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Order Up! Rob Cobb dishes on ‘Porkchops’

*As we continue on the Porkchops promotion train, we find ourselves at the computer screen of Rob Cobb! Mr. Cobb is not only a Razor Sharp veteran, but he is also the main man — the Devil in a pig mask– Porkchop! Rob is literally the man behind the mask and his character, Porkchop, is responsible for all the deaths that happen in those West Virginian backwoods which will continue when Porkchops is premiered this Friday! Despite his Kane Hodder-esque stature, Rob is actually very well spoken and works a corporate job to “feed the monkey.” Monkey’s are always getting fed…or spanked… Rob is also a family man and is a fan of Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. So, to summarize things up – he is a very complex character! Read my interview with him to learn all about his memories from Zombie Babies, Porkchop and its upcoming sequel Porkchops.

Q: To start off, can you tell readers a little about yourself?

R: Not a lot to tell. I’m 28, soon to be 29. Married to my college sweetheart. These answers were actually a bit delayed as I was offline all weekend celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary. The wife and I have a son, Gannon, who is 8 years old. I work a “day job” as an application trainer for a digital marketing company in North Carolina. Not quite as much fun as chasing scared teens through the woods, but ya gotta feed the monkey as they say, and it’s one of the most enjoyable work environments I’ve encountered, so I’ll keep slowly climbing the corporate ladder and daydreaming of doing movies full time.

Q: You’ve also worked with director Eamon Hardiman before on Zombie Babies. What was that experience like?

 R: Zombie Babies was the second project I worked on with Eamon, and just like my first experience making the original Porkchop, it was a blast! The entire Razor Sharp crew does a great job busting out a hectic shooting schedule while still finding time to sit down, appreciate what we’re doing, and have a few drinks. Each on set experience has been unique and unforgettable, and I eagerly look forward to the next project Eamon comes up with!

Back to Zombie Babies, when I first read the Zombie Babies script I was taken aback, as a few of the scenes were raunchy enough to make John Waters blush, which of course piqued my interest even more. After realizing I could play a speaking role AND wear a shirt for the entirety of filming, I was on board!

The majority of the film was shot in July in an old, non-operational hotel in Sutton, WV so the on-set conditions weren’t ideal: sweltering mid-summer heat, one window air conditioner (in the cast/crew lounge mercifully), lots of constantly sweaty cast and crew, dust in places you don’t want to imagine, etc. Though what the set lacked in amenities, it more than made up for in fun. Great new friendships were formed, old friendships were rekindled, abundant laughter and inside jokes, the first podcast broadcast live from a Razor Sharp film set occurred (hosted by the great Ford Austin), and lots of other stuff I’m probably forgetting.

Q: This brings us to the Porkchop franchise. You play the villain, or well, killer – Porkchop. What kind of challenges does this role put on you?

R: When I first agreed to play Porkchop in the original, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I’d been watching horror movies since I was 7 or 8 years old, how hard could it be to lumber around in a mask and pretend to kill people?  Little did I know there would be several challenges I wasn’t necessarily prepared for. I’ll skip over the physical challenges of remaining conscious and hydrated while running through the woods in 90 degree heat wearing a large latex mask, as that’s pretty self explanatory and not much can be done but drinking plenty of fluids and taking lots of breaks to cool down.

Porkchop was my first film role outside of a few student films, so good old nervousness was the biggest challenge the first time around. Being on camera, interacting with more seasoned actors and actresses, while a crew of people stand and watch, all the while hoping you don’t fuck up the shot or ruin a prop or set piece… it’s all a bit overwhelming for a first time actor. Luckily that nervousness had completely vanished by the time we made Porkchops, so I was able to get into character much more effectively, tune out the surrounding onlookers, and give what I hope is a much improved performance.

Another challenge I did not anticipate is just how difficult it is to pull off an effective kill scene, especially on a tight budget. A lot of times you only have one FX piece or prop, and when that prop is supposed to be a head being split or appendages being chopped, you pretty much only get one good take before the prop is ruined. That’s a lot of pressure, knowing you could be solely responsible for ruining the entire scene if you swing the axe a little too hard, or hit the side of a fake head rather than directly on top where the split should be. I spent a lot of time swinging various weapons at targets, trying to hit the same spot over and over, and hoping I wouldn’t cause the FX team a sleepless night putting my mistake back together for a reshoot the next day.

