Customer Reviews

Hobo With a Shotgun (2-Disc Collector's Edition + Digital Copy)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

In a nutshell, HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is a homage to the sleazy "Grindhouse" cult films from the 1980's. It takes elements from such movies as CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH, STREET TRASH, FREAKED, DEATH WISH, THE WARRIORS, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (the original version, not that awful remake) and maybe a little bit of MAD MAX tossed in for good measure. It's not a throw back to the 1970's cult films (like the amazing DEATH PROOF or HOUSE OF THE DEVIL), but more along the lines of the neon bright splatter flicks of the mid 80's.

The plot is simple. Rutger Hauer plays a hobo who is trying to make things better for himself. He dreams of starting his own lawn mower service and actually turning his life around. It's a dream that always seems to be interrupted by the endless curruption around him. He travels the rails, going from one city to the next. Eventually making his way to a sleazy underground place called "Hope Town." Despite all of the awful crime there, he still dreams about a better life for himself. Yet, no matter what he seems to do, horrible things keep happening everyday. Things go from bad to worse in the city. Gangsters, punks, drug addicts, pimps, crime lords, prostitution and violent crimes are just a few of the atrocities going on in "Hope Town." Our antagonist (the hobo) is pushed to his breaking point when he witnesses a robbery in a department store. Torn between his sanity for a better life and wanting to take justice in his own hands, he throws away his dreams and picks up a shotgun instead! End of story.

This film succeeds where so many others have failed. Right off the bat, you know the director of this movie is deadly serious about his film. The opening credit sequence is done with a hot and bright colored lens, which is very pleasing to the eyes and reminds us of the "old school" Troma flicks. It says in the actual credits that this movie was filmed in "technicolor" and it sure does look like it. Bright clear blue skies and eye watering neon colors are the order of the day here! Top that off with a Tarantino esque musical intro and the movie immediately becomes a joy to watch. For those of us that like this kind of stuff, this movie is a gift from the cult movie Gods! Everything about HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is done with a sense of respect for the "Grindhouse" genre. Yet, it also brings it's own flavor to the table too.

Gore wise, this movie doesn't hold any punches back! Heads explode, bodies are crushed, people are burned alive, limbs are hacked off, some are beaten to death with blunt objects and a lot of blood is spilled in the process! Gore Hounds, have no fear! There's enough blood, guts and offensive subject matter here to make even the most die hard of "cult" movie fans shake their heads in proud agreement!

I saw on this website that the single DVD version of this film appears to be an R rated cut. I bought mine (special two disc edition) at a local video store and on the back of my box it says "UNRATED." Gore Hounds, fair warning. Check before you buy. I wouldn't want anybody to end up with an edited version of the film! That's always disappointing.

On top of all the amazing gore effects, there are some top notch strange characters to boot! Rutger Hauer delivers a commanding performance as the "hobo", while the ever changing cast of street punks and sleazy characters add a fun and colorful vibe to the whole film project. This element reminded me of classic movies like STREET TRASH, THE TOXIC AVENGER and early Troma films in general. All of the actors used here make for a winning combination.

As if all of this (style wise) wasn't enough, our hero the "hobo" has to fight off two seemingly unstoppable, ninja, robotic mercenaries! These two bruisers become one of the many highlights of the movie, dispensing with anybody who gets in their way! These scenes remind me of something from MAD MAX or ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. They have a very gritty, "comic book" vibe to them. I would imagine that some people might view these scenes as border line ridiculous. To those people I would have to say that I couldn't disagree with you more! After all, the whole idea of HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is ridiculous! I grew up watching FRIDAY THE 13th movies, reading NINJA TURTLE comics, playing Nintendo, trading Garbage Pail Kids and playing with action figures! If you ask me, a little imagination goes a long way! This movie never over steps it's boundaries.

When all is said and done, HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN was everything I could have hoped for. Bloody, shocking, funny and exciting all at the same time! It was great seeing Rutger Hauer in something again. I also loved how unapologetic the over all movie turned out to be, always pushing the envelope to the extreme! This would be the perfect film to show along side FEAST, BLACK SHEEP, MACHETE or any of the other "Grindhouse" movies. New or "old school", it doesn't matter. This movie is already a classic! HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is just a good 'ol fashioned, blood soaked vengeance flick! Nothing more and nothing less. I say call the buddies, pass the beers, play the movie, enjoy the show!

