AIDY Reviews…

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) is an action/crime/thriller directed by Jason Eisnener and written by Eisener and John Davies, and stars Rutger Hauer (The Hitcher, Blind Fury), Pasha Ebrahimi (Call Me Fitz), Brian Downey (Lexx SciFi TV series), Gregory Smith (The Patriot), Nick Bateman, and Molly Dunsworth (Deeply). The film is about a vigilante homeless man who pulls into a new city and finds himself trapped in urban chaos.

Just how much is too much? Hobo With a Shotgun is a bloody fantastic gore fest. Even more impressive, it is a total win for first-time filmmaker Jason Eisner. Not win, per se, but a win in the aspect of the film being an instant cult classic, and maybe regarded in the same respect of the Evil Dead series of films, and Rutger Hauer may be established as the potential replacement for Bruce Campbell’s fan club. This film’s based off Quentin Taratino and Robert Rodrigues’s Grindhouse film, in a brief trailer that was the starting point to expand into a full-length feature film.

There isn’t anything that isn’t known already about this film, because the title of it says it all–a Hobo, with a Shotgun. Our Hobo (Hauer) rides into the town of Hope on a freight car, just hoping for a new start in a new city. What he finds isn’t exactly a town that is welcoming, instead, he finds hell on earth. Eisener’s expanded take on his own grindhouse-style flick to deliver thrills, chills, and will probably make you sick to your stomach. Nevertheless, that’s a good thing.

Hope’s a degenerate filled town ran by local crime lord Drake (Downey) and his two sons, Slick (Gregory Smith) and Ivan (Nick Bateman). In a town completely opposite of its inspiring title, our Hobo (Hauer) roams the merciless streets filled with pimps, prostitutes, pedophiles, and a sick and twisted filmmaker who pays hobos $10 bucks just so he can get his thrills while torturing them on camera.

After witnessing a gruesome murder in the streets of Hope, and after being taken in by a kind hearted prostitute, our featured Hobo was pushed too far one day during a pawnshop robbery attempt. Instead of buying his long awaited lawnmower for a little less than $50 bucks, he purchases a shotgun instead—using the money he panhandled on the streets. Our hobo hero, decides that enough is enough and deals with these pawn shop robbers and then decides for himself, that it’s time to clean up the crime infested, filthy town. When everyone goes on a bloody rampage, however, the violence depicted through-out can be a bit much to take in.

When he does unleash his fury on the pimps, prostitutes, drug users, and the like—the criminal elements fight back. When the splatter fest is over, I could not help but think that this was the most intense, gory, and deliriously exciting film I’ve watched in a long time. The gritty and grainy cinematography brings a unique contrast to the film. The detail—blood splattering, the maiming of hands, the rolling heads makes for convincing cinema even though I had to turn my head a few times because of all the blood. There are a few of the scenes in the film where the screen would fade all red and it made it a strain to watch, but is just as creative and amazing to view.

When watching Hobo with a Shotgun, you are faced with the decision whether you will like the film or not, or whether it is good or bad. But, what is great about this film is that it is automatically set up to be a cult classic. With each and every scene featuring Hauer blowing some junkie scumbag away and delivering clichéd one liners, is enough to set your Friday nights into an engaging, glorious, gore fest that you will be willing to watch over and over again—to appreciate every moment of film time.

Not only that, the 2 – disc collector’s edition is packed full of extras, that make this film even more exciting to watch! Shotgun Mode is a feature I recommend using after first watching the film straight through. In shotgun mode you will see a “target” that will pop up, and using the remote, you will be able to access the behind the scenes footage on how the director and his crew created the featured scene. There are approximately 40 different opportunities to view shotgun mode. They’re annoying, but you will begin to appreciate the time and creative efforts on some of the scenes that made Hobo with a Shotgun. If you choose not to utilize this film option, no worries, the same visuals are available on the DVD extras screen. In the audio commentaries featuring director Jason Eisener and Rutger Hauer, they discuss, in a casual setting, the film and a little bit about how Hauer became part of it. Eisener also discussed the movies that inspired the film.

The deleted scenes and alternate ending did not change much of what happened in the movie, just added to the gore and violence that was already plentiful in the film. The Fangoria Interviews is where Eisener and Hauer discussed with Michael Gingold, the script and how the trailer spawned a full-length film. HDNet: A Look at Hobo with a Shotgun is a quick, promo with Eisener and Hauer lounging about, talking about different things about the film. The video blogs, camera tests, and trailers featured more blood and gore—the Grindhouse contest, various ending scenes and trailers, etc. There’s a lot of content contained on these two discs. The option for you may be that if you enjoyed the film enough to want to dig in and check out each and every brilliant filmmaking aspect of the extras; or you can also decide if just watching the 86 minute film was enough.

The film is not for everyone who watches it. Provided you would not mind if taking a mallet to someone’s foot or smashing someone’s skull between two bumper cars is etched in your subconscious memory. The satirical one-liners from the movie’s key characters and the bit of human irony that plays on an exaggerated reality of human behaviors may just be something you will find to be keenly interesting. But what is certain about Hobo is that it is, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) (2 – Disc) Collector’s Edition’ DVD Bonus Features

• Shotgun Mode – Behind the Scenes Interactive Movie Feature
• Commentary with Jason Eisener (Director) and Rutger Hauer
• Commentary with Jason Eisener (Director), John Davies (Writer), Rob Cotterill (Producer), and David Brunt (Grindhouse Trailer “Hobo”)
• More Blood, More Heart:  The making of Hobo with a Shotgun
• Deleted scenes
• Alternate Ending
• Video Blogs
• Camera Test Reel
• Fangoria Interviews with Rutger Hauer and Jason Eisener
• HDNet: A look at Hobo with a Shotgun
• Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner: Hobo with a Shotgun
• Hobo with a ShotgunFaux Trailer Contest Winner: Van Gore
• Redband U.S. Theatrical Trailer
• Canadian TV Spots

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Article first published as DVD Review – Hobo with a Shotgun 2 – Disc Collector’s Edition on Blogcritics.

Source: Magnolia Pictures