No Surrender Cinema: Hobo with a Shotgun
Crime is running rampant, the cops are corrupt, and murder is being made into a televised spectacle. It sounds like the streets need a good cleansing, and who better to do it than someone who calls the sidewalk his home? This time around, No Surrender Cinema takes a look at what happens when you pay homage to the exploitation films of yesteryear. Rutger Hauer stars as a man who has been battered and tattered, and it pushes him to become one of the most unlikely heroes in movie history. Criminals of all kinds are being put on notice; don’t piss off a Hobo With A Shotgun!
Back in 2007, Quentin Tarantino got his Grindhouse on, creating an action epic filmed in the style of the low budget films made popular during the drive in movie era. The Grindhouse double feature showcased Robert Rodriguez’ action-horror film Planet Terror, while the second portion, Death Proof, was Tarantino’s ode to chase movies, complete with Kurt Russell as a homicidal stunt driver. Grindhouse seemed to fly over the heads of many in the mainstream, but for those who were familiar with Tarantino’s inspirations (like myself), they loved the scratchy, choppy, 70’s style schlock of it all. What some consider the best part of Grindhouse was the effort that went into making it seem like an authentic drive in experience, complete with movie trailers for coming attractions…trailers of films that didn’t even exist! Tarantino called upon many of his Hollywood friends to put together trailers of “upcoming” films like the Mexploitation film Machete (a trailer that actually picked up some steam and spawned not one, but two feature films), the holiday horror Thanksgiving, and other films that I wish were actually real. It was also during production on Grindhouse that Rodriguez held a contest for novice filmmakers, enlisting them to submit their own fake trailers for a chance to have the winning one included in showings of Grindhouse. The winner? A trailer from a trio of Canadian filmmakers that went on to be included in select screenings, featuring a vigilante vagabond who uses a 20 gauge as his weapon of choice. That is how Hobo With A Shotgun originally came to be, and much like Machete before it, its popularity led to it becoming an authentic feature film.
The film begins with the titular Hobo arriving in Hope Town (or Scum Town, as the graffiti ridden sign would have you believe) via boxcar. Almost immediately, he realizes that this may not be the best place to settle, as the streets are ruled by a crimelord called “The Drake”, and his two depraved sons, Ivan and Slick. The Hobo’s introduction to them comes as they chase down their own uncle and help their father decapitate him, then use his head as a hood ornament as hookers writhe in the blood spatter. It’s a scene that would make Troma proud, and serves as an introduction to the excessive violence we can expect to see throughout the film.
With no choice but to settle into “Scum Town”, the Hobo keeps his head low and takes up residence on the sidewalk, begging for change with the hopes of buying a lawnmower at the local pawn shop. That’s right, in the era of Kickstarter and Go Fund Me, the Hobo is out to earn his money the old fashioned way… by begging in person instead of online. I guess he had no choice but to take the term “hit the streets” literally. During one of his restless nights, he notices some scumbags manhandling another homeless man, and decides to see what’s going on. It turns out he’s walking into one of The Drake’s nightclubs, which his two sons and their criminally minded cohorts use as their personal playground of sin. Seeing one of the hookers, Abby, being accosted by Slick, the Hobo steps in and saves her. Showing that he’s just trying to be a good citizen, he delivers Slick to the local police department, but it turns out the cops are in The Drake’s pocket. The night doesn’t end well for the Hobo as the corrupt chief, Ivan, and Slick all attack him, slicing up his chest and dumping him in the trash. Feeling merciful, Abby returns the favor by taking in the Hobo and allowing him to recover at her house. Seems like a smart decision; young girl takes in mysterious vagrant who has a pack of psycho killers coming after him. What could possibly go wrong? Although the decision doesn’t seem to be in Abby’s best interests, she and the Hobo begin to bond, and a father/daughter type relationship starts to blossom between them.
