Day 168: "Hobo stops begging, demands change."

WOW.  Just plain WOW.  Hobo With a Shotgun blew me away (awful pun intended).  Released in 2011 on only 2 screens in the United States, Hobo made no splash in its theatrical release.  Just recently released and Blu-ray and DVD, I erroneously thought this to be a direct-to-video release.  So on the list it went, and WOW!  A violent, gory, funny, over-the-top homage to the exploitation films of the '70s, Hobo takes what Tarantino and Rodriguez started with Death-Proof and Planet Terror, and ups the ante by a thousand.  This was such fun to watch, never taking itself seriously, always "too far" in terms of violence, story and acting, Hobo was a reminder of what movies are supposed to be: an escape from reality.  Leave all reason and logic at the door when you sit down to watch this, or run the risk of missing the point.  The filmmakers use everything they can think of to kill in this: lawn mowers, ice skates, flamethrowers, fire bombs, it's all here.  The story starts when a drifter rolls into Hopeville (love the irony) and discovers a town run by one corrupt man and his two sons.  Hopeville is the absolute bottom of the barrel in terms of anything moral.  Videographers taping bum fights, murder in the streets, even a pedophile Santa makes an appearance.  Having been pushed to his breaking point, the Hobo, having attempted to make an improvement in his life, grabs a shotgun from a pawn shop and begins dispensing his own brand of justice.  Bloodbaths ensue, and special effects men have their playground.

One of my favorite, underrated actors: Rutger Hauer, plays the Hobo.  Apparently, he was the only one with any acting talent the filmmakers could get for this.  Hauer has made his name playing in movies that were not critically acclaimed, but, as he put it "fun."  You've gotta respect principles like that, and this part was perfect for him.  There are literally no other actors anyone might recognize here, as they all can't act worth a lick, but damn, they were fun to watch.

Ripped directly from the '70s, Hobo With a Shotgun is just plain fun.  Five, yes FIVE bad guys permeate this, giving it the flamboyancy needed to offset Hauer's, for lack of a better term, subtleties.  The villains known only as The Plague are marvelously campy and fun.  Not for the kids in any way, and definitely not for the squeamish, as blood and guts are everywhere.  Tons of fun, put it on your Netflix queue and enjoy the messy ride. 8.75/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!