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I love me some Bill Paxton. Everyone should love Bill Paxton. He has since passed away but even before that I viewed him as a national treasure. If you can watch Weird Science, Aliens, The Vagrant, Tombstone, Near Dark, Twister, True Lies, A Simple Plan, or Frailty and not be enamored by him in at least one of those films, you need to re-evaluate your life.

Paxton plays Graham Krakowski a hardworking lower middle class citizen who purchases a fixer-upper. His new purchase is being intruded upon by a vagrant who proceeds to drive him insane. Graham believes the vagrant is a killer but others refuse to believe him. Is Graham going crazy or is this intrusive old man really a murderer?

I had a lot fun watching this slightly unknown gem. It's quirky and fits right in with Paxton's known nuttiness. He turns almost everyone against him as he slowly lets a weird vagrant encroach upon his personal life. Even though he can't afford it, he spends a substantial amount on building a fence around his whole residence, installing alarms and cameras. He becomes extremely paranoid and even dreams about this dirty old vagrant breaking into his house. Maybe he has the right to be paranoid? Give this one a try. Some great low-key humor with some thrills.

At times, I was wishing that Bruce Campbell played Bill Paxton's part. But I do like a good dose of the Paxton when I can get it, and I definitely got a different kind of role from him in this movie. Not the greatest thing in the world, but it definitely reminded me of something that would make a great short story or novella. Especially with the degrees of paranoia exhibited by Paxton's character. Also, it felt as if the writer didn't know where to take such a simple premise so it kind of goes all over the place for the second half. The movie starts in one area and ends in another. No real direction. But the back story was nice. For a film of this caliber, I wasn't expecting any reasoning.

It's also good to see Ironside and Bell in something together beyond Total Recall.

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.

This was close to being a lost 80's style horror-comedy classic, but just falls short of the mark in the end. The script was just a touch too weak, the comedy a tad too far between, and the horror not strong enough. With a few tweaks, it could have been great, but as is, it's just a average movie at best. Paxton is game, but the rest just doesn't quite add up.

I hadn't heard about this 1992 movie "The Vagrant" from writer Richard Jefferies and director Chris Walas before now in 2023 as I stumbled upon it. Seeing that the movie was starring Bill Paxton, of course I picked it up and opted to give it a view.

Well, as it turned out, then I hadn't really been missing out on a particular milestone in Bill Paxton's acting career, because "The Vagrant" was a less than mediocre horror comedy. The storyline in the movie sort of fell short of entertaining me and didn't push any of the right buttons for me, so it was somewhat of a swing and a miss from writer Richard Jefferies in terms of entertaining me.

The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, and Bill Paxton did carry the movie well enough. It was also nice to see the likes of Michael Ironside, Marc McClure, Patrika Darbo and Stuart Pankin in the movie, so there were some familiar faces on the cast list.

Visually then "The Vagrant" was an okay enough movie. There were some special effects, that did actually work out well enough. Luckily the movie was not one heavily dependent on special effects though.

While I did manage to sit through director Chris Walas's 1992 movie, then this is not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

My rating of "The Vagrant" lands on a four out of ten stars.

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!

.The main issue with this movie is the script. It takes an intriguing premise and makes it into a confusing mess. You're left wondering what is going on, waiting for a twist or wrinkle. The supposed payoff is so lame and low-effort it's embarassing. This needed a rewrite or two to add suspense and a fleshed-out conclusion. As it stands, there are lots of pointless loose ends, useless characters, and Michael Ironside is sadly wasted.

It's mediocre, yet watchable. Cheesy, but not without a couple laughs and surreal story developments. Without any spoilers, I loved the dream sequences and the trailer park scenes and characters. Bill Paxton is out of place here, he doesn't nail the 'normal' version of his character, nor the wild and crazy scenes, either. But he is watchable as always

This is a perfect movie to fall asleep to. Dull but comfy.

Corny... YES.... Cheesy... YES...

Still, this movie is highly entertaining. After renting it one day just for the sheer hell of it, I was dying of laughter!! I bought it the very next day! Paxton's comedic skills shine here, in what is a TRUE black comedy... If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to watch, with the potential to floor you with laughter, this is the movie for you! Low budget and all, it is definite entertainment!

Enjoy!

Up and coming Graham Krakowski is a white, middleclass, wannabe yuppie. He buys a fixer upper house near the city center and moves in. However an old tramp also uses the house and Krakowski has to install a fortune of security devices. The tramp continues to get into the house and terrorise Krakowski, even though no one seems to see anything. As people begin to turn up dead, he wonders if it's all in his head and the police suspect him. Is the tramp real and, if so, what is his interest in Krakowski?

I didn't have high hopes for this despite the headline stars – they weren't big names then (this was one of Paxton's first lead roles). I also was put off by it's description as a horror/comedy – executive produced by Mel Brooks of all people! It started blandly enough but managed to have a few moments that fulfilled it's definition. It doesn't have out and out jokes, but some moments are funny – the police reaction to news of urination is the funniest. It also has some exciting moments of tension, but both are rare and scattered.

The story doesn't quite know what it's doing and because of that it's a little weak. However it does well enough to be entertaining, but it feels lost and slightly cheap. Paxton is actually quite good in a changing role, but Ironside doesn't have much to do. Marshall Bell as the vagrant is good despite just jumping out and going boo every 5 minutes – he is scary and unsettlingly unpleasant.

Overall this is OK to watch but isn't great. The comedy adds a strange mood to it and the drama/horror works quite well. Shame it feels a little cheap.

