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CHICAGO – The late playwright August Wilson left a gift to the world in the form of his “American Century Cycle,” a series of plays each individually set in a decade of the 20th Century, focusing on the black experience. Chicago’s Goodman Theatre presents Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” now through May 19th, 2024 (click here).
Film Review: Rutger Hauer Stars in Grindhouse Lunacy of ‘Hobo With a Shotgun’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2011 - 2:13pm
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Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Hobo With a Shotgun” review.
“Hobo With a Shotgun” stars Rutger Hauer, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman, Gregory Smith, and Molly Dunsworth. It opens in New York today and is available nationwide On Demand.
Hobo With a Shotgun
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures
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 Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What do you expect from a movie called “Hobo With a Shotgun” (other than perhaps the most truthful title since “Snakes on a Plane”)? If you’re spending hard-earned money on a movie about a vengeful homeless person played by Rutger Hauer, you probably know what you’re in for. On those grindhouse terms, “Hobo With a Shotgun” totally works. It’s so far over-the-top that it makes “Machete” look believable, but that’s why it’s effective. Unlike so many movies you will see this season, “Hobo With a Shotgun” delivers.
Rutger Hauer plays the title character, a boxcar jumper who finds himself in the ironically-named “Hope Town,” a place that would make Gomorrah look like a lovely place for a summer vacation. Shortly after his arrival, our hero witnesses a horrific event in the center of town. The ringmaster of sin and chaos, The Drake (Brian Downey), along with his two sons (Nick Bateman, Gregory Smith), decapitate their relative in the middle of town while forcing people to not just watch but applaud. It’s clear that this is no “bad place.” This is a vision of Hell on Earth, a place where crime, violence, sin, and pain rule.
| Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Hobo With a Shotgun” in our reviews section. |
While trying to gather money to buy a lawnmower to start a business and get off the road, the hobo crosses paths with a hooker with a heart of gold named Abby (Molly Dunsworth). She protects him and becomes his reason for fighting back against the forces of evil in Hope Town. Instead of buying a lawnmower, he picks up a shotgun and goes hunting. With hysterically cheesy headlines like “Hobo Stops Begging, Demands Change” and “Parents Smile As Bodies Pile,” the hobo cleans up the streets.
Like everything in “Hobo With a Shotgun,” our protagonist isn’t exactly subtle. He’s not “hurting” pimps or abusers. In one scene, we witness a man in a Santa Claus suit masturbating in a car near a playground. Rutger Hauer blows his head off. This is a film in which people aren’t just killed, they are blown to gory, bloody pieces like the zombies in “Planet Terror.”
Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Hobo With a Shotgun” review.Hobo With a Shotgun
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures
