no commentary by director Nimrod Antal—who, though he first came to cinematic prominence in Hungary, was born and raised in the States and speaks flawless English—or explanation of how originally cast lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker came to be replaced by Beckinsale?
The key extra is the 22-minute Checking In documentary, which begins with standard-issue discussions by the filmmaker and cast about the characters and how this particular genre entry is not the usual gorefest, before venturing into more interesting areas. Best bits: a nifty time-lapse presentation of the construction of the complete motel and garage on a soundstage (where all the nighttime exteriors were shot), and a look at the execution of a key stunt setpiece. There’s also a brief reference to the ending, which plays like the result of test-screening notes but was apparently the one the filmmakers had in mind all along.
One element that was wisely deleted was an alternate opening included on the disc, which sets up the main body of Vacancy as a flashback and gives away too much too early. Also extraneous is another deleted scene, a “Raccoon Encounter” with Wilson’s character. More of interest—especially to those with a voyeuristic streak—are the uncut snuff movies seen on the monitors in the couple’s hotel room and the inner sanctum of evil motel manager Mason (Frank Whaley). They’re increasingly disturbing to watch, though not quite as much so as when we’re catching glimpses of them in the film itself, along with the terrified protagonists.
