Hobo with A Shotgun

October 7th, 2011 | By Thomas Grabinski grabinsk1@grinnell.edu | Section: Arts

With the reinvigoration of the grindhouse genre led by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, there’s been no feature more violent, foul and utterly jaw-dropping than “Hobo With A Shotgun,” and that’s just the way it should be. The term “grindhouse” refers to tasteless films popular in the 1970s, replete with explicit sex, outrageous violence and plenty of camp. The genre steadily lost relevance until it had all but disappeared by the 1990s. In 2007, directors Tarantino and Rodriguez released the genre-tribute “Grindhouse.” After its release, Robert Rodriguez hosted a grindhouse trailer contest, which was won by “Hobo With A Shotgun,” directed by Jason Eisener. The rest is history.

“Hobo,” starring Rutger Hauer (“Blade Runner”) as an unnamed hobo and Gregory Smith (star of the 1998 film, “Small Soldiers”) as a psychopath named Slick, is a deliberate and exploitative mess. The film chronicles Hobo’s attempt to clean up Scum Town by taking down a mob boss known only as The Drake with the exclusive aid of a boss shotgun purchased second-hand. As if the premise were not awesome enough, there are numerous reasons to catch Hobo this weekend. The film opens with an execution involving a barbed-wire necklace attached to an SUV and does not let up. The entire film is hilarious, albeit ultra-violent and not for those easily disturbed by gore. With one-liners like, “When life gives you razor blades … you make a baseball bat covered in razor blades,” “Hobo With A Shotgun “is pretty irresistible. As far as grindhouse features go, “Hobo With A Shotgun” is about as good as it gets. “Hobo With A Shotgun” will be screening on Friday, Oct. 7, as part of the Films Committee’s “Midnight Movies” series. Paul Dampier, Film Chair, assures filmgoers that the screening “should be a blast.” I second that.

Also showing this weekend will be a Shark Week Marathon on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

“We will be showing various favorites from over the years, and may have certain pre-10/10 activities,” Dampier said.

Now whatever that means, it sounds like a rockin’ time. So if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, make sure to catch “Hobo With A Shotgun” or selections from Shark Week at the Harris Cinema.

“You and me are goin’ on a car-ride to hell … and you’re riding shotgun!”

Although “Hobo” is part of the “Midnight” series, it will be screening in the Harris Cinema at 10:30 p.m. and ending at midnight.