Corden and Horne double act up

Published on Saturday 21 March 2009 10:18

James Corden and Mathew Horne have an undeniable chemistry.

The Gavin And Stacey twosome are fast becoming one of the most famous pairs in British TV, joining the likes of Ant and Dec, French and Saunders, and Morecambe and Wise. Their two-year partnership ignited with the BBC sitcom, which continued when they presented two Big Brother spin-offs and various awards ceremonies together.

When we meet in a posh London hotel, it's clear they have little in common. Horne, 30, loves indie music and Tottenham Hotspur, while 28-year-old Corden is a die-hard Take That fan who roots for West Ham.

"Mat and I are two completely different people and yet, we kind of meet in the middle. That's the thing and that's how it works," Corden explains.

"Mat likes bands who strap their guitars up very high, don't talk, have hair covering their faces and go, 'eh, eh, eh' (making strumming noises) in a dirty sweaty pub. He's on a different spectrum.

"I absolutely love Take That. When I was younger, I knew the opening 35 minutes of the Take That Live In Berlin, the whole routine, and I would be either Gary or Robbie. And when I was Robbie, I wouldn't do the lead vocal, just do Robbie's bits.

"But we both appreciate Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. It's a modern classic."

They don't even share a love for the same films - Horne is into horror, while Corden prefers chick flicks.

"When I was about 11 years old, I watched Omen 2 and it had such a huge effect on me. I was pretty horrified by the opening sequence so that's what got my interest in horror films," says Horne.

"In my teens, that idea of watching a film that you weren't supposed to watch because of the rating, that clandestine viewing was really attractive."

Corden admits he's a wuss in comparison.

"I don't enjoy horror films or like being scared. I like romantic comedies and things. To this day, Stephen King's It is one of the scariest things I've ever seen in my life and gave me nightmares. I just tend not to watch stuff that's scary."

So it's a huge surprise that the duo unknowingly auditioned for the same comic horror movie, Lesbian Vampire Killers.

"It's really amazing actually. We both auditioned for this film independently before Gavin And Stacey had ever aired, about two years ago," recalls Corden.

"Mat rang when I was on the way and said that he went in yesterday. And then we talked about how good it was and how we really loved the script."

The film - a joke-filled splatter fest - is the lads' debut outing on the big screen together.

"It's essentially a buddy movie and it's a rite of passage for these two guys who grow up in a weekend and that was something that was interesting beyond the actual heart of it. It's also about this dynamic which I sort of knew James and I could do," Horne says.

The worldwide success of Gavin and Stacey has changed their lives, propelling them to an unexpected level of stardom. A third (and reportedly last) series of the drama is being written, while the pair's new sketch show, Horne & Corden, has just started screening.

"I was really chuffed when the LA Times said Gavin And Stacey was the second best TV event of the year, behind the US election," says Corden, grinning.

"I know people like it and it certainly has an audience. I don't think a lot of people have seen it but it's enough for (American network) ABC to inquire about the series and make an American version of the show."

"There have been other things coming in but we're busy enough," Horne adds.

"It's a question of fitting stuff in really and choosing the right things."

Many actors can only dream of having to turn work down and Corden says they are both aware of how lucky they are.

"Up until the last year really, I was just an actor. You go and audition for jobs, if you get them, you do them and if you don't, you don't, and that's it. You've gotta eat and you've gotta live. Whereas now the hardest thing is making those choices and choosing what to do," he says.

"The key is to try to do things that are good and to be good in them if you can. You'll always make mistakes and you'll miss the mark sometimes. That's inevitably going to happen because the best people in the world have made mistakes, even if they're brilliant. If you strive just to be in stuff that's good, hopefully that'll be enough to hold things in good stead."

One thing that Corden has said yes to is a part in a Hollywood remake of Gulliver's Travels, starring alongside Jack Black. He confesses that the audition was "was one of the most exciting and terrifying moments of my life".

"Oh man, he's just everything that you'd want him to be. I can't speak highly enough of what he was like in that audition. I was in there for an hour and we just read, we got to improvise bits together.

"You know when you try to hold it down and be really cool, like this is a really normal thing that you do in your life, but inside, you're like, 'Oh my God!' And then he started really doing the Jack Black thing and doing the faces and everything, and I was like, 'Wow, this is amazing'."

