Am I Missing Something?

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are bad films and there are 'so-bad-they're-good' films. 'Shotgun' falls – weirdly – somewhere between the two. Part of me wants to say that it was truly the worst film I've ever seen. But then I am I charge of the remote control. I could have turned it off any time I wanted, yet I didn't – I stuck with it until the end. I guess that means I took some strange form of enjoyment out of it? I guess if I had to describe 'Shotgun' I'd call it a 'Lethal Weapon' clone, only filmed on the budget of £1.59. It's about two (mismatched) cops (one black, one white) on the trail of a brutal serial killer (as opposed to the kind and gentle serial killers, of course!).Now, normally this is the point in the review where I say something like 'So… if you're a fan of 'buddy-cop' movies then you'll probably get something out of it.' I know it's not the most original premise, but it can't be THAT bad, can it? The answer to that question is 'Yes.' The problem with this film isn't its lack of originality, it's the budget. You could almost mistake this film as some sort of 'student' effort. Seriously, I made a few short films at college and some of them look more professionally-done than this! Almost every scene is a set. Yes, I know most Hollywood films are made on sound stages for ease of production. However, here, you can almost see the boom mic hanging down – it's that obvious. Then there are the actors. Or should I say 'actors?' They can't act. Again, I get the impression that if you grabbed the nearest guy at the pub and stuck him in front of a camera, he'd pull of a more convincing 'cop in crisis' performance that the lead actor (plus he'd probably look less like a hobo-Beegee). And don't get me started on the action. There's the odd squib full of blood that just about looks passable, but when it comes to anything involving cars they just film the 'chase' at normal speed then fast forward the footage, giving off some sort of 'Benny Hill' vibe to the scene.Overall, it's really hard to recommend this film to anyone. I only continued to sit through it just to see how bad it actually got. By the time the credits rolled, the major emotion this film invoked in me was pity. I actually felt sorry for the cast and crew who made this mess. They must have known that the budget and talent wasn't really there in order to make something that would compete with the proper Hollywood blockbusters. They could have played this to their strengths and turned it into a parody (it worked for 'Loaded Weapon!'). Unfortunately, they seemed to act (and I use the word 'act' loosely) like the truly believed this was some sort of gritty epic action movie that would stand the test of time. Sadly, it's an awful movie. If you're looking for an action movie, there are better. If you're looking for a buddy-cop movie, there are better. If you're looking for a serial killer movie, there are better. The only reason you'd want to watch this is if you're a huge fan of bad movies and just want to say that you've watched what possibly could be one of the worst films ever made, just so you can win an argument in the pub at a later date.

Crapendary! Early PM action movie that is so trademark eighties it's almost like a sequence from the Regular Show. Crappy hair-metal soundtrack! Crappy neon lighting! Really crappy acting! Lovable ridiculous story that scratches your bad movie itch. This cost me sixteen pence!Two cops are out to track down some burly bondage guy who's all into smacking hookers about until they can't hook no more for a while. This guy gets this other guy to hook him up, and lo and behold the two of them are embroiled in some shady drugs operation in Mexico too that has little to do with what goes on in the film until the big showdown with the modified kick-arse jeep! Flamethrower-iffic!Either Ian or Max (I can't remember who was who, or even if that was their names) has a sister who is on the game and therefore she's the one the big bondage guy goes too far with (for some reason he adopts a German accent when doing so, even though he's not German…go figure). So Ian or Max are out to get this guy, or the other guy, and get the other guy who gets off the hook by the other other bondage guy, who it turns out is a high flying lawyer. Yep.Crestfallen, the two cops take out their frustrations by shooting a guy about a million times. I almost forgot to mention the internal affairs guy who is out to get them sacked. More brain-damaging stuff happens (like one of them becoming a bounty hunter) before the big explosion packed finale, and awesome freeze frame ending that doth tickle me so.This ain't wall to wall insane hilarity, but bad movie fans should get a kick out of this. Shotgun! Shotgun Jones!

