Have you seen “Treevenge” yet? No? This gleefully violent piece of old school grindhouse sleaze comes from relative unknown Jason Eisener. Eisener’s previous major project was the trailer for “Hobo With A Shotgun,” which he submitted to a SXSW contest back in ’07 as part of a promotional push for “Grindhouse.” “Hobo” won the audience over and was attached to Canadian prints of “Grindhouse.” Eisener began talking about developing “Hobo” into a feature-length film not long after.
Now, it looks like Eisener is actually doing it. “Hobo With A Shotgun” is in the pipeline with a stroke of casting genius lined up for the titular Hobo. Who, you ask? Why, permanent baddass Rutger Hauer! That’s right, the now-grizzled actor, whose last major role was the corrupt Cardinal Roark in Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” will take to the streets with a twelve-gauge. The actor who played the Hobo in the original trailer, Dave Brunt, will be making a cameo as a cop. Gotta appreciate Eisener giving back to his roots a little. The film will start shooting today in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Eisener actually hails from.
We’re always happy for a fringe filmmaker who gets a shot at the big time and Eisener’s cheerful abandon of social norms has not yet failed to bring a smile to our faces. Here’s hoping with Hauer in tow, “Hobo” will either properly skewer the grindhouse genre or pay decent homage to its blood-splattered history.
We’ll be tracking down further details as they develop over the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out the original “Hobo With A Shotgun” trailer and the short “Treevenge” below.
