User reviews

Well directed, good editing, ott violence, good action scenes. Simple plot to follow, disturbing film ive seen in a while. Rutger hauer plays the hobo character well and keeps you watching throughout as he delivers justice. Has that 80s feel to it and some cool music too.

Overall a decent action film. Would recommend this to anyone Enjoy!!

I first saw this in 2011 on a dvd which I own. Revisited it recently. The film is about a freight-hopper (Rutger Hauer) who arrives in a town filled with criminals, corrupt policemen n hopeless fellas. After witnessing brutal crimes, ineffective police n undergoing torture, our hobo takes a shot gun n starts delivering justice one shell at a time.

This film has two similarities with Charles Bronson's character. In Hard Times, Charles Bronson's character as a hobo arrives in a new town. In Deathwish series, Bronson's character is a vigilante. The film is very violent, entertainingn hilarious. It gets a 7 instead of 8 for being a bit blasphemous.

BRILLIANT IN EVERY WAY!!! Hobo with a Shotgun is a fantastic Vigilante Thriller that could've came out in like 1980 & it's BEAUTIFUL lol!!! Sleazy,ulta violent,brutal,funny,crazy but also has Heart. Watched this so many times as it's so much crazy fun & RUTGER HAUER is BRILLIANT, wow what a performance!!! Hes so good as The homeless old guy looking for a new place to call home. The new town is like an apocalyptic urban ghetto it's full of danger & gangs & sickos & RUTGER has had enough of all the evil around him & gets a Shotgun & delivers his own Justice & it's BEAUTIFUL. The music is outstanding throughout the whole movie IT'S excellent & very 80s & the violence is Awesome & the Hospital scene is BRILLIANT!!! This is the a definite throwback to to the very old skook glory days of "anything goes" shocking Cinema of the Grindhouse days or the gritty & extremely violent world of "Exploitation" Cinema. Hobo is like a long lost "Troma" film from say 1983, this movie has that feel & look & is just a wild ride Vigilante Thriller that turns into a blood soaked splatter-punk flick like "Robocop 2" & it's a glorious gory MASTERPIECE.

Rutger really gives a career best performance as the "Hobo" & gives his lost character a depth & heart & a decency that could've all been lost in a "Grindhouse" style homage flick but with an intense actor like Rutger he brings so much more to the role, he's not just an angry vigilante, he's also a man lost in a disgusting world where everyone seems so nasty & evil. Rutger brings his Hobo to life with a rawness & you can't help but feel sorry for this down & out guy surrounded by scum. There's a serious story within all the bloody violence & craziness & Rutger's performance makes you wonder what the world is coming to? Although everything is hyper-crazy & exaggerated for the entertainment value it's all sick stuff that really does happen in real life.

The use of colour in it's cinematography is beautiful, very colourful & vibrant & sharpens the grit & grime of the urban hell-hole that our Hobo hero is surviving in & every scene is beautifully shot. I cherish this ultra-violent vigilante action Thriller & i thank this low-budget MASTERPIECE for getting me properly into the great "Rutger Hauer" as I've always liked him as an actor from Blade Runner, among a few others but it was performance in "Hobo" that really made me a Fan of the actor & got me checking out his older films & discovering some real Gems like Split Second, Wedlock, Omega Doom among others, the guy is a legend of Cult Cinema.

"Hobo" is a shockingly violent love-letter to old early 80's sick 'n' twisted Grindhouse films & its glorious.

Rutger Hauer R. I. P was a true legend of Cult Cinema & the straight-to-video B-movie world of films & was a unique presence of screen & is a Cult Hero to us movie geeks!!! I absolutely love Rutger in this Grindhouse Classic "Hobo" & the Awesome 90's Sci-fi Horror-Thriller "Split Second" & of Course the sci-fi Classic "Blade Runner" but he truly was great in pretty much anything he starred in & made the movie better by his screen presence, one of my favourite actors.

