Shotgun (1989) User Reviews

No cliché remains untouched in this action-packed cheese-fest

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 13 June 2011]

Two cops…two different cops…one white, one black…one officious and one who doesn't play by the rules. Playing by the rules can get you killed.

You may have encountered the above scenario a few times before. Shotgun is without doubt a cliché-fest and I love it for it. It's central character is called Ian 'Shotgun' Jones and he is on the hunt for a sadistic misogynistic maniac in a gimp suit. Stuart Chapin plays the title character perfectly with zero irony and humour; this makes him all the funnier of course. This is the joy of Shotgun in general, in that everything is played deadly seriously while at the same time being quite magnificently ridiculous. Take the scenes near the end where Jones and his buddy more or less build a tank out of scrap metal – pure hokum but oh so much fun. This extends to the music too. The soundtrack consists of many guitar solos and a theme song about the title hero. It's pure 80's cheese. Add to this a shot of a man being thrown into a pile of cardboard boxes from three separate angles, a badge handing-in scene, an angry chief, an arrogant lawyer villain, lots of prostitutes, people dancing in suits, a man being set on fire and then run over by a car, etc etc…you get the general idea.

As you might have guessed already, Shotgun is essentially a Lethal Weapon rip-off. It follows the basic template quite closely but obviously with hugely lower production values. Oddly enough, this doesn't effect the enjoyment level of the film very much at all, as it's not especially expensive to make an action thriller if you do it without any star names. And I might actually prefer Stuart Chapin and Rif Hutton to Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. I mean did Gibson and Glover ever appear in a drunk scene quite like the one here? In this one, Chapin and Hutton meet for a few beers at the latter's house and all I can say is it looks like they have had their drinks spiked as their acting suggests that they are tripping on acid as opposed to being ripped on alcohol. This is one of the funniest attempts at drunk acting I have ever seen. Another classic moment to look out for is in the corridor of the police station where the film-makers have decided to try and make the small number of extras they hired seem like a much larger group of people – watch characters walk off screen only to return a few seconds later in the opposite direction wearing shades etc. Great stuff.

Shotgun is a terrifically entertaining bad movie. It has an agreeable smattering of action, sleaze and unintended hilarity. Definitely a hidden gem of a movie for bad movie buffs. A very entertaining flick overall.

So bad it's funny? Maybe...

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 9 September 2017]

SHOTGUN is an embarrassing little would-be thriller from the guys at PM Entertainment. Like the rest of the output I've seen from them circa 1989, it's pretty much rubbish, with few redeeming features. An obnoxious-looking cop hunts down a serial killer who enjoys beating prostitutes to death in some ludicrously overwrought sequences which turn the perverse and disturbing into the downright laughable. There's little in the way of action, either, and that which does take place is equally silly, and completely unconvincing. Only lovers of so-bad-it's-good movie-making could get a kick out of this one. Thank goodness that PM Entertainment got considerably better at film-making as the years went on.

The worst of films and the best of films all at once!!!

[Corky1984 · 20 April 2005]

To anybody who has not seen SHOTGUN I urge you to find a copy ASAP! The standard of acting and scriptwriting is so appalling that this film is easily the worst ever made BUT that is exactly why it is also the best! Anybody with a sense of humour will be unable to contain themselves after just one minute of this flick. It is outrageously funny. The pumping 80s rock soundtrack oozes cheese and adds to the film immensely. The characters all reflect one cliché or another, especially Stuart Chapin as Ian Jones, the star of the film. Watch out for his legendary cowboy hat and excessively long coat, real gems. The wordplay is so laboured and stereotypical that no sane person could ever take the film seriously. The way it is filmed also reminds me of 80s style American daytime soaps, very cheap indeed! It will only be available to buy in the cheapest of shops, no more than 50p at most, even on DVD! Go and buy this film NOW! It will provide you with a lifetime of comedy!

So bad ... it's awful(ly good)

[Stands_Alone · 1/10 · 27 April 2001]

This one has every tired cop flick cliche imagined -- the partner loved like a brother, the hooker sister who ends up killed by a mask-wearing trick, other street walkers who all look like expensive call-girls and do their stuff to "Gee, is this a porno?" background music, the police command that's always making life difficult for the put-upon, hard-drinking partners (one Black, one White; one married, one single; blah blah blah).