Jokes aside, the duo say they are aware of the dangers of being over exposed with both the film and the sketch show out at the same time.

"We are obliged to promote and support these projects because we believe in them. But we are mindful of it and it is a tricky area. We'll disappear after this," Horne says.

"It's a constant worry," Corden adds. "Promise, once this film is out, we'll go away for a long time. It's so weird seeing us on buses and phone boxes, it's odd.

"In one sense, it's great that they're both coming out at the same time because it means we just have to do this, and then we can go for a bit and resurface later. We just hope we're not getting on anyone's nerves because that's the last thing we want to do really."

But fans needn't worry that it will spell the end of the side-splitting duo, who insist there's never been any rivalry between them.

"We'd love to keep working together and keep working independently," Corden says.

"I've never met a more supportive and loyal friend, certainly within this business. We have to have time apart working with other people otherwise it would become so stale. Who knows where it'll go? It might end in a month."

Horne says their partner-ship works because they don't compete with each other.

"We're doing all right together and we're doing all right apart and it's about just enjoying it while we can. And then, in ten years' time, we'll do a road show."

And should the offers stop, Corden awaits a call from his favourite boy band.

"To this day, at the back of my head, somewhere, I still think they're gonna need me," he says.

"At some point, they're going to need me. Howard's going to hurt his leg, Gary's going to lose his voice, and they're gonna go, 'We can't cancel. Get Corden'.

"And I am coiled and ready. Even the Circus album, I am up to date on it."

Lesbian Vampire Killers is on general release from today

Postlethwaite does his bit to save the world from disaster

Reel time

A LOOK at what's on at Edinburgh cinemas over the coming week.

CAN A film really change the world? If the idea of watching yet another movie about climate change is enough to make you want to turn to the comedy section, bear with me.

Following the lives of seven people caught up in the politics of climate breakdown, Age Of Stupid (at the Filmhouse now) stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated future of 2055, looking back at video footage from 2008 and asking the simple question: Why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Four years in the making, with a budget of only 450,000, Age Of Stupid has already generated more buzz than films ten times its size, its blend of documentary footage and drama a heady mix that helps it defy easy categorisation.

While the sad fact is that saving the world one empty plastic bottle at a time just doesn't sound like a fun night out to the average cinema-goer, there have been a few films in recent years that have tried to put a new spin on the topic.

As far back as 1992 animation was being used to convey ecological messages in a palatable way, with FernGully: The Last Rainforest an attempt to engage children with the green movement.

Most recently WALL-E took the depiction of man's destruction of the ecosystem to new heights, giving us a new kind of hero in the shape of a robot with a heart.

A look at the sci-fi genre shows that it has done its bit to both entertain and educate, even if dodgy science sometimes blurs reality.

Silent Running (1972), a strong influence on WALL-E, sees botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) stop at nothing to save the last remnants of Earth's ecology from futuristic money-men, while global warming and overpopulation leads to the horrific events of 1973's Soylent Green.

Last year's The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of a 1951 film of the same name, used humankind's environmental damage to the planet as the basis of its plot, but threw it all away with a shoddy script and a wooden performance from Keanu Reeves.

An Inconvenient Truth, 2006's documentary presented by Al Gore, has perhaps been the most successful cinematic attempt to bring ecology to the multiplex, and while it might not be the most entertaining film you'll ever see, it's certainly one of the most frightening.

The Filmhouse is taking its commitment to Age Of Stupid a few steps further by adding extra events inspired by the film throughout the week.

These range from the chance to meet the filmmakers following today's 5.45pm showing, and the Not Stupid Awards after the 8.20pm screening tomorrow as well as a host of other talks. Visit the website for more information.

Finally, a mention for Famous Monster, a new DVD documentary out on Monday telling the story of the world's 'first' sci-fi fan, Forrest J Ackerman. Both sad and illuminating, Ackerman's enthusiasm for the genre is infectious, his stories often hilarious.