Trying to convey emotion or purpose without using your face, remembering to make exaggerated movements, trying not to actually injure or kill someone with the weapons, remembering to be gentle when man handling other actors and actresses, keeping the mask cool and safely stowed between shots (latex and gelatin + sweat = melty mask), and spending 20 minutes scrubbing dried blood and makeup out of my chest hair each night are also challenges I did not anticipate before filming.

Q: I would assume it comes with some sort of comedic value too, right?

R: Definitely! Hilarious moments occurred frequently, and include such things as: Porkchop being sprayed off with a garden hose in his underwear because he’s too dirty to go inside for a shower… Kicking Elron the robot so hard he  literally exploded in mid-air (well, this made me laugh… I think it made Eamon cry)… Using real “mud” to supplement the make-up, only to discover it was from a pond of “human waste.”

Accidentally punching Sam Qualiana (Simon) in the face (Not so much funny when it happened, but he took it like a champ, finished the scene, and we all had a good laugh over cold beers and jello shots later that night)… Almost crushing someone to death under a legit, solid rock tombstone (Again, not funny when it happened, but looked back on fondly now that everyone survived)… Trying to stake a character to the ground with croquette wickets that immediately bend and crumple, rather than impale, when you jam them towards the ground… Trying to stay composed while being lit on fire, then realizing the flame is making its way up your leg toward the crotchal region… It’s hard to remember Stop, Drop, and Roll when flames are quickly approaching your junk.

Q: What made you decide to play a role that involves running around in a pig mask and overalls and killing a bunch of people?

R: I’ve been a huge horror fan all my life, so any chance to run around in a mask and kill people is welcome! How I specifically became Porkchop goes like this:

I’d ran into Eamon once or twice at bars we both frequented, and I was vaguely aware of his past films. As luck would have it he took a job in the videography department of the company I was working for at the time, and we started hanging out during lunch. One day after work we walked down the street for a few drinks, and while we were shooting the shit he mentioned he was about to begin making an 80’s style slasher but was having trouble finding a large man to play the killer role. Being a large man (6’7″, 375-ish at the time.. slimmed down to around 280 now, for those keeping tabs :-P) and slightly inebriated, I said “A killer in an 80’s slasher?! I’LL DO IT!” We clanged our PBRs together, and I was officially part of the Razor Sharp team.

Q: Not trying to spoil the new film here, so what was your favorite kill in the previous film?*

R: My favorite kill from the previous film would have to be the Pole Saw/Cheerleader kill. The chase scene gives a nice build-up, and the pole saw (weed eater/chainsaw combo) was quite original and a gnarly looking murder weapon. That kill scene plays incredibly well when watching the film and usually leads to a few cringes or gasps from audience members when the blood and gore begins spewing out from under her skirt.

I wish I could discuss some of the kills from the new film in-depth, as we were able to pull off one that was originally intended for the first film but didn’t happen, and it’s AMAZING! Suffice it to say I’ll have a difficult time picking a favorite kill from the new film, as we upped the ante quite a bit and each kill came together beautifully.

Q: Would you reprise the role if there was ever a third Porkchop movie?

R: Absolutely, without hesitation!

Q: Anything else you may want to share with readers?

R: Making movies is more fun and more work than I ever imagined! If you have any interest in the film making process, be it acting or behind the scenes, I encourage you to find a group in your area and jump in head first!

Can’t think of anything else off the top of my head, but if anyone reading this has a specific question or just wants to chat feel free to contact me via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/robbycobb

Q: Favorite horror film:

R: This is one of the hardest questions for me to answer. Like most horror fans I have a ton of “favorites”, and its hard to rank them and choose just one. I’m going to cop out and, rather than list my favorite film of all time, I’ll mention one of my newer favorites that is criminally underrated: Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon! I knew literally nothing about this film before viewing, and by the end I was fucking blown away! The documentary styled first half is engaging, sets up the characters brilliantly, and is often quite hilarious… then halfway through they flip the switch and go full on horror mode for the remainder of the film. If you love horror movies do yourself a favor and check this one out, you won’t be disappointed!

I can, however, easily name my favorite non-horror film: The Big Lebowski.

*There you have it. This was a great interview for me to experience because Rob gave me so many interesting behind the scenes stories. Not only that, but his anecdotes show other indie horror film makers what they can expect when you try to create a horror film. So I hope everyone reading this enjoyed it as much as I did. Porkchops will premiere this Friday at The Empty Glass in West Virginia. Click here for all the details! Then, Porkchops will screen at Monster Mash in Indianapolis on December 17th, followed by a DVD release.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Cobb.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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