FARID THE ZINE | THE REFLECTION ISSUE | Spring 2019 by Farid the Zine

Spring 2019

LOOK Don’t you just love that fuzzy feeling you get when nostalgia hits you? Well, this issue’s DNA is that exact same feeling. At the soul of the Reflection issue, you will find us fangirling about things that shaped our past, our present and will impact our future. Why reflection? It’s simple. It’s all about learning. Learning from mistakes and experiences. Learning comes about not from doing, but from thinking about what we do. Often, we go through our day to day life without spending too much time “processing” our experiences. This is not a bad thing, since much of what we do throughout the day is routine and it may not hold a lot of meaningful learning. This issue defines that, in fact, it’s the small things that are way more meaningful. It’s the music and the films we watched as kids, the places we have been to, our relationships with one another and the games we have played. All those little things culminate to who we are today. As we approach the one-year anniversary of FARID, I reflected upon my learning and the skills which I have developed over the past year. It feels like yesterday I was writing the first editor’s letter, yet here we are. That fuzzy feeling is so prevalent in my life at the moment. A full circle moment. FARID has been a vessel for so many to express their thoughts and challenge those precarious ideas which surround us. I have a lot to say about the 1-year anniversary (later on, in the issue) and we have something extra special planned, so make sure you follow us on our social media. In the meantime, grab a cuppa or a G’n’T (whatever takes your fancy) and enjoy the reflection issue of Farid The Zine.

Hesham Abdelhamid

Editor-in-Chief

UNIVERISTY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE

SPECIAL THANKS

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

REFLECTION

Hesham Abdelhamid Owen Adamson Lewis Thompson Benoit Ganesan Alexander Georgieff Lewis Mitchell Tanya Telukunta Jamal Springer-lynch Holly Harden-Sweetnam Charis Chasi Lydia Maers Emily Redman Cameron Hayward Zoe Gater Klaudia Mihalova Jyni Ong Oliver Walker Joe Thompson

UoG Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union UoG Journalism ISSUU Deya & Teddy Cheltenham Borough Council Carlain property student lettings Nu Boyana Film Studios

To the watch the travel vlog from #TeamFaridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trip to bulgaria, please click the play button

ummer M emories Летни Cпомени B

ulgaria, a country of more than 1300 years. This small Balkan country is the gate of Europe. If you look at the map, it is the first European country you enter after you leave Asia and Turkey. Bulgaria is the place where Europe meets the East, a combination that makes travellers fall in love with its nature, culture and people. Our journey lasted 10 days and included 2000km of driving in this tiny country with a population of just under 7 million people. (in comparison, the United Kingdom is just 2 times larger in size, but its population is 66 million). Yes, the cities are full of tower blocks, heritage from the communist era, but if you want to see beyond, a view of colours bloom for you! (especially in the summer, when it’s not -20 degrees) Layers of history are found everywhere, it even has ancient Roman and Thracian monuments. Our path started at the beautiful, Stara Planina mountains, followed by the Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, the place where Gladiator and the upcoming Hell boy films were filmed, an experience which only a memory provokes excitement in our hearts. Continuing the focus on the mountains, our next stop was the Rila mountain, one of the highest mountains in the Balkans, offering us more than a single breath-taking view, but a millennial old monastery and unforgettable culinary experiences. The Rhodope mountains followed. A slightly narrower, full of history and the home of

WORDS BY ALEXANDER GEORGIEFF FILMED BY LEWIS THOMPSON EDITED BY BENOIT GANESAN the ancient Greek singer Orpheus. As we were driving for hours in these curvy and tiny mountain roads, we couldn’t resist but admire the secretive charisma this mountain has, and that tiny road led us to the city of Plovdiv, the 6th oldest city in Europe, dating back 6000 years BC and one of the oldest in the world. We were walking on pavements where Thracians and Romans walked thousands of years before. An experience that was recognised not only by us but also the thousands of tourists coming to explore the European Capital of Culture 2019 – Philippopolis, which is the ancient name of the city, named after the Greek ruler Philip II. Did I mention Bulgaria is tiny? Well, there’s the stunning coast of Black sea, where the water reaches 30 degrees and the sky is blue every day. Literally. Excluding Sunny beach, my apologies about its frequenters. The 500km coast of Bulgaria gives you the freedom to explore little camping sites, a huge variety of cute bars and large clubs. There is a space for everybody and for every taste. What a better way to finish the long days of driving and hiking than with a Mojito in hand, lying on the beach, accompanied by the sounds of seagulls and the crashing waves. These 10 days felt like a glimpse, as we wanted more and more. Bulgaria stays in our hearts and we can’t wait to find another excuse to go back and tell you more about this little paradise!

