RSS Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Dread Media is mad as hell, and it can't take this anymore. So Desmond and Darryll decide to break their dry streak and take in two theatrical features as they do Roadkill Reviews on Insidious and Hobo with a Shotgun. After some feedback, join him for a fitting tribute to, the master, Sidney Lumet who left us this week. Shotgun ditties: "Blood Red Sandman" by Lordi, "Shotgun Blues" by Guns N' Roses, and "Davidian" by Machine Head. [ 1:22:12 || 37.8 MB ] The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/podcasts/dreadmedia/episodes/dreadmedia_189.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 What a fantastic episode of Dread Media. Aside from the two utterly awesome films reviewed, listeners also get interesting feedback, great music, and that Network clip rocked my soul. This has to be one of Dread Media's finest hours. Great job, Des! p.s. Thanks for editing my verbal fumblings, Des, and making me sound coherent p.p.s. The other day I actually called the Avalon cinema in Nanaimo and thanked them for showing Hobo With A shotgun. Cheesy, I know, but I really wanted to encourage them to carry more underground and independent films like this and I told them so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Des and I discussed this already, but Insidious bored me to tears. Hated it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Well, Preston, I am shocked and dismayed to learn that you are secretly Daredevil, Man Without Fear because only he could have sat through INSIDIOUS without getting the willies. What's to hate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Well, Preston, I am shocked and dismayed to learn that you are secretly Daredevil, Man Without Fear because only he could have sat through INSIDIOUS without getting the willies. What's to hate? I liked it a lot more when it was Poltergeist. It was just really, really derivative, Patrick Wilson mailed it in, and it relied way, way too much on jump scares, rather than tension and plot building. But hey, to each his own. It's rare I disagree with you and Des, but you're entitled to your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Thanks, Preston. As are you and I totally hear what you're saying regarding the film's derivative nature. In the review I mention the "greatest hits" aspect but that never detracted from the film for me. I thought they borrowed tastefully from those classic films and they never went for the obvious steal. In addition to that we get a pretty fresh looking demonic antagonist in Lipstick Face. He freaked me out. And, yeah, there were a lot of jump scares but they were earned scares precisely because of the tension and plot building that props them up. You can't effectively have one without the other. Lastly, and without going all spoiler-iffic, I'll just say I thought the ending was brave and fairly nihilistic for a mainstream, hollywood horror film. I really appreciated that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Lipstick Face looked like the bastard child of Darth Maul and Freddy to me, I didn't care for him either. The ending was satisfyingly nihilistic, but it felt like James Wan was going for a big M. Knight twist, because that's what horror films do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Hah! OK, he was a little Darth Maul-ish but I wasn't thinking that during the picture. His lair in the spirit world was awesome. It was as though, If we could have explored that space a little more, we could have discovered clues to the demon's previous lives. The horse, the puppets and dolls, the tools; All the trinkets and ephemera belonging to an entity still holding onto a long dead human existence. But he's not tragic. No, he is wholly evil and malevolent. As evil now in death as he most probably was in life. I dug him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 His lair in the spirit world was awesome. It was as though, If we could have explored that space a little more, we could have discovered clues to the demon's previous lives. The horse, the puppets and dolls, the tools; All the trinkets and ephemera belonging to an entity still holding onto a long dead human existence. But he's not tragic. No, he is wholly evil and malevolent. As evil now in death as he most probably was in life. This, I totally agree with. There's the moment with the twin girls that was ripped right out of "The Shining." Now, I'm totally gay for that flick, but it seemed gratuitous to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Des, I may be too fuckin' bitter to love Insidious. But I need to see Hobo with a Shotgun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Yup, you do. I don't think you'll be disappointed, Preston. And by the way, our review is pretty much spoiler free. Not that anyone could spoil HOBO WITH A MOTHERFUCKIN' SHOTGUN. It pretty much has to be experienced to be believed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koete Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Spoiler: the hobo actually has an uzi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Also, Preston, while I agree with you that Lipstick Face has a similar design (not the same but similar) to Darth Maul, I'm not sure why it's such an impediment for you. Is Maul the last word in red faced characters? Does any character with a red face immediately signal a Maul rip off for you? After all, Darth Maul did not have cloven hooves. From now on, though, if another movie features a character with hooves would you immediately dismiss it as a Lipstick Face rip off? My point is this: Both character designs borrow liberally from pre and early christian imagery depicting devils and demons; the red face, forked tongue, pointed tail, horns, beastly hindquarters etc. Given those criteria and the context of the two films, I could argue that Lipstick is a more accurate and traditional representation of the old devil design while Maul is a watered down sci-fi cliche utilizing christian imagery in a context where it clearly doesn't fit. Or does it? A similar example could be made of the Jedi robes in Star Wars. They are clearly ripping off traditional monk attire from earth. Or are they borrowing from historical, religious imagery that has become entrenched in the sub-conscious of western thought? Doesn't the very image of monks robes acts as a visual shorthand that encourages the audience to fill the image with associative sub-text that only helps the film in the end? Does this mean, then, that no film after Star Wars can utilize the image of monks robes? Of course not. You see, nothing is original and no single film has the market on certain designs or imagery. Especially when that imagery is mined from such commonly traditional sources, as both Darth Maul and Lipstick Face clearly are. Their design roots are so entangled that their similarities (and differences for that matter) become a moot point. I'm just sayin' p.s. Just so there is no misunderstanding, I post this in the spirit of lively debate, not as an attack on anyone's opinion. But I am right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Spoiler: the hobo actually has an uzi. Actually, it's a frying pan. That fuckin' Hobo be crazy, thinkin' a fryin' pan be a shotgun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 That fucking picture still scares me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Darryll, if you're not a fan of Troma films, how come you enjoy Hobo with a Shotgun so much? To me, this felt exactly like a Troma film. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I would like to hear your thoughts about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Well, yeah, it is a lot like a Troma film except way more clever and with twice the heart and soul exhibited in any Troma film I've seen. Plus, I've yet to see a Troma film that features any performance that could match the brilliance of Rutger Hauer as the titular Hobo. One of the best performances of the year but one that's sadly destined to be utterly overlooked. So yeah, while HOBO certainly is reminiscent of Troma in it's depravity and certain aspects of it's style it's not nearly as empty headed as say, POULTRYGEIST, to pick an example. Troma is just so relentlessly lowbrow while HOBO has, at least, an aspiration for something more. Even if it is just mowing lawns until it gets back on it's feet. . . Thanks for asking, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 And thank you for your explanation. And I'm with you; I think Rutger Hauer should get some nominations for playing the hobo, but he never will because of the type of film it was. Tomorrow I plan to listen back to this review, 'cause the first time I heard it I hadn't seen the film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 While I enjoy our Roadkill Reviews immensely I have to admit they are not our most insightful. I'm usually driving during the review and I tend to fall back on gratuitous hyperbole when it's my turn to talk. Having said that, my opinion of HOBO W/ SHOTGUN has not changed one bit since that review was recorded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Before everyone goes all "Des makes him drive?", I feel compelled to say that I used to offer all the time, but Darryll's too afraid to hold the mic. Boom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 It's true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Man Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 What's funny is that I recently re-watched MACHETE and it is nigh unwatchable now in comparison to HOBO W/ SHOTGUN. The level of quality in the storytelling and general filmatic excellence is just worlds apart. Sorry, Machete, you were fun while you lasted but your slick Hollywood facade just can't measure up to the double barreled Hobo justice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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