Interview: Rob Cotterill and John Davies (Hobo with a Shotgun)

There are many ways that movies can get made. But not too many can say they got their start the way Hobo with a Shotgun did. It’s already legend how Hobo was first conceived — it was among the faux trailers that competed in and won Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse trailer competition back in 2007, and four years later, the hobo’s back and he’s ready to clean up the streets with what mutated into feature length version of the classic short. Before 2011 even began, Magnet Releasing snatched up the rights to the Canadian indie film (a rarity) and in back to back screenings at mega film festival events such as Sundance and SXSW (a nice homecoming of sorts), the crowds went wild for this throwback to the blood-filled genre films of the 80s. It’s been a whirlwind tour in less than three months and prior to Magnet’s release of the film in May, the boys hit Montreal, Toronto and Halifax in a three night premiere of the film before its release today via Alliance Atlantis.

Earlier this year at Sundance, we snagged a hilarious interview with the films’ director Jason Eisner and star Rutger Hauer and naturally for the Canadian premiere, we wanted to continue the conversation with Yer Dead Productions’ Rob Cotterill (co-producer and co-writer) and co-writer John Davies. We discussed the multiple 2011 successes of Hobo, making movies with their buddies in their hometown of Halifax and we’re already looking forward to the crazy martial arts film about a high school gang that they’ve got in the works.