Socks and Sandals: The Rebirth

Somewhere, deep in the recesses of the family photo album, there is one particular picture from a disposable camera which has recently floated to the top of my memory. The picture itself is of me, sometime between 1998 and 2001, standing in front of a hotel in north Devon in a light blue holographic t-shirt, denim pedal pushers, white and silver platform sandals and – the key piece of the outfit – a pair of pulled up fuchsia socks.

 

Now, there are two types of people reading this. Those who would wonder why this whimsical photo from my childhood is not on proud display in a photo frame on the mantelpiece. And those like me and my parents, who are wondering who on earth, let this poor girl leave the house wearing those bright pink socks with open-toe white platforms. What a disaster. I still remember both my Mum and Dad trying to convince me to take the socks off in the most delicate way possible. But I had spent too many summers previously enduring sand in the horrible, bloody blisters that past pairs of sandals had given me, and was not going to take a chance on my much loved, pristine-white platforms.

So with that embarrassing photo still in my mind’s eye, when the AW13 trend of cut-out black leather boots with frilly socks appeared, I kept my distance. Not only did I not want my fellow Freshers students to see my extensive collection of novelty Christmas socks, but the lack of practicality – winter boots with holes in? – made this trend a no-go area.

Time passed, winter became spring, and with the massive 90’s revival trend, so did a ghost from my childhood, the jelly shoe. For the first few months I spotted work colleagues sporting angry blisters underneath rubber straps, and felt a smug satisfaction that my severely uncool stripy trainer socks were not on show underneath pink glittery JuJus. I figured that this would be another teen trend, only to be looked back on in horror and embarrassment just like (shudder) jeggings.

However my snobbishness was quickly brought to a halt after a conversation with my good friend and hairdresser. She confided in me (with equal amounts of concern) that at a catwalk show she recently worked at, the models themselves were rocking jelly sandals and socks. Not long after that, flicking through the August 2014 edition of Glamour magazine, I found myself staring directly at a fashion editorial proclaiming that socks and sandals were this month’s biggest trend. Below was a beautifully shot image of grey lurex socks sitting comfortably underneath a glamorous pair of £400 heeled sandals. It’s over, I thought to myself, despairingly. I have been defeated.

But all is not lost. Although I won’t be adopting the jelly trend myself, I will be spending the last of my summer break digging through our old holiday photos for fashion inspiration before the winter months force me back into my sheepskin coat and woolly tights. After all, it’s comforting to know that my pro-sock defiance at eight years old has paid off, and I can now give myself boasting rights that I was in fashion many years before my time. Now, if only I could find that black ra-ra skirt…

Dredd 3D: A Biased Review (Repost from September 2012)

Yes, I'll put it out there: This review is already biased on account of my existing love for Judge Dredd. I spent most of my summer reading the Case Files volumes and the original Judge Dredd (1995) is up there with my favourite films.

However, contrary to popular opinion held before it's release, this film delivers. For starters, Karl Urban portrays the protagonist Dredd almost perfectly. His entire face is never revealed - in keeping with the comics - and he has to rely heavily on his body movements and the timing of his delivery to portray how his character is thinking and feeling. This Urban does brilliantly, showing Dredd's steely and unforgiving character, whilst letting the audience feel included in his Good Cop/Bad Cop relationship with 'Rookie' Judge Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby.

Thirlby filled the role of side-kick with room to spare for her own action-packed scenes, although I did think that her psychic powers were a bit too coincidental: giving her the upper hand on almost every enemy, it also explained her lack of helmet ("it interferes with my psychic powers") allowing her character to be more humanised and giving the audience a character to relate to, which is very important when being introduced to a sci-fi film they may be unfamiliar with.

The antagonist, Ma-Ma, played by Lena Headey, was scary enough without the scars and sunken eyes. With little introduction and only a few short montage scenes, Ma-Ma was frightening in her lack of concern for others' lives, her thirst for blood and violence unparalleled by any other female 'baddie' I have ever come across.

One of the film's strengths was the SFX used. From a range of filters used to darken the bleak reality of Mega City One to to the bright, trippy scenes featuring the 'Slow-Mo' drug, there was no doubt in the air of grime, danger and realism in the explosions, which never felt fake or over-done, and the slow-motion scenes which were explored intricately, I really felt a mixture of fear and curiosity (everyone leaving the cinema commented on how they'd like to experience the Slow-Mo drug).

I did have my doubts about the use of 3D, as I do with all films, as I paid a great deal more for it as there were no 2D showings until the following week. My personal opinion is that 3D is a huge waste of time and money and adds nothing to most films, but today is the day I eat my words. The feature was used to great effect, I felt claustrophobic in the rooms and corners of the slums and there was no doubt it made my stomach turn when being above the dizzying heights of Peach Trees. If you're thinking of seeing it at the cinema, I would at this point whole-heartedly recommend forking out a bit more for the cinematic experience.

When I watch films, I do often question the BBFC rating given, in this case an 18. Which I believe is completely justified: the blood and violence is there from start to finish, with little left to the imagination. I didn't really think what it would be like to see a man be skinned alive and then see his brains scattered across the floor, but now I know, and it is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

The only issue I really have with this film is the pacing. The action was there, but there were often parts where I felt like I was waiting for something to happen, without the tension that was clearly intended. When there was a fast-paced scene I couldn't get enough, however waiting for those scenes to actually happen may have bored some more impatient viewers.

Let's take a final moment to look a little deeper into the two protagonists. Urban's portrayal of Dredd often saw scenes in which Dredd seemed to be enjoying the violence, like he got some masochistic pleasure in killing criminals, although this was only skimmed over and could be explored deeper in a potential sequel.
Thrilby's character, as a female fighting her way through a violent slum, often saw herself in a position where she was exploited and sexualised by the enemy in an attempt to break her spirit, which she quickly stamped out (with her psychic abilities, and a blow to the face) but it raises a question for me: Are women in authoritative positions often treated as sex objects in an attempt to degrade them? And does this reflect an issue that female law enforcers encounter in day-to-day life?

The final word is; if you didn't enjoy Stallone's Judge Dredd, you needn't be worried: this is a far cry from that film in every way.

Worth seeing if: You are a fan of action, SFX or Karl Urban's fab acting.
Swerve if: You dislike violence or can't handle gore... this film isn't taking any prisoners.
My Rating: 8/10
IMDB Rating (at time of publish): 7.5/10