Horror comedy The Vagrant is the epitome of oddball. The direction is quirky, the performances are kooky, the music is eccentric, and the plot goes off on some very strange tangents. I usually enjoy oddball, but on this occasion I found the film's little idiosyncrasies rather annoying instead of charming, a shame because it had an intriguing premise and a pretty decent cast.

Bill Paxton plays meek yuppie Graham Krakowski, who buys a house only to find that the vacant lot opposite is home to a scary hobo (Marshall Bell) who proceeds to make Graham's life a misery. When a series of murders rocks the neighbourhood, Graham is convinced that the vagrant is responsible, but after body parts are found in his house, he becomes the prime suspect.

For most of the film, the viewer is kept in the dark as to whether the vagrant is real or a figment of Krakowski's imagination, and whether the yuppie is the killer himself, which keeps one watching, but things go from weird to downright bizarre as Graham flees his home to live on a trailer park (growing a mullet to fit in), hooks up with a chubby chick called Doattie (Patrika Darbo), is blamed for killing a blind man's dog, and hits the road again, all the while pursued by a hard-bitten cop, Lt. Ralf Barfuss (Michael Ironside). A twist towards the end explains exactly why the dirty old tramp does what he does.

With make-up FX man Chris Walas in the director's chair, one can expect some decent gore--there's a severed head and feet, which are found in Graham's fridge, a character is impaled on chair legs, and the vagrant's demise features ruptured eyeballs--plus there's a modicum of nudity in a dream sequence that sees the bum boffing Krakowski's girlfriend Edie (Mitzi Kapture).

To Walas's credit, his film is never boring and also fairly unpredictable, but with such a strange approach taken by all involved, I believe this to be very much a 'Marmite' movie, and I've never liked Marmite.

3.5/10, rounded up to 4 'cos I'm feeling generous (Walas did create the Gremlins, after all!).

well the movie doesn't start as strong as one might think with this all-star line up, but really picks up after the fantasy scene where the Vagrant is humping Bill paxton's wife, this is the turning point of the movie where you don't know who to trust and where to turn for the next exciting scene. Just remember, you never know who the vagrant really is, dood.

This movie is what blew Paxton up to be in movies like Trespass, he puts on a heartfelt performance, even though he sleeps with 400 lbs. trailer park woman, he saves face by doing it while he is handcuffed, so its not really his fault. I gave this movie 9 stars because of the riveting plot and super cast.

This Bill Paxton vehicle has reached a very bizarre stage in it's pre-DVD days. And would you believe that? Almost 20 years later and the film still doesn't have a DVD release. Paxton, Ironside, a terrorizing vagrant...what the hell, man?

If you're like me (which you most certainly are not since you can't do 29 3/4 pull-ups) then you stumbled upon this film. Well, not exactly a stumble either...more like a carefully executed stunt that ended up with you face-planting in comical fashion all rag-doll like. What I mean is, search for this movie's poster. You're looking at it, right? Well, the question is, were you blown away? If you were, keep reading as me and you, we're pals. If you're confused at why I asked you to look at The Vagrant poster, then you...simply don't have what it takes. Take a look in the mirror and shake your head. Now, kick rocks!

The Vagrant is a Paxton-led film that has him acting like a total ninny nut through basically the entire duration of the film. But it's totally understandable; he has a disgusting monster of a hobo lurking around in and around his home. Paxton sees the vagrant in his dreams, in his house, and even banging his girl-friend. Paxton is slowly unraveling, people are dying, and even with the assistance of Ironside (who plays his character very well; his first scene he enters the room, picks his nose and flicks the booger) as a tough detective, the misfortune keeps adding up for poor old Paxton. Mystery, intrigue, extreme paranoia, a boob or two....it's all here.

What we have here with this flick is a genuine, unique piece of creative early 90's film-making. The story, the characters, the music (which added a great touch to the film), the whole entire film packs a totally worthwhile movie for fans that enjoy a mix of black comedy with OTT performances and ideas. Honestly, all you really need to do is look at the poster for this movie and you'll know if you want to see the movie. For me, after taking a glimpse of it, it was like eating, it was totally necessary. And having the film revolve around a maniacal hobo....just see this movie.

You need a dark sense of humor and a certain misanthropic attitude to truly enjoy this movie. It's right up my alley, but I can see why it flopped at the box office. Not high brow/pretentious enough to be appreciated by the art-house crowd, and possibly too twisted and mature to appeal to young adults/teens.

I see similarities with Mike Judges work, who is also good at exposing the BS of the human race in a very entertaining way, and whose movies are also not for everyone. This was the last movie Chris Wales directed, presumably due to the lack of financial success, which I think is a huge shame.

A bum keeps breaking into Bill Paxton's house, eats his food, sleeps in his garage and won't leave him alone. There's the plot of the movie. HAHA!

I worked at a video store right out of high school. I would rent movies all the time, since it was free for us employees. This was the mid-1990's. I saw the box for The Vagrant VHS with a picture of Bill Paxton and the headline "He's NOT home alone". Hahaha! I immediately rented it. I've probably watched this movie 20 times over the years (roughly). I bought copies on Ebay (VHS) and gave them as gag gifts to a few friends. LOL. Very hilarious. Low budget classic. After about 20 minutes in... the comedy/horror combo really takes off! The restaurant scene. The courtroom scene. The deluxe security system. The paranoia...

Bill Paxton is at his absolute best. It's not a perfect film, but because no one on the planet has heard of it, and it's caused me to literally cry numerous times from laughter, I've gotta give it a 9. If you have an odd, very quirky, black comedy style of humor, you MUST check this out. Even the soundtrack is genius. By the way, quite randomly (but makes perfect sense), Mel Brooks is an executive producer on this film.