Review of Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) by Brian S — 01 Jul 2012

There's a hobo with a shotgun (Rutger Hauer) who is going to save a prostitute and her town from an insane criminal boss (Brian Downey), his insanely vicious sons, and two armored somethings called The Plague. People are blasted, limbs ground up, heads pulled off, feet electrocuted, and there's vague reference to some sort of giant octopus in a dungeon at one point. Everything is over the top all the time, not the least of which are Hauer's attempt at subdued sincerity in his role. Downey is just crazy; if you know him from "Lexx," imagine Stanley Tweedle evil and on meth for "Hobo." Abby, the prostitute, can take nearly unlimited wounding, yet still keep fighting.

The key here is to not think too much about what doesn't make sense here. This is grindhouse; it's SUPPOSED to be cheezily operatic in a way, ignoring the bounds of credulity in order to do whatever it takes to bring on the bloodbath, and does "Hobo" ever deliver on that count! The gore gushes in gallons with glee at every opportunity. This is one crazy flick! If you like classic grindhouse cinema, or at least enjoyed Quentin Tarentino's ventures in the genre, you're going to have a good time with this one!