Hobo With a Shotgun (film)
Encyclopedia
Hobo with a Shotgun is a 2011 Canadian exploitation film
directed by Jason Eisener and written by John Davies. It is based on the winning trailer
of the same name from Robert Rodriguez
's South by Southwest
Grindhouse trailers contest.
(Rutger Hauer) arrives in a lawless place called Hope Town (graffiti sprayed over the word "hope" on the town sign makes it read "Scum Town") via freight train. Scum Town is ruled with an iron fist by The Drake (Brian Downey
) and his sadistic sons Ivan (Nick Bateman) and Slick (Gregory Smith). Just as he arrives, the Hobo witness the execution of The Drake's brother Logan (Robb Wells
), who is decapitated at the hands of Ivan and Slick for trying to do some unexplained thing.
The Hobo later visits a pawn shop, where he sees a lawnmower costing $49.99. In order to buy it and start a lawnmowing business, the Hobo starts begging for change on a sidewalk, where he sees Ivan and Slick entering a building. He follows them into an arcade and witnesses them harassing a boy named Otis, who owes them money. A prostitute named Abby (Molly Dunsworth
) attempts to stop them. Slick decides to kill her, but the Hobo knocks him unconscious and takes him to the police station in order to turn him in. However, the police chief reveals his corruption and allows Slick to escape. He and Ivan beat the Hobo up and carve the word "scum" into his chest before throwing him into a garbage bin. He runs across Abby who takes him to her apartment, where she tends to his wounds. The next day, the Hobo goes to a local cameraman who pays homeless people to inflict harm upon themselves. Upon completing a series of degrading acts, including eating glass, he earns enough money to purchase the lawnmower. As he is about to buy the lawnmower, a trio of robbers enter the pawnshop, taking a woman and her baby hostage. The Hobo grabs a shotgun from the shelf to kill the robbers. Realizing that Hope Town needs justice, he chooses the shotgun – which also costs $49.99 – over the lawnmower, and goes on a rampage, killing dozens of criminals, including the cameraman and a pedophile dressed as Santa Claus.
The Drake, infuriated by the positive effect that the Hobo's actions are having on the townspeople, instructs Ivan and Slick to get rid of him. After using a flamethrower on a school bus filled with children in order to remind the citizens of Hope Town that they are to be feared, they burst into a television station during a live news broadcast, kill the anchor (played by George Strombolopolous in a cameo role) and demand that all homeless people be killed, leading to the formation of mobs which start attacking vagrants. One of the mobs hears the Hobo using the shotgun to save Abby from a perverted cop intending to rape her. The mob starts running towards them, but they are able to make a clever getaway. However, Otis sees them and calls Slick to inform him of the Hobo's location.
As the Hobo and Abby are preparing to leave Hope Town to start a lawnmowing business somewhere else, they are attacked by Ivan and Slick, who seriously wounds Abby before the Hobo is able to force Ivan to flee by threatening to shoot his brother. Once Ivan is gone, the Hobo kills Slick. The Drake hears of this and calls Rip and Grinder (Nick Bateman and Peter Simas), a duo of armour-clad demons known as 'The Plague' (watchful eyes will notice in an arcade earlier in the film, Otis is playing a Double Dragon
-style video game about The Plague), to take the Hobo down. The Hobo takes Abby to a hospital, where he is ambushed by The Plague, captured, and taken to The Drake, who intends to execute him in front of the townspeople in order to set an example. Meanwhile, Abby, having recovered, takes the Hobo's shotgun and the lawnmower for use as weapons. She then rallies together a crowd of angry people and leads them to hunt down The Drake.
Abby finds and confronts Drake, Ivan and the Plague. She threatens to kill Ivan with the lawnmower, but the Drake shoots him first, deeming him expendable. In the ensuing fight, Abby releases the Hobo and returns his shotgun to him. She also kills Grinder before The Drake cuts her hand off with the lawnmower. She, however, manages to incapacitate The Drake by stabbing him with her exposed arm bone. Rip then tells Abby that she must join The Plague to replace Grinder, but the Hobo refuses to allow her to do it, and The Plague departs. The Hobo prepares to finish off The Drake, who was trying to crawl away to safety, when the corrupt police arrive. The townspeople decide to take a stand between the Hobo and the police, but the Hobo refuses to have them sacrifice themselves for him and shoots The Drake in the head. The police open fire, killing the Hobo, and are killed by the townspeople in retaliation.