Visit itsonitsgone.com for more film reviews and news

TAKE FIVE DVDS: GROTESQUE, BOOZY, ANIMAL, CLASSIC AND PORNO

SPITTING IMAGE – THE COMPLETE FIFTH SERIES

LATEX can be fun. Just ask the makers of the 1980s BAFTA-nominated Spitting Image. Luck and Flaw's rubber creations also won a bronze medal at the Montreux TV festival in 1984, establishing the ITV show as one of the most popular comedies on the box. By 1988, no target was safe as the show lifted satire to a whole new level. Highlights include Jeffrey Archer appearing on Mastermind, Neil Kinnock being sent on a Mission Impossible, Prince Edward's attempts at guiding the year's Royal Variety Show and Pavarotti giving a star turn at The Last Night of the Yobs. Characters are voiced by Chris Barrie, Steve Coogan, Jon Glover, Steve Nallon, Enn Reitel, Kate Robbins and Jessica Martin.

Spitting Image – The Complete Fifth Series (12) is released on DVD (14.99) on Monday.

AL MURRAY'S HAPPY HOUR – SERIES 2

All hail to the ale as the critically acclaimed series, packed with top-notch celebrity chat, chart-topping music and the best in British bar banter, comes to DVD. Serving up his trademark 'interviews', the nation's favourite publican delivers unforgettable celebrity exclusives in this four-disc box set, including Barbara Windsor re-igniting her Carry On career with help from James Blunt and Jungle love-birds Cerys Matthews and Marc Bannerman; Richard Madeley and Phil Vickery dancing The Guv's idea of a British Haka; and Spice Girl Mel B pushed on all the hot subjects like, "Do you ever have any technical problems on stage, such as microphones switching on?"

Al Murray's Happy Hour – Series 2 (15) is now on release on DVD (24.99)

ADDO the African king/

PLAYING IN SAVAGE PARADISE

From the pioneering, Emmy-award winning filmmaker Hugo Van Lawick comes this stunning wildlife documentary. Follow the harsh and competitive life of Addo, a male lion born into a successful pride. In his early days, life in the pride is easy and food is plentiful. In his second year, the rains fail to come and his life changes forever. Food becomes scarce and tension spreads through the pride. Competition is fierce. When two strange males invade, life, as Addo knows it, is over and he is forced to flee. Alone and inexperienced, Addo's wanderings take him on a journey of life or death. Boasting stunning cinematography his distinct and sympathetic observational filming style allows viewers to truly witness the creatures in their natural habitat.

Playing in Savage Paradise journeys through Africa's famous Serengeti park, creating an intimate view of the animals living in the Serengeti.

Addo: African King/ Playing In Savage Paradise are now on DVD (4.99 each)

THE WILD GEESE

Film Legends Richard Burton, Roger Moore and Richard Harris lead the cast of this British classic. The Wild Geese, a group of crack mercenaries, land in a remote and hostile corner of Africa to free the popular leader of the resistance from a heavily guarded prison. However, sinister forces in the corridors of power have done a deal with the corrupt government, leaving the mercenaries stranded, their escape route cut off. Forced to flee across treacherous terrain, they battle the marauding armies who will stop at nothing to prevent them completing their mission. Don't miss this Special Edition.

The Wild Geese (15) is released on DVD (15.99) on Monday

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

What happens when two best friends who are up to their eyeballs in debt decide to have sex on camera for money? Leave it to brilliant director Kevin Smith and you can be sure the results will be hilarious and totally outrageous. Lifelong friends and roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are facing hard times and a mountain of debt. When the electricity and plumbing get cut off, they seize upon the idea of making a homegrown porno movie for some quick cash, enlisting the help of their friends. The two vow that having sex will not ruin their friendship. But as filming begins, what started out as a business proposition between friends turns into something much more.

Zack And Miri Make A Porno (18) is released on DVD (19.99) and Blu-ray (24.99) on Monday

THE GUIDE has teamed up with Network DVD, ITV DVD, Universal, Arrow Films and Entertainment In Video to give you the chance to win one of these five DVDs to add to your home entertainment collection. To enter the draw to win simply e-mail your name, age and address to theguide@edinburgh news.com with the TITLE of the DVD you would like to win in the subject line. Entries with more than one title in the subject line will be disregarded. Entries to be received by noon on Monday. usual Evening News rules apply. The editor's decision is final.