DVD Review: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011)

 
HOBO WITH  A SHOTGUN
Directed by:  Jason Eisener
Distributed by:  Magnet Releasing / Magnolia Home Entertainment

I had heard nothing but good things about HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN.  In fact, I had heard so much good stuff about it, I was afraid that by the time I got to watch it, it would be over hyped and would be somewhat of a letdown for me.  Luckily, everything good you have heard about this film is spot on and I was not let down in the least.  This was one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in a long time!  Here is the basic plot synopsis courtesy of the Magnet Releasing website:

A train pulls into the station – it’s the end of the line. A hobo jumps from a freight car hoping for a fresh start in a new city. Instead, he finds himself trapped in an urban hell. This is a world where criminals rule the streets and Drake, the city’s crime boss, reigns supreme alongside his sadistic murderous sons, Slick & Ivan. Amidst the chaos, the hobo comes across a pawn shop window displaying a secondhand lawn mower. He dreams of making the city a beautiful place and starting a new life for himself. But as the brutality continues to rage around him, he notices a shotgun hanging above the lawn mower... Quickly, he realizes the only way to make a difference in this town is with that gun in his hand and two shells in its chamber...


I knew I was going to love this film from the very opening sequence, which was a nice throwback to the grindhouse films of the 70's.  In fact, this entire film is one love letter to the grindhouse era.  Rutger Hauer does a tremendous job portraying the Hobo, in fact, this could be Hauer's finest acting job to date.

From a technical standpoint, the film is perfectly done to fit in it's grindhouse tone.   One thing that really stuck out to me was the use of color in this film.  Sometimes the entire scene would be washed with a dark blue color, only to be interrupted by the spray of bright red blood.    The film contains some over the top gore, including a great beheading and, of course, many wounds caused by the Hobo's shotgun.

One this this film does not do is hold back anything....nothing and no one is safe.   Not even women and children are safe in this film, and the scene where a maniac takes a flam thrower to a school bus full of kids is just one instance that proves this.   The film is very brutal, in every since of the word, but that just makes you cheer for the Hobo that much more.  You really want to see him bring this city to justice.

It's not often that a director hits a home run with his first feature film, but Eisener has done just that with HOBO....I look forward to his future films.  Keep an eye on this guy, he could be the next great up and coming horror director!


CLICK HERE to visit the official website and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD or Blu-ray