Hobo With a Shotgun
Hobo with a Shotgun [Blu Ray]: tells the tale of an individual with no permanent residence, and his acquisition of a short-range firearm… Duh! Being born the same way as Machete, I had some reservations before starting this – but they were short-lived. EVERYTHING about this film is an authentic ode to the horror/exploitation ‘masterpieces’ I grew up watching from the 70s and 80s. The setting is a dystopian, lawless town, so rotten that only the eponymous anti-hero can clean it up with a shotgun. There’s fantastic gore every 5 minutes, and all kinds of insane and outrageous blood-soaked SFX. The story is so absurd and OTT that you simply can’t begin taking seriously. – it’s essentially a cheap vehicle used to maximise the blood ‘n’ guts factor. Rutger Hauer is a little too good for this type of film, fleshing out an emotional, solid central character. Abby also makes a good scream queen, and the rest of the cast are enjoyable stereotypes. The colour pallet is very saturated; bright and poppy, the blood leaps off the screen – Hauer’s face was also what BD was made for; the faithfully recreated Carpenter-esque 80s sci-fi horror synth soundtrack and gunshots pump out of all speakers – this is worth the Blu Ray upgrade if the film sounds like your bag. All in all, the video, music, plot, gore, sleaze and nastiness all combine to make this feel like an authentic retro film – unlike the one crappy video-grain effect used on Machete. This beat every expectation I had, and while it’s no cinematic masterpiece, it’s certainly an absolute must-see for all horror/B-movie/retro movie fans.
Score: 8/10
Rutger Hauer has to be the main reason to see this film. That face! I wish he was being offered more work.
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This one is pretty fun, no doubt. I liked it less than you I think, but how can I not enjoy a movie that opens with a decapitation? It’s just not possible.
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You are one sick puppy! I like that!
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Just watched the original The Hitcher last night – Rutger Hauer has still got it then! :)
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Doc – I think after this he’ll be back on the screen more often than you think :)
Will – As a film it’s pretty crap, but as a blood-soaked, SFX laden ridiculous B-movie, you couldn’t ask for much more.
Dan – Is The Hitcher worth seeking out?
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The Hitcher is a cracker. It shows up the Sean Bean remake for the shambles it was. And as if Hobo wasn’t already a classic exploitation flick, there’s the end credits song (the same song from The Raccoons cartoon!!) I saw this at opening night when it got the brief cinema appearance, and I think it’s even better in a big group of like-minded loonies.
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My favourite actor of all time is back then? Woo hoo! Thanks for the heads-up and finding me another Rutger Hauer movie to watch. If you want to see something outside his usual repertoire watch The Legend of the Holy Drinker (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095513/). What an under-appreciated actor!
http://roymathur.com
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Added to LoveFilm, but will probably arrive in about two years given the size of my list! Hobo is DEFINITELY worth a punt. The Blu Ray is so cheap I went and bought it.
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