A homicidal hobo (a well-cast Rutger Hauer) drifts into a hellish town with the intent of purchasing a lawnmower but buys a shotgun instead and proceeds to messily clean up the streets. The film is an over-the-top parody of grindhouse films inspired by one of the 'fake trailers' in the Tarantino and Rodriguez-helmed 'Grindhouse' (2007; itself a parody of the obscure genre). Full of gleeful blood and gore, Hobo won't be to all tastes but is fast moving and splatterly fun. Shot in Nova Scotia, one of the first sanguineous scenes sees the bloody demise of Robb Wells (Trailer Park Boys' 'Ricky') and the lead villain ('The Drake') is Canadian actor Brian Downey (Stanley Tweedle in 'Lexx' (1997)). Cartoonish at times, the film sometimes has the look of a late-night commercial (especially in scenes involving Ivan and Slick, the Drake's murderous sons) but some of the imagery is memorable (in a bargain-basement way) - I especially liked 'The Plague', a pair of armoured, demonic hitmen who appear to battling a giant squid at one point. Good low-brow, high-concept fun for the right crowd (probably boys of all ages) at the right time (probably after midnight).

After using a shotgun hanging in a pawnshop to stop an armed robbery, a homeless man turns celebrated vigilante, much to the annoyance of the corrupt police force in this Canadian action thriller. The film began life as a fake movie trailer and watching the trailer and film back-to-back, it is quite remarkable how much the filmmakers manage to stretch the original premise. The story is hardly airtight with unanswered questions about why the store has loaded weapons on display and how the he keeps accumulating countless bullets really standing out, but it is all a lot of fun with Rutger Hauer perfectly cast in the lead role, several imaginative gory death/maim scenes, plus the filmmakers' acute eye for colour. With lots of neon purple, pink, yellow and other glaring colours throughout, the film possesses a deliciously exaggerated visual look that perfectly complements its over-the-top story. A little too much time is spent on Hauer befriending and conversing with a prostitute who (of course) has a heart of gold, but the prostitute subplot gives the film a welcome 'Taxi Driver'-like quality, with Hauer trying to clean the streets much like Travis Bickle. Where the film really rises above the ordinary though is in its acute depiction of a society that neglects and abuses the homeless. Sure, the way they are mistreated is really overdone, but the satirical edge still sticks.

Approach this movie with no expectations and just go along for the ride.

It had some great action blood splatters and plenty of funny WTF moments.

If you want something different give this a try. I am glad I watched this and find myself craving some more of this crazy kind of movie.

Rutger Hauer is great as the Hobo with a shotgun, but there are two movies at battle here. One is a gritty exploitation film about a man pushed beyond his limit and a Troma movie complete with horribly over the top performances, topless girls engaged in tired acts of ultra-violence, and many freezer size bags of fake cocaine. Hobo With A Shotgun is just too Troma, which is not a great surprise given that just like Troma movies it is a copy of the real thing. It's a shame that Rutger Hauer was making one movie, which was pitch perfect, while the others involved seemed to be making another far less interesting one.

This is freaking art. Seriously, this movie is what the Machete movies should have been. And make sure to watch the alternative ending or extra scene, it is a little bonus gem. Whatever, this movie is more of a grindhouse movie than most of the original grindhouse movies from back in the ways. The film is about a drifter who grabs a shotgun and starts dispensing justice. The main thing I trip off of is how the film progressively gets better. Frankly it starts off a little too low budget for its own good but after, it becomes cinematic art.

I watched the trailer to this movie and thought, WOW! This has to be an absolute gore feast, and yes, it was. This movie was awesome. It was fun, funny, and above all, gory. You are sure to have fun with this movie, if you want to have a good time with a movie, check it out. It is sure to be a lovable movie for all ages (and by that I mean mature-male audiences). I watched the unrated trailer and it pretty much sums up the movie. The plot is pretty much explained in the title, A Hobo With A Shotgun. I really enjoyed listening to the soundtrack to this movie, it fit the time of emotion, from feeling sad, crazy action, lots of gore or even watching the hobo on a train in the opening credits. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the plot played out well throughout the movie.

To like this movie, you can't be offended by extreme violence, and lots of gore. May I also warn you that there are some disturbing scenes in this. It was a funny movie and plot-wise it was pretty odd. It wasn't all I expected, wondering how they could make a movie about a hobo running around clearing the streets of crime with his shotgun, to think about this you don't really think that much dialogue could be achieved, but they succeeded pretty well. It was very entertaining and good as an all-around movie. If you like action, thrillers, or just want to have a good time, see this movie and you will certainly get what you paid for. It shows a good feeling of hatred toward the bad guys, who you really hate. In some movies they try to make you feel like you don't like them, but this one did a good job at that. All-in-all it was good in it's own strange way unexplainable by words. Watch it, if you can get by the excessive violence, like having a good time or like action, go to the movies, or you can even wait for it's release on DVD, it will be a great movie either way.