In an extended ending that was cut from the final cut of the film, Abby's hand is replaced by several shotguns as she becomes part of The Plague.
and Robert Rodriguez
's double feature Grindhouse. It won the contest, and was screened in some areas of Canada as part of the actual release of Grindhouse. A feature-length version of Hobo With a Shotgun began principal photography in Halifax on April 19, 2010.
A teaser trailer
(including behind-the-scenes and test footage) was released on April 26, 2010.
Hobo with a Shotgun was the second of Grindhouses fake trailers to be turned into a feature film, the first being Rodriguez's Machete
. David Brunt, who played the homeless man in the trailer, has a cameo appearance
in the film as a cop
.
. The film was released limitedly in Canadian theatres March 25, 2011 and in the United States on May 6, 2011. The film was also released via OnDemand services such as Xbox Live
, PlayStation Network and iTunes
on April 1, 2011.
The film received its Australian premiere on the opening night of the Sydney Film Festival
on 8 June 2011.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United States on July 5th 2011 and in the UK on July 15th 2011, where it was given a BBFC 18 rating.
, the general consensus being, "It certainly isn't subtle – or even terribly smart – but as a gleefully gory homage to low-budget exploitation thrillers, Hobo with a Shotgun packs plenty of firepower."
Whitney Johnson from the Indiana Gazette Online says, "A bodacious showcase of blood, gore and shotguns...The director surprises us in the third act by not resorting to more blood and violence, choosing instead to leave us with a bleak picture of humanity that begs the question, "How Then Shall We Live?"
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
directed by Jason Eisener and written by John Davies. It is based on the winning trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
of the same name from Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
's South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Grindhouse trailers contest.
Plot
A hoboHobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
(Rutger Hauer) arrives in a lawless place called Hope Town (graffiti sprayed over the word "hope" on the town sign makes it read "Scum Town") via freight train. Scum Town is ruled with an iron fist by The Drake (Brian Downey
Brian Downey (actor)
Brian Downey is a Canadian actor perhaps best-known for his portrayal of Stanley Tweedle, in the science-fiction television series Lexx....
) and his sadistic sons Ivan (Nick Bateman) and Slick (Gregory Smith). Just as he arrives, the Hobo witness the execution of The Drake's brother Logan (Robb Wells
Robb Wells
Robb Wells is a Canadian actor and screenwriter who portrayed Ricky on Trailer Park Boys.-Early life:Wells was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia when he was eight years old...
), who is decapitated at the hands of Ivan and Slick for trying to do some unexplained thing.
The Hobo later visits a pawn shop, where he sees a lawnmower costing $49.99. In order to buy it and start a lawnmowing business, the Hobo starts begging for change on a sidewalk, where he sees Ivan and Slick entering a building. He follows them into an arcade and witnesses them harassing a boy named Otis, who owes them money. A prostitute named Abby (Molly Dunsworth
Molly Dunsworth
Molly Kathleen Dunsworth , known professionally as Molly Dunsworth, is a Canadian actress. She is most known for her starring role in Hobo with a Shotgun, where she plays "Abby" alongside Rutger Hauer.-Early life:...
) attempts to stop them. Slick decides to kill her, but the Hobo knocks him unconscious and takes him to the police station in order to turn him in. However, the police chief reveals his corruption and allows Slick to escape. He and Ivan beat the Hobo up and carve the word "scum" into his chest before throwing him into a garbage bin. He runs across Abby who takes him to her apartment, where she tends to his wounds. The next day, the Hobo goes to a local cameraman who pays homeless people to inflict harm upon themselves. Upon completing a series of degrading acts, including eating glass, he earns enough money to purchase the lawnmower. As he is about to buy the lawnmower, a trio of robbers enter the pawnshop, taking a woman and her baby hostage. The Hobo grabs a shotgun from the shelf to kill the robbers. Realizing that Hope Town needs justice, he chooses the shotgun – which also costs $49.99 – over the lawnmower, and goes on a rampage, killing dozens of criminals, including the cameraman and a pedophile dressed as Santa Claus.
The Drake, infuriated by the positive effect that the Hobo's actions are having on the townspeople, instructs Ivan and Slick to get rid of him. After using a flamethrower on a school bus filled with children in order to remind the citizens of Hope Town that they are to be feared, they burst into a television station during a live news broadcast, kill the anchor (played by George Strombolopolous in a cameo role) and demand that all homeless people be killed, leading to the formation of mobs which start attacking vagrants. One of the mobs hears the Hobo using the shotgun to save Abby from a perverted cop intending to rape her. The mob starts running towards them, but they are able to make a clever getaway. However, Otis sees them and calls Slick to inform him of the Hobo's location.
