Mandy Griffiths
Australia’s favourite hornbags Kath and Kim have transitioned from TV to Cinema, from Australia to Italy in “Kath and Kimderella”, including an all-star cast with Richard E. Grant, Rob Sitch, Magda Szubanksi, Dame Edna Everage, and some surprisingly nice things to say about marriage equality and the environment. I sat down with Kath and Kim following the World Premiere at, where else, “Fountain Lakes” shopping centre in Melbourne.
Congratulations on the film, you both looked fantastic at the premiere at Fountain Lakes last night, the Royal look really suited you, were you comfortable in those kinds of fancy outfits?
Kim: Well, being a Princess, absolutely I was comfortable. The more bling the better. So I felt right at home. I mean I’m still wearing it now as we speak, I can’t take it off. I’m getting tulle burn though from the frock but I think it’s worth it.
Kath: For me, I wanted to dress down a bit, make it a bit modern, so I went a ritzy onesie look, a bit of bling, a bit of rhinostones, you know leather, a bit of sparkle in the perm, you know just played it down. Subtle.
And we’ll watch the copycats come out now that you’ve done that.
Kath: Yeah I think we’ll start to see people rocking that look, because they’re a bit MC Hammer those pants.
Kim: I don’t know who that is, I’m too young.
Kath: Oh MC Hammer is cool.
Yeah he’s going to make a big comeback I think. Now you have some fabulous outfits throughout the film in your journey through Europe, who do you think does fashion better, Australia or Europe?
Kim: Australia, hands down, in fact I would pinpoint it down more to Fountain Gate actually. I mean everything is there.
Kath: Yeah we have Fella Hamilton, Resort Report, Dotti, Gasp.
Kim: Oh yes I love Gasp, if I go to Gasp I’m in there for hours. You know they’re really rude to me, then I buy stuff online, it’s great. It’s a lifestyle.
Now Kim you attract the eye of a very handsome Prince in this film.
Kim: Yes I do.
Why do you think he was so attracted to you at first sight?
Kath: He didn’t get out much.
Kim: Well, sure he didn’t get out much, but you know when he saw me, he realised what an orange skinned beauty I was and he was just bamboozled.
Kath: And in reality you see the only people he was allowed to court was his cousins, and it was terribly inbred with that country. A lot of inbreeding so a lot of them had pointy heads and one eye. In comparison Kim did look beautiful.
Kim: He wanted a Princess, and he found the biggest damn Princess there is.
Absolutely. Now the Italian men were very “foxy” I would say in this film, did you find them very appealing?
Kath: Yep, yep, they know how to schmooze. And they know how to flirt and also a little bit treat em mean. You know, machismo, haven’t they they’ve got machismo which I like.
Kim: Yep, machismo in a watermelon pant. That’s hard to pull off but the European guys do it.
Kath: And a lot of the European guys do the 12 inch fly high cut jean which I think is To. Die. For Mandy, I think a high cut jean on a guy pulled right up tight is a very nice look.
Yeah it’s a pity there weren’t more beaches there because they also love the Speedo action, the Budgie Smuggler.
Kim: And the thong!
Kath: Oh yes, the thong, now call me crazy but I think that’s actually pretty good, that rocks my world.
Kim: Nothing turns you on more than a man with a flat bottom in a thong [laughs].
Kath: Now Kel doesn’t have a flat bottom, but he does wear a thong and he has a tattoo saying “Foxy Lady” under his thong. You know they’re just comfortable with their sexuality Italian guys. And they are a little bit Mummy’s boys, you know they cry, and I don’t mind that.
Kim: They certainly cried when we were around.
Kath: They would stamp their feet and have a little tanty. And run home to mama. I thought well that’s alright.
Now Kath you are very passionate about the environment, what do you think of the Italian approach to the environment?
Kath: Oh I was shocked by the rubbish on the streets, and I think Berlusconi is out now but I think he has a lot to answer for. They don’t care about rubbish. They love it.