PICTURES BY LEWIS THOMPSON

THE CHELTENHAM TAPES Cinematography by Lewis Mitchell Edited by Tanya Telukunta

Click on each play button to watch one of the Cheltenham tapes. Video postcards from the heart of the Cotswolds.

ES SIO N

Our mission is to provide a platform to fresh young talent, who have something to say. FARID: THE SESSION will be a vessel for musicians from all over Gloucestershire to tell their story and showcase their gift.

S E H T : D I FAR

Visuals by Lewis Thompson Benoit Ganesan Alex Georgieff

In a series of acoustic sessions, captured by our film crew, you will be introduced to the musical talents of the University of Gloucestershire. First up, Bulgarian Americana and folk duo, Deya&Teodora. Deya Kuneva & Teddy Mladenova are a force to be reckoned with. Armed with raw vocals and virtuosic presence.

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON TO WATCH THE SECOND PART OF FARID: THE SESSION. YOU WOULDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T WANT TO MISS THIS. #NEWBEGINNINGS

april 2019

THERE’S

EXCUSE FOR SINGLE USE. If it’s a no to a takeaway cup, it should be a no to the one-wear worthless wonders.

fast fashions worst offenders

THE worlds most wasteful industry:

fast-fashion. WORDS BY HOLLY HARDEN-SWEETNAM

Time to call out fast-fashions worst offenders; the brands and the consumer. H&M, Primark and Boohoo are a few of the culprits who neglect the earth, ignoring the warnings of climate change. But you, reading this, you probably are too. Whilst the temptingly cheap prices of poorquality, tacky, designer knock-offs draw consumers in, fast-fashion brands continue to manipulate the customer, making it easy to forget what horrors lurk behind the scenes. The idea was simple: make runway fashion cheap and available to the messes through inexpensive clothing production. Unlike designer brands which put time and effort into each garment, cheap, chaotic chains like Primark introduce so-called “style steals” every week, but the only thing they’re stealing is your money. Fast-fashion brands are cheeky and unoriginal. They’re constantly scanning social media ready to steal a new design. Once they’ve found one, an immediate chain reaction is formed rushing to duplicate the trend. They subcontract extremely cheap manufacturers overseas which put production schedules ahead of safety, exploiting the worker’s rights. The disappointing factor is that none of this is news. Consumers are ignoring the slave labour headlines, distracted by cheap prices. Where did that polyester t-shirt go you bought last season? You probably threw it away because it looked tacky. Well that item

will take 200 years to decompose. It may have been cheap once, but was it worth the shockingly high unethical price? It’s time for the consumer to put a stop to their wilful blindness and open their eyes to the devastatingly catastrophic impact of fast-fashion. 2012 and 2013 saw the Dhaka fire and Rana Plaza building collapse, killing over 1000 Bangladeshi apparel workers. 2017 saw 235 million items of clothing shipped off to UK landfill’s. That’s 350,000 tonnes of “trendy” textiles left to “decompose”. Except, 63% of textile fibres are derived from fossil fuels, which don’t decompose easily. If the fast-fashion industry continues by 250 it could account for a quarter of the world’s carbon budget. In order to end the war between fast-fashion and the earth, brands need to make more of an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. H&M are aiming for 100% recycled materials by 2030 and to be climate positive by 2040. But this is not enough. The responsibility lies with the consumer. It’s time to get educated and realise shopping on boohoo.com won’t make you fashionable. It makes you guilty of neglecting the environment. Fast-fashion shopping habits need to die. Stop buying into slave labour. It’s inhumane. Stop the one-wear wonders. They’re worthlessly cheap. Start caring about your carbon footprint and start respecting the world you live in.

