JOE CORNISH

Having wowed audiences when it was given it’s World Premier at SXSW earlier this year, British film Attack The Block finally invades cinemas today. Starring Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway and newcomer John Boyega, the first full length feature from Joe Cornish sets a group of South London delinquents against an invasion of ferocious intergalactic enemies. We quizzed Cornish about his new foray into film making, find out about the potential of a reunion with Adam Buxton for more Adam And Joe Show antics, and look towards his next project.

What is your earliest memory of film?
Being taken to see Picnic At Hanging Rock, a film by Peter Weir, when I was seven. It’s particular because it was a U certificate but it’s an incredibly scary film and it freaked me out. I think it was the kind of thing that made me realize being scared could be fun. It’s a very good movie.

When did you decide you wanted to act and perform and write and direct?
I went to film school straight after school when I was 18 so I always wanted to make films. It’s been about waiting for the right idea to come along in terms of making a feature film. I first had the idea [for Attack The Block] about seven or eight years ago and I started writing it about three years ago and spent a good year and a half writing it, doing re-drafts and research – the Aliens research came from my imagination and watching 80s creature feature stuff that I love like Tremors. And we spoke to hundreds of young people around south London to research the world it’s set in.

Your debut feature length film, Attack The Block, is based around a council estate – have you ever experienced living in council digs?
I grew up in Stockwell in a nice middle class house but right beside lots of tower blocks and estates and I have lots of friends who grew up in them. So I was always near but never living in them. I spent a lot of time talking to different people that did live in them to find out about their experiences.

Do you hope the film will show a different side to Hoodie culture?
It’s not too much about Hoodie culture, really. It’s just a movie with a hero in a difficult place in his life and is on the brink of making a bad decision – a bit like a John Carpenter film – and is faced by terrifying outer space threats that teaches him something along the way. It’s very much a film about characters. We set it in a council estate because, for me, that’s almost a science fiction setting. Those tower blocks are like spaceships like the ones in Alien or Aliens.

What were the biggest challenges you faced making this film?
We were quite ambitious! We have creature works, we have stunts, chase scenes, pyrotechnics, special effects, fights! We shot it entirely at night and had 12 young actors that didn’t have that much experience of feature films – a lot are newcomers. We had a lot of challenges but if your going to do something it’s worth being ambitious.

What would you do if Earth really was invaded by aliens?
It would depend on the type of aliens. If they are nasty lethal beasts like the ones in my film then I would probably go to the all night garage because they have very high security, hit the emergency button and then live off tango and picnic bars. Plus you’ve got petrol that you can throw at them.

Were you surprised by the reaction from the screening of the film at SXSW?
It went down really well! I wouldn’t say we were surprised but we were very gratified. We hoped people would like it and we worked very hard to make it as good as we could. But we were excited that an American audience understood something that is quite a British film, but then it’s a sci-fi film and sci-fi and aliens is an international language that everybody appreciates.

The Adam And Joe Show was one of our favourite sketch/comedy shows of the late 90s – would you and Adam ever consider a return?
I don’t know. You’d have to ask Channel 4 television. What would we do? We’d be two middle-aged men – maybe we’d have to be in a shed or an attic beavering away instead of being in the same bedroom. It may well come to that! I’m sure the day will come when Adam and I will be knocking at their door. But for the moment we are enjoying ourselves being at 6music and, for me, trying my hand at making a movie.

The show always opened with a parody using stuffed toys - is it easier to create scenes with stuffed animals or with CGI aliens?
The toys are maybe easier, but I don’t think the end result is nearly as scary.

What’s the latest with the Marvel film, Ant-Man? Is this still happening?
We delivered the second draft [of the script] recently. I am merely a writer on that. Edgar Wright [who is due to direct] is the man you would have to ask. I am a fan of the Marvel universe and I am majorly excited to see what Joss Whedon will do with The Avengers.

[Originally published on wonderlandmagazine.com/blog, May 2011.]