I don't know what it is about titles like this, but there's some base, self-punishing part of me that won't let me pass this kind of thing by without taking a look. I know it's likely to be bad in almost all departments, and will possess little in the way of merit, but – well, there you go – some people sit alone in their bedrooms cutting up their legs with razor blades, I subject myself to worthless trash like this when the other half's gone to bed.

Hobo with a Shotgun isn't a complete loss. Rutger Hauer – looking pretty grizzled and weather-beaten these days – is pretty good in the title role; the use of saturated colour gives the film a fresh, original look that's deliberately at odds with the subject matter; and a few key scenes shine like diamonds in a pile of manure, but the filmmakers have no idea about when the time is right to take a step back so that we can lift our heads and take a breath for a moment before being submerged once more in their foul world of violence and gore.

Excess for its own sake is a pretty juvenile practice, so anyone over the age of twenty-five will probably be turned off by this.

Rutger Hauer, a great actor known for the likes of Blade Runner, The Hitcher, Split Second, etc, sadly died yesterday so as a mark of respect I revisited Hobo. And I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Filmed in glorious Technicolor this is a tremendous homage to violent movies of the late 1970's/80's. At just over 80 minutes the action never lets up, it may well prove too much for viewers who cannot stomach much violence, and it is very graphic too. Gore lovers will not be disappointed. Rutger is great but Molly Dunsworth delivers a good performance as a hooker that you don't want to mess with. Fantastic movie that deserves a higher average score than its current 6/10

So you may have a while to wait if your living in the UK for this one to hit your screens with it not due to be released until the middle of the summer but will it be worth the wait? The movie title kind of hints at what is in store if you go and watch this and in that regard it does not disappoint at all. Although you will have to wait a little bit before hobo and shotgun are united in a cacophony of blood and guts.

This movie is about a nameless hobo (Rutger Hauer) who rides the rail and arrives in a new town where the movies intentions are immediately made obvious. As he wanders the streets with robberies, prostitution, child abduction and hobo fighting occurring all around him, we are introduced to Drake (Brian Downey) the twister ruler of the town and his two sons, Slick (Gregory Smith) and Ivan (Nick Bateman). When father and sons decapitate their brother/uncle with a car, manhole cover and barbed wire rope we are left with the distinct impression that they rule the roost and are not to be messed with. After observing more obscenities Rutger comes to the aid of a prostitute in trouble, Abby (Molly Dunsworth) and they strike up an unlikely friendship as the movie progresses.

Now our hobo's dream is but a simple one, he is intent on starting a honest gardening business and gathers his pennies to buy an old lawnmower. However fate conspires against him and he ends up with a pump action shotgun instead and sets about ridding the streets of crime (definitely makes for a better story!) With one liners as classic as: Abby: "You can't solve all the world's problems with a shotgun!" Hobo: "It's all I know." it's not hard to see the standard that this movie has set for itself! It doesn't take itself seriously but then neither should you.

This movie is literally bubbling over with blood and gore left, right and centre and leaves little to the imagination. In fact I don't think it leaves anything to the imagination whatsoever. Jason Eisener, in his first proper movie as a director, knows how to make a bloody scene even more gory than you could imagine. At times the gore looks quite convincing and at others less so but it comes so thick and fast that you won't have time to worry yourself with small matters such as that.

If you don't have a strong stomach them I definitely recommend that you give this one a miss and that also goes for people who think that this movie won't involve children in the mayhem, because it does and on several occasions as well. I also liked the way in which the movie was done with old school technicolor style credits and titles making the movie feel it was made several decades ago rather than in 2011.

All in all this was what I was expecting but in some places it went further than I thought it would. If you are looking for a gore and guts fest with a couple of very cheesy one liners strewn about the place then this does it well and is for you. If your not then I'd give it a wide berth.