As the Hobo and Abby are preparing to leave Hope Town to start a lawnmowing business somewhere else, they are attacked by Ivan and Slick, who seriously wounds Abby before the Hobo is able to force Ivan to flee by threatening to shoot his brother. Once Ivan is gone, the Hobo kills Slick. The Drake hears of this and calls Rip and Grinder (Nick Bateman and Peter Simas), a duo of armour-clad demons known as 'The Plague' (watchful eyes will notice in an arcade earlier in the film, Otis is playing a Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
-style video game about The Plague), to take the Hobo down. The Hobo takes Abby to a hospital, where he is ambushed by The Plague, captured, and taken to The Drake, who intends to execute him in front of the townspeople in order to set an example. Meanwhile, Abby, having recovered, takes the Hobo's shotgun and the lawnmower for use as weapons. She then rallies together a crowd of angry people and leads them to hunt down The Drake.
Abby finds and confronts Drake, Ivan and the Plague. She threatens to kill Ivan with the lawnmower, but the Drake shoots him first, deeming him expendable. In the ensuing fight, Abby releases the Hobo and returns his shotgun to him. She also kills Grinder before The Drake cuts her hand off with the lawnmower. She, however, manages to incapacitate The Drake by stabbing him with her exposed arm bone. Rip then tells Abby that she must join The Plague to replace Grinder, but the Hobo refuses to allow her to do it, and The Plague departs. The Hobo prepares to finish off The Drake, who was trying to crawl away to safety, when the corrupt police arrive. The townspeople decide to take a stand between the Hobo and the police, but the Hobo refuses to have them sacrifice themselves for him and shoots The Drake in the head. The police open fire, killing the Hobo, and are killed by the townspeople in retaliation.
In an extended ending that was cut from the final cut of the film, Abby's hand is replaced by several shotguns as she becomes part of The Plague.
Cast
- Rutger Hauer as the Hobo
- Gregory Smith as Slick
- Molly DunsworthMolly DunsworthMolly Kathleen Dunsworth , known professionally as Molly Dunsworth, is a Canadian actress. She is most known for her starring role in Hobo with a Shotgun, where she plays "Abby" alongside Rutger Hauer.-Early life:...
as Abby - Brian DowneyBrian Downey (actor)Brian Downey is a Canadian actor perhaps best-known for his portrayal of Stanley Tweedle, in the science-fiction television series Lexx....
as The Drake - Robb WellsRobb WellsRobb Wells is a Canadian actor and screenwriter who portrayed Ricky on Trailer Park Boys.-Early life:Wells was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia when he was eight years old...
as Logan - Nick Bateman as Ivan/Rip
- Peter Simas as Grinder
- Jeremy AkermanJeremy AkermanJeremy Bernard Akerman is a former Canadian politician, writer and actor and a former leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.-Biography:...
as Chief of Police - Glen Matthews as Gang Leader
- Drew O'Hara as Otis
- David Brunt as "Dirty Cop"
Development
Hobo with a Shotgun, directed by Jason Eisener, was initially a fake trailer made for an international contest to promote the release of Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
and Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
's double feature Grindhouse. It won the contest, and was screened in some areas of Canada as part of the actual release of Grindhouse. A feature-length version of Hobo With a Shotgun began principal photography in Halifax on April 19, 2010.
A teaser trailer
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
(including behind-the-scenes and test footage) was released on April 26, 2010.
Hobo with a Shotgun was the second of Grindhouses fake trailers to be turned into a feature film, the first being Rodriguez's Machete
Machete (film)
Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's...
. David Brunt, who played the homeless man in the trailer, has a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the film as a cop
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Release
Hobo with a Shotgun staged its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. The film was released limitedly in Canadian theatres March 25, 2011 and in the United States on May 6, 2011. The film was also released via OnDemand services such as Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, PlayStation Network and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on April 1, 2011.
The film received its Australian premiere on the opening night of the Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
on 8 June 2011.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United States on July 5th 2011 and in the UK on July 15th 2011, where it was given a BBFC 18 rating.
Reception
Early reviews of the film were generally positive, and it currently holds a 67% "certified fresh" approval rating out of 75 reviews on the review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the general consensus being, "It certainly isn't subtle – or even terribly smart – but as a gleefully gory homage to low-budget exploitation thrillers, Hobo with a Shotgun packs plenty of firepower."
Whitney Johnson from the Indiana Gazette Online says, "A bodacious showcase of blood, gore and shotguns...The director surprises us in the third act by not resorting to more blood and violence, choosing instead to leave us with a bleak picture of humanity that begs the question, "How Then Shall We Live?"