ashley wetherall This is a movie that in no way takes it self seriously. The plot is farcical, the actors over play there parts and the direction is over done. The result is pure cult. Its a shame that this movie is not available on DVD. Bill Paxton plays a yuppie Graham Krakowski who buys a house and ends up being menaced and framed for murder by a strange and sinister Vagrant played by the always excellent Marshall Bell. Soon people start dieing and all fingers are pointing in Krakowski direction. The movie surfs the fine line between comedy and horror very well. Mainly because the movie doesn't try to fit into any real category, its not exactly horror, its not exactly comedy. it could be called black comedy but I and most people who have seen it would call it, Unique.

eric-675 This is the worst movie ever and no one should EVER watch it. I can't believe I wasted two hours of my life on this bucket of rat vomit. It's not thrilling, it's not funny; it's not so-bad-it's-funny; it's just BAD. Do NOT watch this stupid, stupid movie. The cardboard people and idiotic plot do not make for suspense, depth of character, or ironic tension. The pathetic attempts at humor involve facile sex jokes and Paxton's moronic paranoia. Also, at the end he attacks the vagrant with a coat rack. And there's something about a polaroid photograph. I can't remember very well, since I've tried my best to blot out any recollection of this garbage film from my memory banks.

augustdragon There are good movies and there are bad movies, and then there are movies so delightfully skewed that the terms "good" and "bad" cease to apply. The Vagrant is of this last variety.Bill Paxton stars as Graham Krakowski, the epitome of young professionalism, who is buying his first home. On his first day in the new house (although "new" is a misnomer; the kitchen looks as if it was last updated around 1966), he walks in on a vagrant (Marshall Bell) hunched over the kitchen sink. Shortly after, he discovers the vagrant living on the vacant lot across the street. What follows is a paranoiac's nightmare; a hilariously twisted game of cat-and-mouse, with the vagrant testing the limits of Krakowski's sanity. The vagrant does such a good job of driving him crazy that nobody believes Krakowski when he insists the vagrant is out to get him. Especially skeptical is Michael Ironside, playing a dense-as-a-cement-block police lieutenant (with the unlikely name of Ralf Barfuss, no less). When Krakowski calls the police after finding the vagrant in his house eating a sandwich, Barfuss asks (with a sort of gleeful maliciousness), "And what kind of sandwich was this alleged man eating?" When the murders start, nobody listens to Krakowski, who is convinced the vagrant is to blame. Barfuss is dead-set on nailing Krakowski for the murders, and even Graham's best friend questions his sanity. This is the first horror movie I've watched where I was sure everything I was laughing at was actually intended to be funny. I knew I was having fun about 15 minutes into the movie, when the following exchange took place -KRAKOWSKI: Quick, I think he(the vagrant)'s getting ready to urinate!COP 1: Should we call for back-up?COP 2: There's no time!The Vagrant moves along at a pretty good clip, and the story, particularly the second half, plays out like one of the more surreal episodes of Tales from the Crypt. The balance between horror and comedy is a bit uneven, bordering on the ridiculously stupid at times, but still enjoyable. Michael Ironside is great in a rare comedic performance (although a larger role would have been nice); Marshall Bell's vagrant is an over-the-top boogyman who jumps out periodically to scare Bill Paxton; and it's just plain FUN watching Paxton degenerate from an uptight, neurotic yuppie to a scruffy, gun-toting trailer-park manager.B+ if you're a fan of tongue-in-cheek horror-comedy or the main stars;C- (or less) if you're a cinematic snob.

sylvar-3 Funny, I've seen this movie again, and again. The listing here, doesnt even bother to mention it being a comedy. (I dont mean that in a bad or sarcastic sence!)It's not a horror spoof. It's just funny horror! But, then in my opinion Bill Paxton has shown clear comic sign's sence, 'Weird Science', anyway! (See him also in 'True Lies'!) This movie gave him that same chance! It was different, unerving at time's. And just plain fun!P.S. Oh, and when the credit's are rolling, it will be obvious that this is a movie that Mel Brooks produced!