Obscure Films For Saturated Times: Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)

I know I'm breaking the rules again and while this film was released this year, I feel it needs a review on this blog due to it's lasting impression on my mind and the spirit in which it was made with. It also has my vote of best film of the year even though the year is not even over yet (I doubt something this good will come along in the next eight months that will blow me away as much as this film did).

Originally among a set of fake trailers shown on Canadian prints of Grindhouse (2007), Hobo with a Shotgun was a fun trailer to see on YouTube but it left us wanting more, although we thought not much more could come out of such a great trailer. Robert Rodriguez turned his Machete trailer into a feature film which worked as a exploitation film, but it felt like Rodriguez was hitting the proverbial political nail too hard and that's where I lost interest. Hobo with a Shotgun hits the exploitation nail perfectly on the head while beating the spiked hammer right through your skull!

As usual (and how it should be) the plot is simple: A homeless man credited only as "Hobo" (Rutger Hauer) has arrived in a new town and wants to buy a lawnmower and start his own mowing company so he can be somebody. A crime kingpin called "The Drake" and his two sons keep the town's (mostly sleazy) citizens at bay with fear so Hobo decides to get a shotgun instead and clean house vigilante style. A hooker with a heart of gold named Abby (Molly Dunsworth - who is absolutely terrific!) takes Hobo under her wing and lends a sensitive yang to Hobo's rough ying. Rutger Hauer plays the roll perfectly and amid all of the cheesiness, makes you believe his lot in life as a hobo, which hopefully gives Hauer and other filmmakers a chance to better utilize him. First time feature director, Jason Eisener knows what he's doing with this film and I hope he continues making movies like these because finally, once again, there is a market for them.

As far as plot is concerned, there's not much more to tell because it is so simple and what counts here is the performances, the Carpenter-like soundtrack, the schlock and of course, the violence! Oh, sweet, over-the-top bloody violence! There are so many things in this film that cannot be ruined and a second or third viewing is a must due to how much there is to take in. For now, I can only say that there are tons of new classic one-liners, obligatory over the top violence, bad guys on ice skates, shotgun kills, a bad-ass mercenary duo called “The Plague,” cocaine and an octopus (yes, your read that right, an octopus)!

I have read online that there are a lot of people complaining about the acting so obviously these people have never seen an exploitation film and don't know what they are talking about. Remember, this is the internet where every idiot (including myself) has a voice. The over-the-top acting was mostly unintentional in classic exploitation films but is completely intentional in Hobo by adding to the schlock-fest that it intends to be. Of course, as I mentioned before, the stand-out is Hauer and how seriously he takes the role of the hobo even in a film that is rough around the edges on purpose. Even his nonchalant mannerisms as a homeless man gave me a good chuckle: In the beginning of the film as Hobo is aboard a cargo train, entering the city he waves to a stopped car - Fucking classic!

Even though this film has been released this year among hordes of 3D children's movies, PG-13 "horror" movies, sparkling vampires and paint-by-number rom coms, it is not apologetic about its viciousness and keeps you salivating and wanting more. More movies like this need to be released and I am glad it came out. Hopefully it will show Hollywood what they are lacking: Good old-fashioned fun that doesn't censor itself and doesn't use the same old formulas that moviegoers are bored of. Watching Hobo with a Shotgun gave me the same charge of cinematic love and creativity that I got when I saw Grindhouse in theaters back in 2007. Movies were fun again.

A good film is like a big puddle of water with so many subtleties that our brains need to soak it up like a sponge. I need to see Hobo with a Shotgun again to soak it up some more, although I already appreciate it for what it is: A great riff on exploitation films that purposely doesn't take itself seriously and is one hell of a ride!

Hobo with a Shotgun is currently available On Demand and through X Box 360 / Zune, The Playstation Network, iTunes, European theaters now, Canadian theaters on May 25th, and in selected USA theaters on May 6th. If you like exploitation films do yourself a favor and watch it now!

Seriously, watch it NOW!

"I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!"

5 Shotguns (Out of 5)