For me, the highpoints of these films are those scenes in the Police Chief's office. You know the drill: "I'm watching you, G_dammit! One more dead suspect and you'll be walking a beat in the worst part of town I can find. You're OFF this case, capisce?!" In this regard, "Shotgun" did not disappoint. It kept me happy, too, with the camera work, acting, transitions, plot tricks and, especially, that God-awful heavy metal guitar soundtrack. The only thing missing was one of those moments where the hero cop splashes his face with cold water and stares intensely at himself in the mirror before the cutaway to the next head-bashing scene. But for that, it would be a perfect 10 in that parallel movie universe one enters through the bottom of a bottle of booze.

Summary: -10 stars in this Universe. Watch it late at night with an equally drunk friend and enjoy.

So bad it's . just bad

[bowmanblue · 2/10 · 12 September 2017]

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.

super duper low budget that does not even rival to Steven Seagal's lowest budgeted movie

[jordondave-28085 · 2/10 · 7 December 2023]

(1989) Shotgun CRIME DRAMA

Written and directed by Addison Randall with Ian "Shotgun" Jones (Stuart Chapin) seeking retribution against the crooked lawyer Rocker (David Marriott) responsible after his sister's murder.

All those very high positive ratings on here I am noticing must be the result of both friends and family putting their two cents into supporting a less than mediocre movie. Which despite the positive reviews posted by the few still can't ignore the low 4.4 rating score. It's super duper low budget with the worse type of lighting for a film ever. Even Steven Siegel cheapies have a higher budget than this garbage.

It's silly, it's funny, it's absolutely ridiculous - and it's a must-see

[tarbosh22000 · 7/10 · 9 October 2018]

Set amongst the sleazy milieu of Hollywood's hookers, strippers, and porno shops (you know the shops are sleazy because the store clerk wears a leather vest and no shirt), two heroic police officers are there to clean up the streets. Ian "Shotgun" Jones (Chapin), and his partner Max Billings (Hutton) just want to do their jobs, but, of course, bureaucratic red tape is always standing in their way. When a Zipperface-style leather-clad maniac goes on the loose killing the local prostitutes, Jones and Billings snap into action. Of course, Shotgun's sister Tanya (Caple) is one of said prostitutes and ends up dying at the hands of the so-called "Basher". This leads to turmoil that ultimately winds up with Shotgun having to turn in his badge and gun. He becomes a bounty hunter, AKA a skip tracer, while Billings ends up getting promoted to Sergeant. It all comes to a head in Mexico, where Shotgun meets up with a Machine Gun Joe-style character who looks exactly like Paul Rutherford from Frankie Goes To Hollywood. They make a tank together and blow up the local Mexicans. But have we heard the last of SHOTGUN?

Shotgun. Sometimes simplicity says it all, really. This PM outing from the golden video store year of 1989 is a ton of fast-paced fun. It's silly, it's funny, it's absolutely ridiculous - and it's a must-see! With Miami Vice going off the air in January of 1990, the stage was set for the replacement for Crockett and Tubbs in the hearts of viewers - Shotgun and Billings, of course. Of all the COTEs (Cops On The Edge) we've seen to date, Shotgun Jones must rank as one of the COTE'iest. What today would be seen as a serious anger management problem that requires rehab and therapy, in Shotgun's day it meant only one thing: results. The man punches and/or shoots anyone he darn well pleases. He has long red hair, a red beard, and comes off as Eric Stoltz with rage issues. He has a great voice and is unafraid of confrontational behavior. He wears a cowboy hat and duster coat when the mood strikes him. He's our new hero.





Interestingly, Stuart Chapin is the brother of Robert Chapin, of Comeuppance favorite Ring of Steel (1994) fame. What a family! Sadly, however, Stuart Chapin passed away last year after a criminally short acting career. But he did far more than many more prolific actors have done: he left us with Shotgun, a fantastically entertaining piece of work and a great showcase for his talents. He will be missed.





The main baddie, the Zipperface guy, should have been played by Chard Hayward. Maybe this is before PM could afford him. But as everyone searches for him, they all call him "The Kinko". Presumably this doesn't refer to his ability with a copying machine. When Billings is promoted, he keeps a stuffed Kermit the Frog doll in a prominent position in his office. It's probably why he wanted an office in the first place. It might be the best piece of office décor since the Garfield phone appeared in all those Godfrey Ho movies. Despite (or maybe because of?) low budget obstacles, director Addison Randall - a man whose name we've seen so many times in the credits we feel like we know him personally - created a real gem here.

