Ricky and Bubbles with a Shotgun
The Film
When aspiring director Jason Eisener entered his 2-minute fake trailer into the Grindhouse contest back in 2007, he probably didn't expect what would come next. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were so enamored with the authentic looking Hobo with a Shotgun that it was inserted into the film and shown in select theaters in Canada and the United States. Grindhouse wasn't a huge hit at the box office and it was eventually sliced up and offered as Planet Terror and Death Race, but Eisener impressed folks enough that he got funding for a full-length feature of Hobo with a Shotgun.
The film had a very soft opening in May (it only played in 21 theaters earning a paltry $609,000), but the buzz overseas has been huge and it's likely that the film will make back its reported $3 million budget in August. Video sales have been brisk as well and the film has quickly turned into a cult classic.
Hobo tries hard to be an exploitation flick and fit into the Troma-mold, and while it is certainly entertaining, it almost tries too hard. Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, The Hitcher) is perfectly cast as the "hobo" and gives the film some much needed credibility, but the rest of the inexperienced cast overacts and holds the film back from achieving its true potential. I knew something was up when Robb Wells showed up in one of the opening scenes (little children should not watch this scene) and (SPOILER) gets decapitated. Wells, one of the former stars of the Canadian television series, Trailer Park Boys, has more experience than the entire cast (minus Hauer) put together and his cameo was too quick. The film which was shot in Halifax relies heavily on its Haligonian cast and while the effort is certainly there, the cast really needed someone else with Hauer's experience to balance things out.
Hobo with a Shotgun is over-the-top with gore and while a few scenes might offend some (violence against children is a touchy subject right now) people, it is a fun film to watch; but only if mindless murder and mayhem is your bag. Eisener could have toned it down and the film would not have suffered at all. Lawlessness and a pissed off hobo with a shotgun rule the day in this one. Car aficionados will delight at the inclusion of an authentic Bricklin SV-1 which was manufactured in New Brunswick between 1974-1976; think the Canadian version of the DeLorean DMC-12. Hobo with a Shotgun is a solid first effort from Eisener, but it's not without its bloody warts.
The Picture
The Sound
If Hobo were a real exploitation film from the period, the audio track would sound like it was recorded in your grandmother's basement (or any porn film from the '70s), but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is a sonic roller coaster that makes terrific use of all channels. The surround channels deliver shotgun blasts, explosions, screams, and a lot of ambience. The front channels deliver the score and dialog which has this great '80s horror feel to it. The rear channels do drown out the dialog on a few occasions and I felt the need to boost the center channel. LFE is strong and well-placed.
The Extras
Magnolia went crazy with Hobo with a Shotgun and included close to 4 hours of bonus content not including the two running commentary tracks. There is a lot to sort through and almost all of it will be of interest to fans. The filmmakers have included almost two hours worth of content in "shotgun mode" (if you watch the film in this mode, a target reticle appears throughout the film and you can access specific content by pressing your remote), but I suspect that for most people this feature will be distracting. You can access the entire list of clips separately, however.
The commentary track with director Jason Eisener and Rutger Hauer is informative and funny and a must-listen. The second commentary track with Eisener, writer John Davies, producer Rob Cotterill and David Brunt (the guy who played the Hobo in the Grindhouse trailer), is full of great jokes and weird tidbits about the making of the film.
The documentary about the making of the film is also worth your time; the story behind the trailer contest and how these guys were given the chance to make a feature film is quite extraordinary. The original Hobo with a Shotgun trailer that started the entire process is also part of the package.
Final Thoughts
Hobo with a Shotgun is destined for cult status and that's something that probably suits director Jason Eisener just fine. While not without its faults, the film will appeal to fans of Troma and the rest of the grindhouse-genre, even if it doesn't feel totally authentic. The image and sound quality are surprisingly quite strong and well suited to Blu-ray. Perhaps the most interesting part of the package is the plethora of bonus content that puts this off-putting bit of cinema in context. Recommended for late night viewing when the kids are locked in their rooms. Alcohol will help.
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