Thanks to Messrs Tarantino and Rodriguez there has been something of a resurgence of grindhouse movies, the low-budget exploitation films of the mid-sixties and into the seventies. This genre mostly came about through the relaxation of censorship and the rise of independent cinema that came with affordable 16mm movie cameras. The films could best be described as "testosterone-fuelled", usually containing excessive amounts of sex, violence and fast cars. Of course, being non-studio pictures not only were the filmmakers able to do whatever they wanted visually, but could also address issues such as racism or materialism that the studios might not have considered part of their entertainment remit.
When the aforementioned Tarantino and Rodriguez released their GRINDHOUSE opus, it was met with mixed reactions, and a certain amount of flak from UK audiences when the original film was split into two separate releases. Not just because we felt we were (ironically) being exploited by the distributors, but because we missed out on the fake trailers made by the likes of Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright. Rodrigueuz's fake trailer for MACHETE was recently made into a star-studded feature. Although none of the others have yet surfaced as full-length versions, Rodriguez did run a Grindhouse trailer competition at SXSW in 2007 and the clear winner of that was Jason Eisener with HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (below), and it is now also a feature starring Rutger Hauer.
The concept behind the film is simple: a hobo (Hauer) arrives in a town in decay. It is run by a sadistic crime boss and his two sons, who control everything including the police. The hobo meets up with and saves a hooker with a heart of gold and decides he has to clean up the streets when his wish to by a lawnmower is foiled by robbers. Much bloodshed ensues. While it could be said the movie is about crime and corruption and the downfall of modern society, it is equally about making cheap gore look like it did 40 years ago, and on the level this film succeeds. In fact, it does a more convincing job of capturing the essence of grindhouse movies than any of Rodriguez or Tarantino's films. This is probably because Eisener has come straight from a low-budget budget background, and has a fanboy love of the genre. Given that is was shot on RED's latest Mysterium X camera it looks remarkably like if was shot on old grainy film stock with Technicolor, the gore and effects still look like they've come straight off a Troma shoot.
For the most part the acting is as cheesy and over the top, as it should be, with lots of shouting, screaming and maniacal laughter, but it is Hauer who adds an almost undeserved gravitas to the film that saves the film from being parody instead of homage, even though there is no shortage of dark humour. This film may not be to everyone's (bad) taste, but if you are a fan of the genre this is a superb example.
HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is out now. Visit http://www.cult-labs.com/hobo for screening times and the chance to win an exclusive, personalized HOBO poster.