Shotgun follows the story of Rivington, an evil British defence lawyer who spends his spare time beating up ladies of the night. Along the way he kills one, who's brother happens to be Ian Jones, a tough a LA cop who has a habit for doing things his own way. After losing his badge and his partner Max is shot, Ian has to resort to unconventional manners to hit Rivington hard, at his drug compound in Mexico.Famed for an exceptional performance from the legendary Rif Hutton as Max Bilings, Shotgun' is a textbook example of how to create a virtually seamless action/thriller. Director Addison Randall at one point thought this low-budget movie would never be made as he was forced to work with a very small budget, a short shooting schedule and a studio that was only interested in releasing any many films as possible. However, Shotgun was made and nowadays is accepted as one of the finest action/thrillers of all time despite not receiving the praise it so greatly deserved back in the late 80's. Shotgun was brilliantly written as well as directed by Addison Randall who chose to add very subtle clues as to what would happen that are made more apparent on further viewings. With the added advantage of obvious research into the seedy areas of LA, Shotgun sought to portray the movie is left with a chilling feel of realism.An enchanting soundtrack is blended marvellously into Shotgun which seems to lull the viewer into a false sense of security. Despite the constant foreboding feeling created by the intricate plot and top notch acting, there is a certain playful feeling that is brought about by the elegant soundtrack making it difficult to actually envisage any evil events occurring. One could be forgiven for wondering on a first viewing just where this bizarre little movie is going but the story has a quality about it that can grab the viewer and keep their interest all the way to the double barrelled vengeance served at the end. Rivington in the bondage gear is an image that is now engrained on my mind with all its emptiness and despair. As the curtain falls on this performance (so to speak) it becomes hard not to question the events leading up to the attacks. In some ways Shotgun is an unsettling history lesson that makes itself seem all too real.Stuart Chapin gives a tremendous performance as the Detective Ian Jones, a man with a dirty job that somebody has to do and an abusive and power hungry captain. He played his character convincingly and Ian's eventual realisation of what is going on around him is portrayed so well that it adds more realism to the movie. Chapin was able to take a character that may be a figure of loathing in another type of thriller movie (the brother of a hooker) and make the audience feel empathy towards him. However, as mentioned before, Rif Hutton somehow stole the show playing the relatively small part of Max Bilings. His magnificent on screen presence seems so powerful that one forgets that he is only in the movie for a short amount of time. Added to this great mix was Katie Caple as Tanya Jones, Ian's beautiful hooker sister. Her getting undressed was one of the most erotic moments in a thriller and helped to contribute further realism to the movie. The scenes featuring the clashing characters of Ian and Tanya are both amusing and tense making for some interesting character interaction.Shotgun is undoubtedly a cult classic of the action/thriller genre which I recommend to all fans of action/thrillers. Visually pleasing with some superb acting and direction as well as a fine screenplay. My rating for Shotgun = 10/10

Just like the majority of the reviewers, I caught this little gem late late night (3 a.m) on my local ABC station some years ago. I'am glad that I'm not the only one in the world that has enjoyed this masterpiece. It has all your classic PM Entertainment elements: Hollywood backdrop, angry detectives, car crashes/explosions, unsuspecting hookers, loud screeching guitar solos, machine guns that sound like pistols, but no Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs (j/k). This is probably my favorite movie out of my PM Entertainment video library, the reason, its that damn good!!Stuart Chapin plays a total badass from beginning to end, his theme song just kicks, "Shotgun...Shotgun Jones". Rif Hutton (the KFC guy :) just tears it up as Chapin's partner, Max Billings, later to be promoted to Det. Sgt. Max Billings. My favorite supporting cast member is probably Broadway Joey, his charm and goofy front tooth will melt your heart away, what more do you want from a adult bookstore clerk?Favorite scene is probably the night club scene, with the DJ spinning some tight background beats, the scene builds up to an awesome performance by Chapin (I think somebody should of told that guy in the black sweater that people will notice you wearing the same black sweater two nights in a row, keep an eye out for this guy, very crucial in the movie). Favorite line is probably this one, Det. Sgt. Max "KFC" Billings: "You know the streets are starting to call you Shotgun Jones." Shotgun Jones: "Well its better than what they used to call me."OMG what a classic line!!I think I should stop before I give away all the juicy stuff, if you like "Shotgun" I highly recommend other PM Entertainment videos such as, "Angels of the City", "Deadly Breed", "Quiet Fire", and the Det. Jon "Welcome Back Kotter" Chance Trilogy, "L.A. Heat", "L.A. Vice", and "Chance". Oh, my second favorite PM movie is "The Art of Dying" with my man Wings Hauser, check it out, another gem from the people of PM.I loved all these PM Entertainment movies that I went on eBay and bought as many as I could. My friends think I'm a loser for proudly displaying these movies on my TV shelf. But who cares, friends come and go, but I will always have my PM movies with me!! :D