If this movie doesn't "cut it" for you in terms of shock and blood shed, then nothing will. At that point I don't think the problem is the actual movie but rather with the viewer themselves. Just don't take yourself or the film too seriously and you'll have fun.

I've said my bit.

Over and out.

I've been wanting to see this movie for a long time, and I finally watched it with some friends, and all I have to say is...wow! This movie was so incredibly and insanely violent. People lose their heads, get ripped open with a baseball bat covered in razor blades, and get shot to death by an ass-kicking hobo. This movie based on the trailer from Grindhouse has more action than Machete. If you are easily offended by children being burned alive or being watched by a pedophile Santa Claus, you should stay away. This was a fun movie to watch, and all the gore scenes are hilarious and epic.

Rutger Hauer stars as a Hobo who comes to a new town, overrun with corruption. He befriends a hooker named Abby. While a Pawn shop is getting robbed, the Hobo can't take it anymore and decides to shoot the robbers down with a shotgun. He becomes a vigilante and goes around shooting anybody involved with crime. Never ever cross a HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN!!!

Hobo with a Shotgun has kind of achieved an almost mythical status. Originally a fake trailer created when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino were bringing their Grindhouse film to the masses, here we are with a feature-length treatment for Hobo with a Shotgun, starring genre great Rutger Hauer in the title role. When our Hobo hero arrives in a crime-ridden city, he quickly runs afoul of local crime boss Drake (Brian Downey from Lexx) and his two degenerate sons (Gregory Smith and Nick Bateman). It isn't long before the sight of so much crime and pain and torment drives our Hobo over the edge and he gets his hands on the shotgun sitting in a pawn shop, and proceeds to wreck ultra-bloody havoc in the process. Gleefully over the top and definitely not for the faint of heart, Hobo with a Shotgun represents just about the best aspects of what made the grindhouse and exploitation films of yesteryear so badly enjoyable to watch. At the same time however, Hobo with a Shotgun also displays some of the worst aspects of the genre. More often than not, it feels as if the film is trying way too hard to reach that level, and there are plenty of times where it's just too much. Not to mention the fact that the acting is, well, let's just say it's kind of lacking in certain aspects. I'm not looking for Shakespeare here, but other than Rutger Hauer, a majority of the cast is way too over the top for their own good. Still, Hobo with a Shotgun is bloody, ultraviolent fun that never relents, and is the kind of ballsy genre filmmaking that has become all the more scarce as time has gone by. It definitely isn't for everyone, but for those who love and respect what the grindhouse/exploitation genre can do, Hobo with a Shotgun is a must have.

With a name like Hobo with a Shotgun, you get exactly what's advertised; a hobo roaming an infested city with a shotgun attempting to clean its streets of the filth that inhabits it. The story is obviously simple and if the movie has intrigued you in any way, then you probably weren't attracted to it for the story alone. Rutger Hauer is more than likely a drawing factor. The guy has talent and just seems to have trouble picking the right project to be a part of. Hobo with a Shotgun could definitely be considered over the top, but its ridiculously memorable one liners, low budget exploitation atmosphere, and nonstop use of practical effects for gore make you realize that even though Rutger Hauer is getting up there in years he is still capable of picking entertaining projects to be a part of every now and then.

There aren't too many one-liners that can be shared due to them being insanely vulgar as you can imagine, but there are a few that can be squeezed in here. "I'm going to wash this blood off with your blood!" One of the greatest aspects of the movie is that everything has this tongue in cheek kind of feel to it, so there's a sense of it not being taken completely seriously even though the actions on screen are fantastically gruesome and the entire cast seems to do their best to give a riveting performance. "I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!" Rutger Hauer is the heart and soul of the movie. Without him the movie would've just been completely senseless. Hauer at least tries (and succeeds the majority of the time) of making you feel sympathy for this hobo who just wants to start a business for himself and do what he thinks is best for the city he's currently in. "You and me are goin' on a car ride to hell... and you're riding shotgun!" Blood plays a serious role in Jason Eisener's first directorial effort. Limbs get chopped to bits, heads get blown off and chopped off by barbed wire nooses tied to truck bumpers, razorblade bats slice open stomachs to unleash their caged intestines, even children aren't safe. It's a bloodsoaked ride from its fairly calm beginning to hellacious, shell heavy ending.