AM II AM WORTH WORTH MORE MORE THAN A A THAN DOUBLE DOUBLE TAP? TAP?

welcome to the self love club

So Long Flower Power. Here’s To The

“POWER” OF INSTAGRAM Pose, snap. Re-pose and re-snap. Twenty takes later, have I found the one? My cheek bones, cupids bow and eyeshadow gently sparkles from the afternoon sunlight beaming in through the window. With tamed yet slightly bushy brows and glittery lips, I’m confident this is the selfie to upload. However, to actually get likes, I’ll need to run through some quick editing steps. Nothing too major, but everyone is doing it these days. Heading to my trusted (yet totally secret and highly ashamed off) airbrushing app, I select the quick beauty tool. Smoothing out my skin, hiding away hideous pimples and giving me the pout I’ve desired since my early teens. Now to find the perfect filter, something high in contrast, with cool tones but completely understated. Running out time, I save the selfie and open up Instagram. My insights tell me Monday evening, 8pm is the best time to upload. The bigger the reach, means more likes and comments, which in tern is the aim of the selfie. Which triggers me to consider what type of caption am I going for? I’m not very witty, so humour doesn’t works for me and adding a so-called inspirational quote is just cliche. I settle with a basic emoji and tap upload. As the adrenaline builds inside me, my palms start to sweat. A few minutes pass and only one like. My anxiety, awakened by the fear of no online interest,

WORDS BY HOLLY HARDEN-SWEETNAM

tells me I should just delete the picture before it’s too late. I persuade myself to wait at least five more minutes. Why is no one liking my post? Is there something wrong with me? Too anxious to wait, I delete the picture, unable to bear the embarrassment. Once again, another unsuccessful upload. Please don’t judge me for deleting my photos, for I’m not the only girl relying on likes and comments for validation. A 2018 study found the popular app has the most negative impact on young peoples wellbeing, with almost 1,500 14- to 24-year-olds having accused the app of deepening feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Other concerns including loneliness, bullying and body image. Unless you’ve taken selfies yourself and understand what an elaborate process it can be, knowing that the average young woman spends up to five hours taking selfies each week, is no surprise. 40% of which show signs of depression, directly linked to Instagram. Selfies are supposed to be light hearted and just a bit of fun, but they have a darker side. August 2014 saw my first upload to the popular app. Having only just started building my online presence, my pictures were nothing special. Before Instagram became popular, I kept my usage to a minimal, thinking it was trivial. Since then, social media has become so engrained in society, it’s difficult to ignore the notifications. Surrounded by avid Instagram users, reeling in likes, comments and a following to be proud of, I wanted to play along too. Within no time at all, my following was on the up and my newsfeed, full of pretty pictures, idyllic beaches and lifestyles to aspire too. Instagram was becoming a daily routine. Being a teenager and hardwired for socialisation, sites likes Instagram made socialising easy and immediate. Being able to keep upto-date with friends, trends and celebrities lives, made me feel like I understood the world around me. Yet somewhere down the line, the virtual-hobby

A II A NO NO TH TH ON ON GI GIR RELY RELY O ON LIK LIK AN AN COMM COMM FO FO VALID VALIDA

AM AM OT OT HE HE NLY NLY IRL RL YING YING ON N KES KES ND ND MENTS MENTS OR OR DATION ATION

welcome to the self love club

became an obsession. Each day I spent more and more time online, unable to stop myself from sharing my whereabouts. The constant double tapping and post uploading became draining, but I told myself that I am no quitter. Desperately competitive, I wanted the lifestyles I saw online. These girls seemed to have it all; the profile feeds with perfectly coloured images, the 10k followers and thousands of likes. I started to believe I could achieve happiness, only when I obtained the lifestyle they had. Yet the constant comparison of my body, clothes and achievements my stomach churn. The comparisons were no longer just online, but offline too. My mind was trained to compare. Before long, the anxiety was high and my self-esteem at the lowest it’s ever been. Soon I became miserable and unable to leave the house without feeling inadequate with the way I looked. After a sleep filled with countless tears, my hopelessness turned into anger. This was the final straw. I didn’t want to see these perfect people with their perfect lives. I didn’t want to feel insufficient, full of hatred and jealous all the time. Instagram was not my reality, but just as series of fabricated lives that I was buying into. It was time for a break. Time to enter rehab, for Instagram addicts. In a fit of rage, I deleted the app, swearing to never use it again. During the three months of not using Instagram, I noticed my mood lift. I was proactive again, no longer using the app as my first and only choice of enjoyable activity. I no longer cared or envied others lives. I was content with myself again. After careful consideration and a few boundaries written down in my head, I decided to re-download the app. This time I was not going to let social media determine my mood and happiness. I began by unfollowing every account that lead me down the road of negativity. I deleted images I posted just for likes and I began following inspirational women who spoke

