MOVIE REVIEW: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN

MOVIE REVIEW: HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN



A train rolls into its final stop. From one of the freight cars jumps a weary-eyed transient with dreams of a fresh start in a new town. Instead, he lands smack-dab in the middle of an urban hellhole, a place where the cops are crooked and the underprivileged masses are treated like insignificant animals. This is a city where crime reigns supreme, and the man pulling the strings is known only as "The Drake." Along with his two cold-blooded and sadistic sons, Ivan and Slick, he rules with an iron fist, and nobody dares fuck with The Drake, especially not some hobo.Director Jason Eisener’s blood-soaked return to the Sundance Film Festival is more than just a nod to the grindhouse flicks of the 1970s and ’80s; he ups the ante in a major way, and Rutger Hauer’s performance is a legendary display of brutal ass-kicking and meticulous name-taking that is not to be missed.
Director: Jason Eisener

Cast: Rutger Hauer

Release Date: May 06, 2011

Unrated

Runtime: 1 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Action / Grindhouse

REVIEW:

Hobo with a Shotgun is a fun little film, far from perfect but not fatally flawed. Jason Eisener’s first major film, after winning a faux trailer contest, is full of impressive promise and style. Eisener clearly loves the genre he’s emulating and he shoots his film like a Technicolor nightmare that’s occasionally kind of beautiful. He’s got a keen eye and knows how to frame shots with a keen precision. His casting of Rutger Hauer is also a major bonus to the film. Hauer is clearly committed to the role which is over the top but heartfelt and honest at the same time. He does most of the heavy lifting here, probably with good reason, and the performance alone is worth watching this film. Sadly, the film as a whole does have its issues, the script does seem kind of thrown together which considering the film’s genesis isn’t a huge shock. My biggest issue with it is that it leaves too many dead zones in between the crazy blood spurting mayhem everybody came to see. It’s strange to say this but I kind of felt they didn’t go far enough with some of the insanity, leaving a choppy feel to the flow of the film. The final battle with some nicely designed armored killers is fun but just kind of ends, just like the movie shortly there after. Not quite the quality of something like Machete or Grindhouse but still lots of fun for fans of the genre.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE RITE

THE RITE


Inspired by author Matt Baglio's nonfiction book of the same name, director Mikael Håfström's supernatural thriller traces the experiences of a young seminary student who discovers the true power of faith after being drafted into the Vatican's Exorcism School and confronted by the forces of darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Mikael Håfström

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer

Release Date: Jan 28, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Disturbing thematic material, sexual references, language, frightening images and violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Anthony Hopkins’ character asks, early on in this insipid and horribly clichéd film, “What were you expecting? Spinning heads and pea soup?” At that point in the film, that’s exactly what I wasn’t hoping for and with such a garish dismissal of the usual exorcist genre tropes it leaves you wondering if perhaps we’ll see something new and fresh. Sadly, it doesn’t take The Rite long to fall into an all too familiar pattern. A young priest lacking faith, an elder priest who’s been battling the devil for his entire life, standard contortions and demonic sounding voices, etc, etc…. Throw in some shoddy and thoroughly unnecessary CGI just for good measure. So if we don’t get a fresh take on this genre then at the very least the film should frighten us. Even here it fails, using the cheapest of scares while never getting within shouting distance of any sort of tension. The character’s barely register and carry all the emotional weight of a paper bag. Colin O'Donoghue doesn’t bring much to the table and is instantly forgettable. Alice Braga is thoroughly self serious throughout while being given very little to do. Anthony Hopkins seems to sleep walk through most of his scenes only to pull out a faux version of his Lecter character in the final act which borders on parody. Strangely the only actor who brings any level of creepiness is Rutger Hauer who’s in the film for a total of 5 minutes. Director Mikael Håfström tries to dress this all up as much as possible but in the end it’s like putting make up on a hog.

D-