All the other PM behind-the-scenes credit names we've seen countless times before are here too, including Jastereo Coviare, who contributes an absolutely fantastic title song. He appears briefly as one of Shotgun's quarry as well. Coviare and PM mainstay John Gonzalez did the score, which consists mainly of wailin'/shreddin' guitars. The movie speeds by at 84 minutes. There's literally no reason not to own - or at least see - Shotgun. It will put a smile on your face for sure. Anyone with a sense of fun should step into the world of Ian "Shotgun" Jones!

Awesome, just AWESOME!!

[pzkmpwgn · 10/10 · 29 July 2003]

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

Mam! I've milmed me kex watching Shotgun

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 12 October 2016]

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!

The greatest.

[yak-8 · 10/10 · 12 May 1999]

I saw this movie as the result of a couple of friends of mine who collect movies. I really can't describe what an experience it is. The only thing I can say is that if you took about 50 random movie ideas and combined them in a random order, the result would probably come out more like a real movie than this one. Don't get me wrong though, this IS the greatest movie ever made. This isn't just another cable soft-porn as the box/title/etc may imply. Full with VHS-style camera work, 80's (synth) rock score, british lawyer in leather costume whipping prostitutes, fake mexicans ... this one's got everything. Ian Jones is a detective who's sister is a prostitute who this british lawyer kills. He and his partner max (the KFC guy) hunt him down. It all culminates in a mexican village where ian and a Sargent-slaughter wannabe confront him (after building a flame-throwing truck in a "desert hermit's hidaway"). Seriously though, this movie is hilarious. I give it a 10!! "I think lips".

Realistic, creative, entertaining and tragic. A beautiful picture.

[deltonacity · 10/10 · 9 May 2005]

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

The Greatest film. EVER.

[Violence · 10/10 · 11 March 1999]

No, no...I'm kidding. I was lucky to catch this movie at 3 'o clock in the morning while channel surfing with some friends. It was hands down the worst movie we ever saw. It was so bad, we almost died laughing. Sooo bad, I even bought it. You have not lived until you have seen this movie. It even has that guy from the Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials co-starring in it. You know, the black guy with the mustache. I was just waiting for him to pop out a bucket of fried chicken...Too bad he got ran over by some car that seemed to have nothing to do with the movie. Because this movie is such a crime to humanity, I gave it a 10 out of 10. It deserves no less. I do not know why I am typing this, no one is ever going to read it, but oh well. Good night, and God bless the poor b*****d from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Garbage Posing As Trash

[saint_brett · 3 May 2023]

Let me guess - they used Windows Movie Maker to piece this doozy together, right? Only one minute and 48 seconds into the movie does the boom mic appear.

How in any way, shape, or form does this Bill & Ted Wyld Stallyns guitar business enhance the movie?

It was filmed on a cassette camcorder.

The thruster in this movie backfired on takeoff and hasn't left the launch pad.

Somebody check my pulse to see if I'm still alive, please.

What started out as a Cuban drug lord movie with shady dealings has turned into a lame serial killer story about Buzz-Off and two unlikeable leads who can't act if their lives depend on it. Buzz-Off works in conjunction with his boyfriend to lure victims into his BDSM ways. This idiot looks ridiculous in the Blue Oyster Mardi Gras costume. It's not even menacing. What's his mouth?

Where is this actually based: Vegas, Scottsdale, or Figueroa? You know what? I don't even care.

There's nothing going for this movie.

It's fast tracking for a zero out of ten rating.

The two leads are a joke, the support cast are reserve Troma backups, and the two baddies are Scott Shaw RB7 stock, and I'm stuck in the middle of this borefest looking like that big poop character from "Weird Science." The acting by all involved is embarrassing. The story is stupid. I'm stupid. And you're stupid too if you watch this.

I can't believe I've stayed the course in the hope that "Shotgun" would improve.

The movie started with the boom mic appearing, and it ends with it as well.

I feel I'm owed an apology after watching that.

It's the worst thing I've seen in 2023.

What can I say?

[VincentVega1987 · 10/10 · 30 December 2004]

When it comes to shotgun, there simply aren't enough words meaning 'terrific' 'incredible' or 'simply stunning' to describe only half this films greatness in the way that it deserves. It was almost solely due to ed_rules8, a fellow reviewer, that i came across this timeless classic. This film surpasses The Empire Strikes Back, Godfather part 2 and Rage as the best film ever created. You can tell that director Addison Randall had slaved over the screenplay and casting for months and years to get it bang on perfect. He stayed up all night to form classic lines like ' 'You're a dead man Jones' 'Who the f*** is this' ' and 'Jones, my office, now.'