For further reviews feel free to check out: http://www.fanaticalaboutfilms.com

Wild and violent, but allthough a good vigilante/revenge movie for the squemish slasher blood and gore lover. i can admit that some of it is far over the limit of graphic violence, and im sure that the 1980's norwegian censorship wouldve slashed it into a 30 minutes documentary with ruthger hauer speaking words of wisdom to the babies at the birth clinic.as the main feature song in the film scarface goes''TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT'', well that describes very well where my limit goes....

its a must see if you like the slash of it,and the grumpy old man thinks for the rest of the feinsmaeckers feeling that the movie shall be a mirror of society, let it be.....

If you want a cheesy Troma-esque action/comedy/horror romp, look no further than Hobo With a Shotgun. I saw this movie this afternoon and it BLEW ME AWAY! It was funny, the music was good, the acting fit the movie perfectly (meaning that no Oscars will be awarded, but the actors knew what they were doing), and it had a bunch of memorable scenes.

The guy who plays the hobo did a great job, IMO. He looked like a hobo, talked like a hobo, and had the ambition of a mega-hobo. The main female actor was great too. She added a tiny bit of depth to the movie and had good hobo-chemistry. The bad guys were all stellar, over-the-top crazy evil dudes. They were all outstanding.

My one caveat is for squeamish viewers, because although the gore in this movie is cartoonish and unbelievable, there is a lot of it and some of the scenes are graphic. If you have a weak stomach, steer clear of this movie. If you like crazy gore-fest/comedy action b-movies with good one-liners and outrageous villains, you have to see this amazing piece of Canadian cinema!

Rutger Hauer is an elderly homeless hobo Rambo. He comes to town, and everyone treats him badly. He meets every type of nasty criminal, and he decides to fight back against a very evil town.

The action scenes are off the wall. Really black comedy to some degree, and just plain action. It is very hardcore, so while it has humor it is not a comedy.

It is a commentary on the world we live in, where the only solution is to kill the bad folks that make it impossible for good people to live in peace.

A Hobo (Rutger) rides the train into a new town, and immediately sees nothing but violence, drugs, and inhumanity all around. All the people are afraid, and no one dares challenge the man in charge,, Drake. Along with his two psychotic sons, Drake controls the entire city. No need to call the cops,, they work for him too.

Abby, a prostitute, lives everyday the same as the day before,, just trying to survive. The Hobo comes to her rescue one night, and the two of them form a friendship.

The Hobo sees all the drugs, murder, and corruption happening,,, and one day decides that enough is enough,,,

This movie is very over the top in it's violence, and it's pretty funny to watch (or I might just be getting twisted),,, I'd give it a 6.3 rating.

First of all, I have to put a disclaimer: My low rating was not because this movie had no plot, or bad acting. I can see how people give it high ratings, but it was far too over-the-top for my liking. A bit of gore here and there is alright, but this movie was a nonstop orgy of gore thrown at the viewers for shock value.

Having said that, I think that this movie had a very good point, and depicted humanity fairly well, though not to that extreme. As a metaphor for human existence, I believe it got its point across, and should be commended for doing so. However, the presentation had much to be desired.

Overall, if you want a movie with a lot of horrendously gross scenes, tons of gore, some action, and leaves you with a thoughtful, nauseated feeling, this is the movie for you.

***1/2 out of (****)

Eisener's exploitative 80's grindhouse throwback, "Hobo with a Shotgun", showcasing its brutality shamelessly, is easily the best grindhouse film to ever grace the silver screen. "Grindhouse", "Machete", and "Drive Angry 3D" are all strong staples to the beloved subgenre, but "Hobo" is where its at. It's bigger, louder, and prouder. In all honesty, this is one of the goriest films I've seen in a while, and it takes a lot for me to say that because even the goriest Saw film doesn't fulfill my bloody craving. The best part about "Hobo" is not only doesn't it play it safe, but there's so much meaning, and depth underneath it, and is executed so strongly that the message never becomes lost or preachy.

"Hobo" revolves around well... a hobo. An anonymous one at that who witnesses the catastrophes of the city, and decides to fight back.

First of all, the plot is just ingenious. A hobo who's tired of getting picked on and besmirched by the townspeople decides to take a stand. Not only is it a badass story, but can't we all relate to the plot? Haven't we all been pushed around too long, and just wanted to do something. To be something truly special. Also, while the deaths are pretty sick, there's more meat on these bones. The film relies on what a film should rely on. Its characters. The relationship between Abby and the hobo is a strong one. I actually cared about these two. What does it say if a film of the title "Hobo with a Shotgun" has more character development than 95% of the garbage being released today?