welcome to the self love club

up about their mental health. Accounts that empowered others through feminism, teaching me to stand up for what I believe in. I turned my newsfeed from a constant cycle of unrealistic, highly photoshopped images to somewhere that I can feel empowered. I realised, Instagram didn’t have to be something that bought me sadness, insecurities and critical comparisons. If I wanted to achieve happiness, the platform could aid to boost my moods. Proactively searching for self-help accounts and exposing me to the real world, I searched for women like Iskra Lawrence. A woman who proudly shows off her body, stretch marks, stomach rolls and all. I found Jameela Jamil, who spoke openly about her eating disorders, committing her role to helping others overcome theirs. I connected with Florence Given, a London based artist and social issues advocate, dedicated to empowering women, destroying sexism and speaking up for minorities. The issue with Instagram, and other social media platforms, its that it’s still in it’s infancy. The platforms are growing by numbers each day, yet no one is educated on how to use it safely. Read enough of the current research and you’ll find that the negatives outweigh the positives. Whilst we can all use social media to connect and create friendships with others, it also confronts toxic comparisons, sleep deprivation, less frequent face-to-face interactions to name a few. My family and friends could tell me I’m beautiful just the way I am, but all the while I’m getting a different message from Instagram, seeing filters and lenses that altered my appearance. Pictures used to be final; now we have post-production. While it is good for anyone’s self-esteem to like the way they look, it is crucial to have many sources of self-esteem. For my long-term happiness, it is deeply rewarding to find things that I care about and practice doing them. Now, social media is something to pass a spare five minutes. Not a regular activity to rely on for validation.

A Trip Down Memory Lane WORDS & CURATION BY CAMERON HAYWARD

hen it comes to re-releases, they have garnered a bit of a reputation in recent years. Generally, when a company like Disney say they’re bringing out another of their classic films with modern visuals, we tend to think they’ve just run out of ideas. For the most part, their only function is to line the pockets of unimaginative production studios. Remastered games are a completely different story, providing games that were previously considered lost in time, on modern platforms with fewer bugs and the enhanced visuals you would expect from an HD remake. Of course, most of us have felt the excitement of being able to play our favourite classic titles once again, but what do these games have to offer that their original counterpart didn’t?

HALO: MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION This will probably divide most serious gamers, as many of you will have never owned an Xbox, and thus never played Halo. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a game that, for the rest of us, provided some of the best gameplay on any first-person shooter, with a campaign and online multiplayer to rival the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield. For those of us with fond memories of Halo, the master chief collection almost seemed too good to be true. The original Xbox classics Halo one and two, including every Xbox360 title, all remastered

in full HD for the Xbox one!? Its safe to say it was a godsend for anyone looking for a bit of nostalgia, with stunning visuals to match the already masterful gameplay mechanics. Without a doubt, the best feature of this remaster is being able to flick between the classic and remastered graphics with the push of a button, sending you all the way back to the first time you played it, while also beautifully showing off all the hard work that went into this HD re-release.

Platform: Xbox One

ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK Zelda fans took a while to warm to the original Majora’s mask, released on the N64 almost 20 years ago. It was described as “the oddest, darkest and saddest of all Zelda games” which, in turn, has made it a cult classic that many of us became desperate to play for ourselves. Since 2015, anyone who owns a 3DS has the chance to play one

of the most controversial Nintendo games ever made. While its makeover is almost entirely cosmetic, a few extra features, such as improved time-based mechanics, make it a re-master that fans of the original will love, and a great introduction to the Zelda series for new players.

Platform: 3DS

Super Mario 64 Many remember Super Mario 64 as one of the best games you could play on an N64 console. It’s a game that still gets attention on twitch even today, despite being released 20 years ago this year. So, when tasked with recreating one of their greatest games ever, for an all new console, you would imagine Nintendo would take great care. The result though, is a poor attempt at a cash grab, ruining the gameplay and tainting an already dwindling franchise. The main issue is that Mario 64’s gameplay relied heavily on a joystick, which the DS didn’t have. The options therefore are to use the D-pad (awkward) or use the ‘digital joystick’ they provide on the touchscreen (very slightly less awkward). All this combined with the exact same graphics and frame rate, leaves Super Mario fans beyond disappointed.

