Archive of films Hobo with a Shotgun / Hobo with a Shotgun

Canada / USA
2011, 89 min

Section: Midnight Screenings
Year: 2011

An aging homeless man has his heart set on a single dream: he wants his own lawnmower. But in a city of murderers, crooks, dealers, junkies, hookers, and perverts there are no lawns to mow anyway. So he buys a shotgun instead, advancing the cause of justice with every shot. Rutger Hauer stages a comeback amid an overload of burlesque brutality.

Synopsis

His dream was to have his own lawnmower, start a business, and make folks happy. But in a city where ordinary people are mere objects to satisfy the cravings of every murderer, crook, junkie, and pervert, it’s hard for an aging homeless man to find happiness. Yet, when faced with the choice of buying a lawnmower or a shotgun, his life heads in a new direction. Although the fever-pitched maelstrom of excessive violence, burlesque histrionics, over-the-top stylization, and 1980s retro elements betray numerous influences from the tradition of American exploitation cinema, the movie is not just another "quiz show” aimed at hard-core fans who would guess its inspirations. Before the viewers’ very eyes, a sophisticated contemplation opens up concerning the ability of tabloid pulp to function in a strange and elaborately constructed world of garishly oversaturated hues verging on Technicolor. The film marks a sensational comeback for Rutger Hauer, a character actor pigeonholed for B action movies, who here takes on the title role of a hero disappointed by the world and his own life.

About the director

Jason Eisener (Canada) grew up as a true fan of genre movies who began shooting short films in high school with his friends. After studying moviemaking at Nova Scotia Community College, he turned in several underground medium-length films. In 2007 his career was given a fundamental boost with his successful entry in the competition to create a faux exploitation film trailer at the SXSW festival on the occasion of the screening of Rodriguez and Tarantino’s Grindhouse (2007). Eisener’s entry, Hobo with a Shotgun, not only won, it became a YouTube sensation and was shown as a pre-film at Grindhouse screenings in Canada. After completing his tongue-in-cheek horror short Treevenge (2008) he began work on the feature version of Hobo with a Shotgun.

Contacts

The Festival Agency
Kwerk, 22 Bd Malesherbes, 750 08, Paris
France
Tel: +33 954 904 863
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.thefestivalagency.com

TF1 STUDIO
1, Quai du Point du Jour, 92656, Boulogne Cedex
France
Tel: +33 41 41 21 68
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.tf1studio.com

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About the film

Color, DCP

Section:	Midnight Screenings

Director:	Jason Eisener
Screenplay:	John Davies, Jason Eisener
Dir. of Photography:	Karim Hussain
Music:	Adam Burke, Darius Holbert, Russ Howard III
Editor:	Caley MacLennan
Producer:	Rob Cotterill, Niv Fichman, Frank Siracusa
Production:	Rhombus Media
Cast:	Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman, George Stroumboulopoulos
Contact:	The Festival Agency, TF1 STUDIO

Guests

Leslie Vuchot

Distributor, Service Company Rep.

Tatjana Pavlovic

Distributor