Kim: Well in Papilloma they didn’t, we don’t want to cast discursions across the whole of Italy. Or they might come after us [laughs]
Kath: I call a spade a spade and they have a lot of rubbish issues. They’re working on it and they’re good at other things. And I taught them a thing or two about recycling, I introduced the coloured bins, don’t mix your paper and the aluminium. You know put them out on the right days. You know, empty and take the lids off your bottles, all those things they really took to. Because they’re intelligent.
It sounds like they need more of you over there.
Kath: Yeah I think I’m going to go back.
So you’re quite experience travellers now, do you have some travel tips that you picked up?
Kath: Yep, well I used to backpack with my water, and my no name crackers, my no name cheese, because I was afeared of being hungry on the plane, but now I travel Premium Zoo, the food was To. Die For Mandy.
Kim: Yeah I would say simply, not that we did this, but having flown Zoo now I would say just fly first class.
Kath: No, Premium Zoo.
Kim: Fly first class, that’s my one tip.
Kath: In your dreams.
Kim: Well why did you have me if you can’t look after me?
Kath: Have you seen the prices of first class? It’s. Insane. Business is about all we can afford next time.
Kim: You are so mean to me.
Kath: Look I’m never going anywhere with you again.
Well I hope that’s not true.
Kath: Paper undies are another thing I would recommend. I don’t know why but I like to keep paper undies with me.
I think Kel could have used some paper undies on this trip.
Kath: He needed paper undies at one stage.
Kim: Have they got writing on them?
Kath: Yeah newspaper, newspaper undies. Yeah they’ve got our reviews on them [laughs]. That’s what we’ll be doing with them.
So you have conquered Australia now and Italy is there any plans for Kath and Kim to go anywhere else?
Kim: Oh look Hollywood’s knocking on our door. Well, you know, in our minds. We’ve been papped and hacked so the world is our lobster at the moment.
Kath: I think we’re going to go to the Caribbean next. Yeah. I just feel a little bit calypso at the moment so I’m going to go Jamaica way.
Kim: You’re a bit Coco Loco.
Kath: I am a bit Coco Loco and I think the Caribbean has my name written all over it.
Well if you like the thong action as well maybe some Rio Carnivale?
Kim: OH I would love that, on a float. On the back of a truck! I can see myself!
I can see you there too.
Kath: Apparently the tummy tucks in Rio are really cheap because they all wear bikinis.
Kim: Stup up Mum, my muffin top is my signature.
Kath: But it’s out of style.
Kim: People wouldn’t recognise me.
Kath: But it’s not a muffin top now. It’s a sponge cake. Top.
Fantastic, we really enjoyed the film and I’m sure it’s going to smashing here when it comes out 6 September, you must be very excited after working on it for so long.
Kath: We are excited. It takes a long time and we’ve crossed every i and dotted every t so fingers and toes it’s going to cut through.
Kim: Well I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be huge. That’s a given.
And more Kath and Kim adventures to come…
Kath: Absolutely, sequels coming. Kath and Kimderella 2. It’s going to be darker though, it’s going to be more like “Dark Knight Rises”.
Kim: ”Kel Knight Rises” [laughs]
A bit of Joker action?
Kath: Yeah, that’s Sharon. We could channel ourselves into all the different franchises. We could do a bit of a Batman franchise, because I do like a cape when I go out sometimes.
Bring back the cape I say.
Kath: Or a Batwing sleeve. We’ve got the clothes for it. Kim is Hungry in “The Hunger Games”.
Kim: And you’re a “Potter”.
Kath: Yes I like to potter. I like to go to the Harry Potter Gallery* in Melbourne that’s always nice [laughs].
Well thanks so much for your time and good luck with the film!
Kath and Kim: Thank you!
“Kath and Kimderella” is released nationally in Australia on 6 September.
*For those who live outside of Melbourne, it’s actually the Ian Potter Gallery