Not only is the script awesome, but the action and the music take my breath away every time. The guitar wailing and DJ are truly music greats and this film uses them to maximum use time and time again which enhances the impact the film made on me. There is an excellent chase between Ian 'King of the World' Jones and Rocker, in which you can tell that Jones must be an agile athlete, or when he falls into some boxes in the road, or the scene involving the classic JetCopter. Stuart Chapin plays Shotgun Jones with great empathy, he truly understands his characters wants and feelings, and the acting can only be heightened by Rif Huttons thoughtfully portrayed Max Billings. However the true credit goes to Fletcher Rivington and Broadway Joey. Fletcher pumps a lot of iron and is one of the most brilliant defence lawyers in the country, and joey is wasted with a bullet 'between the eyes.'

Enough about the acting however, the true majesty is in the story. Rivington, as well as being the upstanding lawyer, who works with great tycoons like Caparlo, he is also a sado-masochistic psychopath who gets rocker to score with a chick, who he then shows the sharp side of his whip. He kicks out their spleens and gives them hairline fractures of the jaw without a second of hesitation. A great movie villain. However, soon none of the girls will have any, word gets out and the pimps wont deal, they cant afford the damage. So Rivington goes after a so called upstanding citizen. Part time hooker, all time Shotgun Jones' sister! Needless to say between the drugs and the beating there was too much internal damage. He had killed the only blood relative Jones had! After this, and after getting suspended from his work, Jones becomes a skip tracer. And after Rocker jumps bail, he wants it. He tracks Fletcher's hive of scum and villainy down to Mexico, where, with the help of his desert hermit friends, he creams everyone, and in a nail biting finale, he opens Rivington's chest. Wow.

After reading that you must be salivating over the sheer idea of such a film, let alone seeing it. The only way to describe how good this is, is if the mighty hand of God blessed Randall's during hand during his time of writing. This deserves far more than ten stars.

Hope you have found this helpful! Laters

GASP! Could this be another no budget flick from the prolific PM Entertainment Group Incorporated??

[FlyBoyDC · 1 July 1999]

Cowboy charlatan Ian Jones (Stuart Chapin) and his stern cop partner Max Billings (Rif Hutton) must track down a fiendish sex maniac with a lovely penchant for vulnerable whores. Believe it or not...he beats up his victims, who comprise mostly of prostitutes and hookers...to death!

This "Basher" is out for a taste of blood. He revels every second in the pleasure of inflicting pain on others. Among the Basher's victims include...Ian's sister. Yes, one of the hookers happens to be Ian's sister. What a big mistake for the masked murderer! Now, Ian has a dead sister to avenge...

Unfortunately for those two detectives, they must overcome their problems with alcoholism before they can take their jobs seriously. To make matters worse, when Ian's methods have gone too far, he gets suspended from the force for six months. Ian than takes a second job as a "Skip Tracer." This hot tempered ex-cop turned bounty hunter is enjoying every minute of his new occupation.

Now, without having to play by the rules, Ian must continue his pursuit of the Basher. What Ian uncovers though is more egregious... He learns of an underground drug ring operating in Mexico. The drug ring is lead by a wealthy lawyer. He is this twisted lawyer by day...and an evil villain who commands a well-armed fortress South of the Border.

Ian's mission is to terminate this drug emperor and destroy his empire and associates...but could this one antagonistic man be working in conjunction with the Basher?

Admittedly, when I first saw SHOTGUN, I was anticipating a high adrenaline thriller. Of course, I was crestfallen once again. The most distinct problem with SHOTGUN is that it never holds the viewer's interest. Though the film tries to be sleazy, it teases the viewer more than draws them into the story. The film quality stinks too! Expect lots of laughs in this movie though. There is occasional, unintentional hilarity in this film to keep connoisseurs mildly satisfied. One of the most amusing scenes was the depiction of police brutality. I mean, come on, the actors were not even touching let alone hitting each other. The dancing and party club scenes also evoked a reminder of how the decade of the 80s seemed so...Eighties. Who could forget the irritating rock music, especially the gratuitous heavy metal guitar, which began to get on my nerves?! Also notice how the same damn helicopter keeps appearing in virtually every other PM Entertainment motion picture!

Chapin (who kind of resembles Italian exploitation actor Al Cliver) looks and acts like the typically bland, hackneyed ex-policeman with a passion for vengeance. I also saw that actor who played Ian's sidekick somewhere else on TV...I just cannot remember where...