To put the icing on the cake, the production values are sweet. This film has a superb nostalgic look, and it's one of the most colorful and vibrant movies projected on screen. But why are we here? For the deaths! And boy, do they not disappoint. Eating glass, decapitating heads, and shots to the head are not even the goriest segments. Actually, they're the tamest. Not only that but almost every five minutes there's blood. Whether a dead body in a shot, random blood, or a kill occurring. This is just a huge blood bath. And a great one at that.

Also, what I loved about this movie is the lack of gratuitous nudity. I hate how almost every grindhouse flick has to have the need to throw in random boobs or sex in the film. I know it's part of the titillation, but it's rather absurd, and feels out of context. "Hobo" had one scene exposing those jugs, and it actually fit the mood because of its humor. However, it was just THAT scene and wasn't littered throughout the movie.

Ignore those reviewers saying they were "disappointed" because it wasn't "what they were expecting". If you're expecting a good time, dammit, you're going to get one. Two strong leads, heaps and heaps of blood, a slick story, and some solid production values. You're going to tell me that doesn't even get you excited in the slightest? "Hobo with a shotgun" might just be the best movie I'll see this year. The others have just not delivered on what they promised. How sad is it to see a movie with this title can actually be the best movie of the year, when probably half of the Oscar choices will be pretentious dribble. Don't even think about seeing this film. Just do it. Go ahead, I'll wait.

This is a great example of exploitation cinima at it's best,a great dark comic book type drama and lots of action well worth a second veiwing. They lots of bad diologue that will make you laugh.

This film is quite original, in how awful it is. It's ridiculously bad but not in a good way. I thought the start was humorous, and had a real old-feel to it. I was expecting an old-fashioned style of update on a spaghetti western (if that makes sense).

What happened during the film, though, was that I just got more and more disappointed. It was cringe-making in just about every sense you could imagine. The dialogue was terrible, the acting (apart from Hauer) was abysmal, the effects were awful, the story was a joke, the characterization was pathetic, the soundtrack was useless and the continuity was the worst I've seen on screen. I felt bad for Hauer after his wonderful parts in previous movies, and I don't understand why he was cast for this part? Did he do something to someone's wife in Hollywood? How could his agent have let him appear in this trash?

Unlike other films that try to replicate best of Grindhouse, the pacing, writing, music, acting, everything was amazing in this. I expected this to be garbage, but this was absolute brilliance. This movie knew exactly what it was.

But bad in the best way. I loved it! It really reminded me of the Classic Troma films. Too much gore, too much gleeful sadism, too many beheading and hangings. Really wish they had made a sequel.

This was a must see, because after all, it is called Hobo With A Shotgun, HOWEVER, it is not a well done movie at all. Here is the premise of the movie, what if someone made a Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriquez film without their talent. This is what you get with this film. The people who rate this film high have lost their minds. The problem is the actors don't seem to believe it. Their characters act cartoony and thats the difference between something like Planet Terror. So now I know to watch out for cool sounding titles, because it is not the title or the subject matter, it is who directs it. But if you must see if, please wait for it to come on HBO or Netflix instant streaming, but do not buy, do not rent, just watch when it becomes available. Because trust me, this is no Machete, it is no Death Proof, it is truly a pretender with a director who has no idea on how to direct and with a writer who storyline was pretty garbage for a movie with such a basic concept. How in the world do you screw up a movie called Hobo With A Shotgun? Easily, have this moronic director make it.

One of the other main problem is that it isn't fun, at all. It's violence for the sake of violence with no point. And I have a tolerance for many things, but there are some scene (such as a bus, scene, not giving anything away), that I found reprehensible. No one, not even Rutger Hauer was believable and if this is satire, it didn't come through, it is just exploitive. Guys, do yourself a huge huge favor and DO NOT subject your wives, children, girlfriends, dates or any females you know to this nonsense or you will forever be in the doghouse. They will never forgive you and it will always be brought up throughout the rest of your future history (remember when you insisted on watching that Hobo Shotgun movie). Me and my male friends watched it and we loved Machete but hated, hated this.