There's a monologue Rutger Hauer makes outside the baby ward of a hospital that could easily be labeled as the key scene you can't miss in the movie. This is the best Hauer has been in years and most of his dialogue is the best it's been since Blade Runner. The lighting used in the movie is also really amazing. It's very drastic and usually yellow, red, purple, or blue. It gives the movie a retro feel, which fits perfectly with its exploitation homage. There's also this music that's used when The Plague first shows up that helps establish that atmosphere, as well. It sounds like it's very John Carpenter influenced and makes movies like this feel all the more genuine.

Hobo with a Shotgun obviously isn't going to be for everybody. It won't win any Oscars and you probably won't see it on cable any time soon. This is a movie that takes something simple, stretches it as far as it will go, and actually does a really good job with it. There's chemistry amongst the entire cast, the make-up effects are really fantastic for a budget so small, and Rutger Hauer makes the audiences of today take notice of a 67 year old actor. It's bloody, excessive, and probably one of the easiest movies to turn your brain off during. Hobo with a Shotgun is a violently induced bloodbath that'll leave you joyously picking its impact out of your hair and clothes for days.

Hobo with a Shotgun is seriously packed with special features. The first disc alone has two commentary tracks (one with director Jason Eisener and star Rutger Hauer, the other with Jason Eisener, writer John Davies, producer Rob Cotteril, and original "hobo" David Brunt) and Shotgun Mode, which is a behind the scenes interactive feature. Shotgun Mode is pretty cool. A bullseye pops up in the left corner of your screen at specific moments throughout the entire movie. You press enter on your remote and you're automatically taken behind the scenes of how that particular scene was shot along with goofing off between takes, how they built some of the more original weapons of the film, a walkthrough of the make-up effects, and much more.

Disc 2 has even more extras. We start with the 45 minute documentary More Blood, More Heart, The Making of. This documentary is basically a walkthrough from the original Hobo with a Shotgun faux trailer that was entered into the Grindhouse contest that eventually evolves into a production blog of the feature film that runs through the film's completion. There are three deleted scenes and an alternate ending where Abby joins The Plague. Nine video blogs clock in at under a minute or less each. The most entertaining ones are the Interview with Niv and Budget Cuts blogs since Slick and Ivan show up and beat the snot out of Niv, one of the producers. A Camera Test Reel is exactly what it sounds like; the behind the scenes crew testing shots and locations without any of the actual on-screen cast present. Fangoria Interviews sit down with Rutget Hauer and Jason Eisener. Hauer's is a little over eleven minutes while Eisener's is over thirty. The HDNet: A Look at Hobo with a Shotgun feature is entertaining because Jason Eisener is all cuddled up with Rutger Hauer on a bed under a blanket. Then there's the original Hobo with a Shotgun Grindhouse trailer, the Hobo with a Shotgun Faux Trailer Contest Winner: Van Gore (which is awesome), the Red Band U.S. Theatrical Trailer, and Canadian TV Spots.

This set contains at least two hours in special features and that's not including the commentary tracks or Shotgun Mode. The 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD of Hobo with a Shotgun also comes with a digital copy, is unrated, and presented in widescreen 2:40:1. It's approximately 86 minutes long.