Well, I guess that this movie was not all too deplorable. The ending was half-decent even though it seemed to be too derivative of TANGO & CASH (1989). There was also one fast paced car chase. Otherwise, the action scenes were sloppily directed.

SHOTGUN does not have the capabilities to be either a thrilling or entertaining movie. It also lacks the drive to keep the momentum going. This is just another forgetful B-movie. I will say no more except to warn action fans to RUN AWAY as soon as they catch sight of this movie.

RATING: NO STARS out of ****.

Sheer Class

[ed_rules8 · 10/10 · 28 December 2004]

*****contains spoilers*****

Well what can i say, this film is sheer genius, if there was a king of films then this would be the king and the archbishop all at the same time. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who received this from another friend last Christmas as a present, he told me about it and my life has never been the same since. Thankfully we have a Poundland in our town, which is sweet because Poundland is amazing, i brought a dog in there last week in their half price sale.

I can't believe it sometimes, but I feel it inside my heart, Shotgun is awesome. My whole life is based around the teachings of Stuart Chapin as Ian Jones AKA The King of Life, as soon as i reach puberty i'm going to grow a beard and get long hair, then dye it ginger, then i'll be the king and get lots of hot babes like Rhonda and Babara. Rif Hutton as Jones loyal sidekick Max Billings is sweet too, its such a shame to see such a legend only be in one film. The scene between Riley Simms the evil IAD detective and Jones & Billings is euphoric.

Now we get to my favourite character, Fletcher Rivington AKA The Gimp. This guy is the worst kind of filth, hes been into drugs and prostitution since law school, "its how he paid his f*****g tuition fees". He prefers lips to hips too However Jones washes him away with 12 gauge justice in the best showdown ever, even better than the Empire Strikes back!

Needless to say i only have 1000 words so i better stop now, i could talk forever on this film though. This film is the sweetest film ever and if you haven't seen it yet, shame on you. I suggest buying it now, don't go to work tomorrow, spend the day getting this sweet film, believe me you won't be disappointed.

LATERS BROTHERS

"It's Not Supposed To Go Down Like This!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 20 May 2021]

A drug deal is "going down", and within seconds, thugs are flying through the air in slow-motion, like stuntmen in a movie.

BOOM!

SHOTGUN has begun.

Someone is beating prostitutes to death. Someone wrapped in leather, prefiguring "The Gimp" from PULP FICTION. Officers Ian Jones and Max Billings (Stuart Chapman and Rif Hutton) are on the case, willing to hit every porn shop, adult theater, and back alley dive in town, to catch the fiend.

Jones is a towering, ponytailed sasquatch of a man, certainly the world's tallest cop. It's fun to watch him "blend" into a crowd, when he's three feet taller than anyone else! He's also driven by a "personal score to settle" with the killer. When it comes to bad guys, Jones is ever ready to "take out the trash". He's truly "a man on a mission".

Ian's got a bit of a temper that leads to trouble with his job. No problem. He just becomes a bounty hunter. When Billings is injured, an even more vengeful Jones teams up with a survivalist. Together, they construct a canon / machine gun / flamethrower-endowed death-mobile! Yep, it's finale time! This could be called: Death-truck vs. The fortress of insanity!

The schlock gods are raining down gold upon us! You'll laugh so hard, you'll need rib bandages! You'll never look at giant cops in the same way again, ever!...

For fans of low budget cheesy sleezy action films

[zombieoutbreak-74199 · 10/10 · 26 July 2021]

This movie is not a masterpiece but it is an unintentionally hilariously bad action film. It can drag on at times but the acting is pretty bad so it will keep you entertained until the end credits. If you like sleezy cheese and funny bad movies then watch Shotgun!

GASP! Other people have seen this movie!

[Wizard-8 · 11 July 1999]

For a time, I thought I was the only person in the world to see this sorry excuse for a movie, catching it during late-night TV. Sometimes this movie is so bad, it's hilarious. But mostly it is INCREDIBLY AWFUL. And I don't mean just everyday AWFUL - I'm talking about ****AWFUL****! The actor who plays the character who gets the creative nickname "Shotgun" is perhaps the WORST ACTOR IN THE WORLD! Really! I'm not kidding.

Maybe you should see this movie anyway, because anything you'll see afterwards will look even better!