Speaking of decisions, the next day, the Hobo decides that he needs to speed up the process concerning his landscaping dreams, so he finds an amateur filmmaker that takes great joy in making bums brawl, bleed, and commit other atrocities against each other. After spoiling his lunch by chewing glass for the sick freak’s film, the Hobo heads to the pawn shop to finally purchase the lawnmower he’s had his eye on. Of course, the moment that his problems should be over is the moment where another problem begins, as the pawn shop is invaded by a group of armed robbers who threaten everyone inside it, including a helpless baby. Weighing his decisions, the Hobo notices a shotgun for the same price as the lawnmower and decides on an impulse buy, one that helps him blow all three of the robbers away. It is there in that very pawn shop that the Hobo With A Shotgun comes to be, and now that he’s got an equalizer in his hands, he takes to cleaning up the town. Pimps, pedophiles, and drug dealers all meet their end thanks to our unlikely hero, with encouragement coming from all of the good citizens. It’s almost identical to the path that The Toxic Avenger’s superhero career took, as no death is too violent, as long as it means one more scumbag is gone from this world.
While Hobo Justice takes the town by storm, one man who is none too happy with these recent developments is The Drake. He deploys his sons to amp up the carnage even more than they have. How do they top themselves this time? All I’m gonna say is “flamethrower on a packed school bus” level carnage. There’s no anti-hero or cool factor to be had here. They also invade the local TV station, kill the anchor on-air, and put a bounty on the Hobo’s head…but not before encouraging the murder of any and all homeless people! These guys suck, and you’re just begging for the Hobo to fire a few shells in their direction. The Hobo and Abby discuss their plans to escape their hellish circumstances, but the sentimental moment is cut short by Ivan and Slick. The brothers invade Abby’s apartment with murder on their mind, and despite both he and Abby being wounded, The Hobo manages to dispatch of Slick with a shotgun blast to the crotch, leaving Ivan to run home to daddy Drake.
Just when you think things couldn’t get any weirder, Hobo With A Shotgun crosses over into another realm for the climax. Slick gets carted off to hell in the school bus full of children that he set fire to. The Drake calls upon The Plague, a pair of armored video game villains, to seek out and destroy The Hobo. It’s all a little bit odd, but given what we’ve experienced in Hobo With A Shotgun‘s short run time, it just makes sense. The Plague puts the local hospital under siege as they seek out out heroes, killing doctor’s and orderlies via harpoon gun hangings (and I might not be explaining it right, but it’s a cool visual when they cut down everyone in their path and leave them dangling from the hospital ceiling). The Hobo, fresh off delivering a heartfelt speech to the newborns in the nursery that includes a reference to the title of the movie, is overwhelmed by The Plague and dragged off to The Drake. Just when things appear to come full circle and The Hobo is about to meet the same end as the man he saw killed at the beginning of the movie, Abby recovers and rallies the townspeople together for support. This all leads to a final showdown between The Hobo, The Drake, Abby, The Plague, the corrupt police force, and the townsfolk who finally have the inspiration to fight back. Hobo With A Shotgun‘s final few minutes is a gloriously gory affair full of blood, bullets, shotgun blasts, sliced appendages and sharpened bones, and no one is leaving the scene of the showdown feeling the same.
Where as Grindhouse had a 70’s style vibe fitting for its concept, Hobo With A Shotgun in an exercise in 80’s excess. If Troma and Cannon got down and dirty together, this is what their baby would look like. Blood and gore is plentiful, but the setting and score would be perfect for another Death Wish installment. Hauer is really the only actor worth his salt here, with Molly Dunsworth coming in a close second as Abby. There’s also a nice nod to the original faux trailer, as the corrupt police chief is played by David Brunt, who portrayed The Hobo in the winning entry. Pretty much everyone chews the scenery like it’s corn on the cob, but again, it’s fitting for a movie trying to recapture an era where action films of varying budgets could easily be found on video store shelves. The low budget appeal of Hobo With A Shotgun gives it the vibe of an honest to God throwback, because there are points where you feel like you’re watching a relic from a mom and pop video shop versus a modern movie.
The good news for those of you who haven’t seen Hobo With A Shotgun is that it’s currently streaming for free on the Tubi app. It can also be found on Blu Ray with special features like a Making Of, and an alternate ending that I won’t spoil here. For an hour and a half of mindless mayhem, Hobo With A Shotgun serves as a time capsule to the days of yesteryear, where studios were less PC and only cared about pumping out enough product to keep theaters and video stores overflowing with action. I’m happy to say that I gave Hobo a home as soon as it was released, and any fan of 80’s exploitation should do the same.
