Elite Hunting Club or EHC, mostly referred as Elite Hunting is a dark organization which plays a central role in the Hostel-Franchise. This criminal organization is originated in Slovakia but has clients all around the world and even have its own special facility near Las Vegas as shown in Hostel Part III. The organization is owned by a Russian man called Sasha Rassimov. They provide the possibilities to fulfill darkest fantasies of rich people who pays the organization. This can mean rape or torture but must always end with the death of the victim. The symbol of the organization is a bloodhound and every member and client of the organization have a tattoo of the symbol, most often on the arm as part of the contract.
Working of the group
The victims of those twisted fantasies are kidnapped as they stay in a hostel owned by the organization. The organization itself works with ranks: The leader, Sasha; the receipt; the security of the facility; the butcher who cuts up the corpses of the victims before throwing them in the oven, the makeup artist and the grunts who make the rooms ready or lure the victims to the Hostel.
In Hostel and Hostel Part II, the organization used a hostel in Slovakia. In this hostel, the victims check in and give their passport to the desk clerk who uploads the images to the EHC website. From the moment the photos are placed, the clients (mostly referred to as members) can start bidding on the victims. This auction doesn't take long and the highest bidder gets the victim. The client or clients have to travel to Slovakia to claim their prize. If they don't come to Slovakia, they lose their right and the other members get a second chance to bid. Once arrived, the organization provides the client with the best services in a hotel while they kidnap the victims. Once kidnapped, the clients are informed and can go to the facility. There, they choose the tools they want to use to torture the victim they bought. It's also possible to let the organization choose the torture devices. Then, they are dressed up. Mostly does the torturers wear orange jumpsuits, leather caps and a leather apron but in Hostel Part II, we see an woman who initially wears only a maroon cloak and seconds later even goes completely naked. They also can choose how their victim is dressed, if they are chained in a chair, lying on a stretcher or chained on a crucifix. The organization has only two rules: no one leaves without killing and no one leaves with being or becoming a member of the organization. This last rule is only for the rich victims as you need money to become a member. If a victim escapes without becoming a member, he will be hunted and decapitated. His or her head will become a trophy for Sasha.
In Hostel Part III, we find out EHC also have a facility in Las Vegas. Again they use a hostel to attract victims and the most victims are staying in room 9. The concept of this facility is slightly different. Complete in style of Vegas, the members can bet on the death of a victim. They look from behind a glass how a victim is tortured and they can participated to this 'game' with the Wheel of Misfortune. They can bet which tool the torturer shall use and which threats or pleads the victims will try to escape the horrible fate. These two bets are connected with a time limit, the torturer has to use the torture tool in 2 minutes after the bet is made and the same counts for the pleads and the threats. The 'games' can vary, it depends on the torturer. Since the last 'performer' has been proven to a client, it's very likely the torturers are members who paid a reduced amount of money to torture and kill their victim with a live audience, yet remains unconfirmed. One of the performers, dressed like an weird looking creature, tortured and killed her victim with a crossbow while the audience could bet, which shot would be deadly. This facility was destroyed near the end of the movie but it remains unknown of it is the only one in his kind.
As mentioned by the boss of the Vegas Facility, this branch still has to listen to Sasha and have shown to fear the man.
Kinds of Torture
The clients are allowed to do everything with their victims as long as it ends with death. Examples shown in the movies are:
- Autopsy
- Beating
- Bloodbathing
- Cannibalism (sometimes, with victim alive.)
- Castration
- Chirugic Torture (e. Face removal)
- Crucifixion
- Electric Torture
- Rape
- Sport killing (e. Giving the victim an unfair chance to survive)
- Tool Torture (Mutilation with gardening tools).
- Torture with the use of animals (e. insects)
Tools of Torture
Several weapons are shown that the members can ask to use:
- Axes
- Chirugic material
- Forks
- Gardening Tools
- Knives
- SM-tools
- Tools
- Power Tools
- Fire Arms
Trivia
- According Eli Roth, writer and director of Hostel and Hostel Part II, he got the idea after getting e-mail about an organization which sold people to rich western men and women, to let them shoot at them with real guns. This should occur in Thailand.
- The Slovakian facility has been upgraded between Hostel and Hostel Part II as it become more secured. This could because of Paxton escape which leaded to the death of several members, the butcher and three of the grunts.