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REVIEWS
DREDD
Logan Carr
FILM
2012
Directed by
Pete Travis
Staring
Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena
Headey
Based on the acclaimed Judge
Dredd comics from 2000 AD,
Dredd takes place in a brutal, futuristic
metropolis where criminals
rule the streets. The only order lies
with the urban police force, known
as the “Judges” who possess the
combined powers of judge, jury,
and executioner.
The film revolves around one day
in the life of Judge Dredd (Urban),
a ruthless but morally incorruptible
figure in a decaying world, who
is reluctantly paired with psychic
rookie Anderson (Thirlby). They
soon end up trapped and having to
battle it out with former prostitute
and drug leader Ma-Ma (Headey)
and her clan, who want the Judges
dead to protect the “time-slowing”
drug they deal, SLO-MO.
Screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days
Later, Sunshine) delivers a solid
script, while director Pete Travis
(Vantage Point) - with input from
Judge Dredd creator John Wagner
- brings the grim and unrelentingly
brutal world of the comics to life
with strong visuals, gritty battles
and gory violence. Shot in South
Africa with no use of a green screen,
it has a very “real” feel and steers
clear of unnecessary special effects.
Even the use of the drug SLO-MO,
which gives the user the sensation
that time “is running at 1% speed”
fits into the diegesis and isn’t just
thrown in to look pretty.
Kiwi Karl Urban is excellent as
Judge Dredd, further staking his
claim as a Hollywood leading man.
With his newfound physicality,
gruff voice and witty one-liners, he
comes across as the perfect Dredd.
Olivia Thirlby, as rookie Anderson,
does a decent job carrying the
emotional heart of the film, while
Lena Headey is wickedly good with
her twisted portrayal of Ma-Ma.
But while these things work, there
are a few that don’t. The action
scenes become repetitive, and the
story has been done before. The
most glaring problem though is
the lack of emotion. Outside of
Anderson, the other characters lack
the humanity to make them truly
engaging. That’s because although
the script is strong on the surface,
it fails to delve much deeper. Of
particular note is Dredd’s character.
The film at times hints at something
deeper, behind the helmet but
doesn’t quite pull it off.
Despite these imperfections, Dredd
is still well worth seeing. It succesfully
captures the essence of the
comic and while it never scales the
heights of some other recent comic
book hero films – it is a solid action
flick and a must-see for fans of
Judge Dredd or the action genre.
THE YEAH YEAH YEAH’S - SHOW YOUR BONES
Roy McGrath
ALBUM
2006
Label
Interscope (U.S.)
Polydor (UK)
I started listening to this record a
lot during 2011. I’d encountered it
in 2006 when it was released but it
wasn’t until a few years later that
it really got me, and I really got
it. Show Your Bones is New York
indie-rock-royalty the Yeah Yeah
Yeah’s second full-length album.
Sandwiched between 2003’s
Fever To Tell and 2009’s Itz Blitz!,
Bones shows a side of the YYYs
that they have not shown before
or since. With strummed acoustic
guitars, soft wailing vocals, highly
emotive/suggestive lyrics and
tight/confident percussion. This
version of the YYYs is a lot more
considered and offers a sound
that’s just as intense and deliberate
as what you hear on Fever, but in a
calmer and far more collected way.
The record opens with Gold Lion,
this song is the YYYs putting their
foot down. It’s an announcement
that they’ve confidently and
deliberately moved away from
the frantic pace and hyperactive
delivery of Fever and replaced it
with something more considered
and calculated. It’s the sound of a
band that’s comfortable in its own
skin and is developing substance to
back up the punch-in-the face that
their live act and first record is.
The album continues on with
the confessional-sounding and
emotionally rich Way Out. Songs
like this invite you to engage with
the band on a more intimate level;
the sound is more personal. It’s like
Fever was an easy way to access the
band and Bones is where you really
become a fan. The sound blatantly
departs from the high-energypunk-sound
of Fever and is the
chalk to Itz Blitz’s cheese, but
there is enough desperate wailing
from frontwoman Karen O, moody
guitar and sophisticated sense of
melody that reminds you that this
record is still the same band
This is a great record, an example
of a multi-faceted, highly creative
act, showing just one of its sides. If
there’s a drawback it’s that, while
the YYY’s are clearly making a
point of showing a particular string
in their bow, it can feel like a bit
of overkill. “You have a different
sound to Fever, we get it”. It’s not a
rounded record showing their full
palette which can give the listener
a narrow view of their sound.
The best parts of this record are
O’s vocals and lyrics. She is an
incredibly gifted poet, a master of
using enough suggestive language
to tell her story, yet leaves enough
room for the listener to put
themselves in the picture. The
desperation and conviction in her
delivery let you know she means it..
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