Back in 2007 I was in Toronto and met some guys who screened Demons 2 one night. Before the film began they showed a collection of film trailers for Argento films, spaghetti westerns and such, and then the original HOBO trailer played. It was a wonderfully done trailer that rivaled the ones used in the Tarantino/Rodriguez Grindhouse film. The director was present in the theater but I didn't speak to him then(too bad), but I always remembered the trailer. I never thought it would actually become a feature film, let alone star Rutger Hauer.
So here we are-Hobo With A Shotgun is a reality, and the exploitation world is the better for it. Basically it's about a hobo that comes into a crime ridden town and decides to go Bronson when he's seen(and experienced) enough. The town in the movie is super exaggerated in it's criminal activity-it's a friggin' warzone! Think of the gang ruled neighborhood in Death Wish 3 and that's how this entire town is! But then again, everything here is exaggerated. This movie is very cartoony and brings to mind images of Troma(in fact, a character in the film is wearing a Troma shirt in one scene). Rutger Hauer is the odd one out in that he's basically the "normal", non-cartoon character here. And that really makes it work. His downplaying against everyone else's over the top playing really helps give the movie that additional edge to bring it above being total silliness(along with the hot young lady who plays the prostitute. I forgot her name at the moment). We all love Hauer, you'd have to be some kind of communist not to. Though he's been in numerous B movies throughout the years, we've never seen him in something quite like this, something more tongue in cheek. Movies like Bleeders, Crossworlds and Turbulence 3-Heavy Metal were schlock, but schlock taking itself a bit more seriously. It's a nice change of pace for Hauer.
The film has a decent amount of gore. Some say it surpasses Machete. I'm not sure if it does. Perhaps, but unlike Machete, the gore here is not CGI, which elevates it substantially.
The second disc(if you're thinking of buying the 2 disc version) has a nice Making Of.. documentary, interviews with Hauer and director Eisener by Fangoria magazine, the alternate ending, and the original fake trailer(though this may be on disc one, I forgot). I haven't watched the film on "Shotgun Mode" yet, so I'm not sure on that one.
All in all, a very good "grindhouse" style film here. Usually these modern throwback movies leave alot to be desired and make you wish you had used your time to watch an actual grindhouse movie instead of these weak imitations.
Hobo With A Shotgun is one to be proud of the grindhouse throwback status. It earns it.

Hobo With a Shotgun is my favorite movie of the last ten years or so. Not the BEST, mind you, but my favorite. I saw the original Grindhouse (RR/QT) and left feeling underwhelmed. I mean yes it was corny recreations of bad 70s exploitation movies, but there was something...boring about them. Obviously Death Proof was the better of the two (I kinda though Planet Terror was crap, in an unintentional way), but even during that I was checking my watch every 30 min or so kind of waiting to get out of the theatre and go home. Exactly the opposite with HWAS. If anything, during HWAS I would check the time hoping that there was still plenty more film left. If you want a synopsis, read the other reviews. We all know about the Troma comparisons (which are true) but this movie also, in very subtle ways, reminded me of the Universe that Walter Hill had for The Warriors. Anyway, here's my advice. If you already have seen the trailer (both real and fake), love Troma-like violence corny exploitation, get a hard-on for Death Wish-type vigilantism, and love offensive and highly QUOTABLE humor, THEN WATCH HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN.

I loved this movie so much I immediately went out and made my own HWAS t-shirts (for personal use only) and eagerly await and merchandise (probably 20 years later) that will come out of this film. I honestly think this movie has the potential to be the biggest cult movie since Evil Dead 2. 10 STARS

Disclaimer: I viewed this film as a streaming rental, and as such, cannot comment on the audio or visual quality of the product. My review is concerned with the entertainment quality of the film only.

Those viewers who consider the lawnmower slaughter scene at the end of Dead Alive to be pure cinematic brilliance, or chuckled at the gold-standard black comedy of Danny Trejo rappelling down the side of a building using the entrails of his last victim for rope in Machete, will doubtless find all their movie needs met in 'Hobo with a Shotgun', a film that really needs no introduction because...well, because the title sort of gives the whole thing away anyway. Both the title and the cover art are important here: this is a definite 'what you see is what you get', so if exploitation and trash cinema do not appeal to you, THEN YOU SHOULD NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. If, on the other hand, you feel as though 98% of films do not go far enough while exploring the limits of sadistic gore and violence, then don't wait, run to your nearest outlet and feast on the utter lunacy of 'Hobo with a Shotgun'.