P.S. - This production company (formerly City Lights, now PM Entertainment) did improve over time, and now PM generally makes decent and slick B movies that deliver the goods. The general rule, however, is to avoid ALL their movies made before 1993!

"hey baby, telephone."

[contactgmt · 10/10 · 5 April 2006]

well, where to begin? shotgun is a very low budget buddy film, the value of which will be immediately obvious to anyone with a taste for Hollywood dreck.

there's a lot of gratuitous violence in the movie, basically various prostitutes getting beaten by a lawyer/drug lord in a leather suit. additionally, there's the usual shoot-em-up cop violence familiar to the genre.

shotgun expects the viewer to take the script at face value. for example, shotgun expects the viewer to experience all the violence in the movie as tragedy. for several reasons this just doesn't happen. one reason is that the acting is non-existent, the whole thing was only shot in 3 days. furthermore, the script is caught, happily for us, between its originality and the limits of its genre.

shotgun wants us to to get our kicks seeing someone in Hollywood pick up a prostitute. however its actually not a prostitute, its some girl hamming it up in a 13-year-old's concept of a prostitute as gleaned from TV. and its not a john, its some boring guy barely playing a john. the transparency of the clichés and acting, such as it is, relieves the viewer of the mental challenge of apprehending any subtlety, much to the relief of IMDb reviewers of all tastes.

then shotgun wants you to think they're going to a cheap hotel to do the deed. but the guy at the desk triggers a mild altercation as to whether the john is going to buy a condom. so watching shotgun at this point, you're thinking: lurid Miami Vice moment, feeble attempt at realism. maybe. thats what i was thinking, anyway.

then, in the confusing scene, having brought the prostitute to the hotel room, the john leaves and the drug-lord/lawyer comes in, dressed in full s+m regale. everyone who sees shotgun for the first time assumes incorrectly that its the john coming back in. the scene is very reminiscent of an edward hopper painting, actually. pretty artistic.

so the prostitute says, trying not very hard to be sultry/sleazy: "do you want hips (rubbing her hips) or lips (licks her lips)?" even though its obviously a set shot, its still pretty disgusting right here.

who could take this seriously? no one.

the lawyer says, "i think lips," and punches her in the mouth (get it?). there is a wailing guitar solo to accompany the rest of the beating. the guitar is pretty much the last nail in the coffin, ensuring that this movie will never return from the pits of self-mockery.

so the john leaves the hotel, in the scene's coda, and gives the condom back to the desk and tells him, "i told you i didn't need the rubber." ba-dum ksh.

shotgun is basically a few repetitions of this scene, interspersed with plot lines and banter which ape other buddy films. the ending is also spectacular and not to be missed, though few who get 10 minutes into the movie and decide to keep watching will need any encouragement.

i would like to say more about how funny the dialog and performances are in shotgun.

this is one of the most entertaining movies i have ever seen and i seriously recommend it to anyone who has the stomach for the strongest variety of satire: unintentional.

Trash genre spectacular.

[dougy-tz · 10/10 · 1 November 2021]

If you're into movies so bad they're marvelous, then this is right up your street. The star is one of the worst actors I've ever seen and had me in stitches throughout, his deliveries are up there with Cameron Mitchell, specially the bar scene. The random electric guitar riffs that get thrown around for the slightest thing are terrific. The song that goes with the move is also pure sex. Honestly I would happily watch Shotgun on repeat and still find something new to laugh at. If you enjoyed movies like Samurai Cop, The Stabilizer and Terror in Beverly hills, then this is the movie for you.

Well-done, basic actioner

[lor_ · 31 March 2023]

My review was written in March 1989 after watching the movie on Raedon video cassette.

"Shotgun" is a lean, mean action pic for video, bringing some good acting and okay technical work to the overworked cops-on-the-vice-beat genre.

Stuart Chapin toplines as Detective Ian Jones, an L. A. cop who gets mighty steamed when his sister, a prostitute, is offed by a sadistic sex maniac. Thrown off the force, he becomes a skip tracer nicknamed Shotgun because of his weapon and his ruthless but efficient methods.

With ex-partner on the force Riff Hutton, Chapin ultimately gets the killer and puts a massive drug ring out of commission. Vigilante payoff scene is something of an anticlimax, but filmmaker Addison Randall keeps things moving otherwise.

Chapin is effective as the antihero, with Hutton (previously teamed with Andy Garcia as test examiner in "Stand and Deliver") scoring as his loyal sidekick.l Poster art and video packaging benefit from spotlighting a beautiful blonde who does not appear in the film proper.