For what it is, I really can't think of any other film that I've seen that tops 'Hobo'. I can't claim to have seen all the classics of trash cinema, but I have seen a lot of bad exploitation, and as far as acting abilities and effects, 'Hobo' is at the very top. Rutger Hauer is as good here as he's ever been, and even if some of the rest of the cast can't quite measure up, that's no more than usual for the standard formula for these films. Molly Dunsworth also acquits herself well as the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, though Nick Bateman (looking like a clone of the Risky Business Tom Cruise), as well as Brian Downey, as father and son, are so unrestrained as to be annoying as well as evil.

But it's easy to overlook such inconsequential matters like those when considering the overall effect of the gleeful carnage that ensues. As the unnamed Hobo, Hauer leaves the rails and alights in Hope Town, where crime is out of control and the local police are all in the employ of a sadistic crime lord named Drake (Downey). After witnessing a horrific execution put on by Drake and his sons, Hauer sticks around long enough to save Abby (Dunsworth) from the depraved lust of one of the sons, and turns the boy over to the police, expecting them to do their jobs. Well, it wouldn't be called 'Hobo with a Shotgun' if that plan had worked out - suffice it to say that Hauer's final buttons are pushed, and giving up his dream to finally settle down, he picks up a shotgun instead, intent on cleaning up the town.

As I say in my title, I think this will be a classic of its kind, but I have to admit that it went too far for me. Somewhere in the beheadings, mutilations, stabbings, dismemberments, castrations, torture, lawn mower attacks and putting a loaded school bus to the torch, there was a line that was crossed. It does, however, remain staunchly uncluttered with any faux-moral justifications for its violent images - it is what it is and isn't making any excuses for itself, nor should it, as far as I'm concerned. Far worse, to my mind, is a film that uses violence to argue for a certain ideological point-of-view - 'Hobo with a Shotgun' is more a succession of images that probe the limits of the filmmakers' imagination and as such is gore-soaked black comedy. It's just a little too black for me.

This is a not a good film in any sense. But it is a good film within its genre. Its pure violent pulp exploitation with no pretensions and in many respects its the purity of the concept which elevates it to something more than it would otherwise be. Its kind of like the old Sergio Leone westerns or something like the original Beastmaster or Road House or the first Boondock Saints.

The film had its start as a phony trailer in an earlier bigger film. The trailer was a funny two-minute joke. But they managed to make it work for real as a film.

A nameless hobo gets off a train in a new town with dreams of buying a lawnmower to start a business. But the streets are out of control and the hobo is forced to clean up the town on his own. The town is run by a violent goof named "Drake" and his two sons...one of whom looks like he stepped out of old Tom Cruise film like Risky Business. The villians are really easy to hate. The hobo is a no-nonsense hero.

The film is slightly different than the old "Death Wish" formula because there is a clear wealth and class subtext to it. Most vigilante films feature middle class or rich victims taking revenge on psychotic criminals. But "Hobo" is about a man at the very bottom taking revenge on a corrupt system run by the wealthy and powerful who exist beyond the reach of any law. Going after the "bumfights" guy, going after the rich goof (Drake) and going after the idiot sons of the rich goof are all powerful concepts.

And like all exploitation films, we get things that just don't make a bit of sense. Two Junior Iron men eventually show up with no particular explaination. But its so goofy, it works.

The only thing that I have against it is that its too violent. Its in the nature of explotation, but I think the material was good enough that they could have done without it. An edited version would probably run on cable forever.

The acting is 10x better than it has any right to be. Rutger Hauer was perfect for the role and delivers (as usual) a really solid performance in a third-rate role. This is not award winning acting, but its a role that some people would sleepwalk through (but he did not).

Most homaige films are derivative and so tied to the source material that they can't ever even be as good as what they are swiping. But this film was better than the original films.

Again, this isn't a work of art. But its honest to what it is and it was well done within the parameters of what it is.

I'm fine with sex and violence on film if it is rolled into a story with purpose but this movie is just garbage....nothing here interesting at all.
Good idea for a movie to have a vigilante hobo but this is done with no class what so ever.
Violence toward kids is just wrong, I wonder what the adults involved tell the kids when they are actually shooting the movie scenes, they should be ashamed of themselves, skip this.

The title above says it all maybe the best movie I have ever seen. Bought a copy for the stepmom as well