Being someone that likes a bit of nostalgia, I have a lot of fun with remastered games. The idea of playing all your favourite games, with new graphics and improved function, is just heaven for those of us who don’t play as many games as we used to. Reliving all the fun of the original, without any of the hassle of using old equipment, is a very satisfying experience. Having said that, these games should be a rare treat, and game developers should definitely focus on original content. Remastered titles don’t offer a new slant on a series, a different story, or even new gameplay, but the memories they bring to us on a personal level are more than worth the time.

Platform: DS

SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY This game is very close to my heart, I sunk so many hours into Spyro as a child and couldn’t believe my luck when the remaster was announced for both PS4 and Xbox. This game is almost exactly as it was before, which is ideal for someone like me, constantly being reminded of the fantastic original games. Having said that, it’s also one of the most visually beautiful games I’ve ever played, and I spent the whole game anticipating what the next level would looked

like. Buying games as old as Spyro for the Playstation can be very risky. I personally have bought a copy of Spyro: year of the dragon second-hand for as much as £30 only to find it crashed at the first level every time. So, to finally have access to this treasured game is a breath of fresh air for me as I’m sure it is for many others. For those looking to sit back and enjoy a classic game series, Spyro reignited trilogy is a must have.

Platform: PlayStation 4 & Xbox One

CRASH BANDICOOT N SANE For me, the Crash bandicoot trilogy was a bit of a flop. I loved crash bandicoot as a kid, and part of my love for it was its wacky visuals and gradual learning curve. The rerelease though, is waaay too hard. I sat down to play the first game expecting a nice relaxing trip down memory lane with an old game that I used to breeze through as a kid. What I got was frustration and a feeling like I wasted my money. I quickly gave up and found out the reason I was having so much difficulty. The visuals had all been smoothed out but that was at the expense of the gameplay, all

the smooth hitboxes just made jumping puzzles much harder, as you slip off almost every ledge in the game. Since most of crash bandicoot is jumping puzzles, this makes for some very irritating moments. The first three crash games were brilliant, and I was so glad to hear they would be coming out on all platforms. Even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more expensive, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d still rather get The wrath of Cortex.

Platform: PlayStation 4

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS There’s not much to say about shadow of the colossus, especially as most of you will know the game well. Originally for the Playstation2, a console with a better selection of games than any other since, shadow of the colossus is now one of the most famous games ever made and is widely regarded as the best. Its notoriety did come at a cost for gamers who didn’t buy it first time around, as prices skyrocketed to almost triple figures. For this reason, an HD rerelease was much needed, to revitalise one of the worlds best loved games, for a wide audience. Its epic visuals have been scaled up even more, for a truly awe-inspiring adventure, and while it’s remaster is purely a visual one, that’s all this game needed along with its already ground-breaking design and gameplay. Though it has been criticised for its gameplay mechanics, which many think should have been

improved, it’s a special thing to be able to preserve the feeling of the original with an up-to-date look. For most of these beloved games, access is the key to making a worthwhile remaster. Games like shadow of the colossus and Spyro are very hard to get a hold of, let alone actually play. All the crashing and overheating that old consoles were prone to, make these games very hard to get through. Gaming is an experience like no other, its immersive and uses more of your senses than almost any other leisure activity. The memories we have from gaming stay with us forever and reliving those memories can be a rewarding experience in and of itself. Nevertheless, there are a few remastered games that missed the mark, so much so as to discredit or spoil the original.

Platform: PlayStation 4

HALF A CENTURY ON: HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE MOON LANDING? WORDS BY CAMERON HAYWARD

ifty years ago, a single live TV event changed the world as we knew it, making huge strides in both science and television. It was one small step for man (or was it one small step for A man) and one giant leap for mankind, one that most of the world took together. In their homes, on their sofas, in their local pubs all watching the same unforgettable moment. To watch such a historic and universally important achievement must have been nothing short of incredible. It’s hard for those of us born after 1990 to think of many unifying TV moments. While it’s true that live TV is in its prime, moments like the moon landing or Live Aid probably won’t come about again any time soon. These events resonate and stay with us for years, partly because of how rare they are. Even my parents remember the moon landing, and they were only 5 years old at the time. Yet they can still recall how everyone gathered in the living room, how quiet they all were for hours, captivated by what was unfolding right in front of their eyes. The moon landing was a truly special moment for live TV, not only for its record-breaking viewer count of 530 million, but it was the first time the BBC broadcast throughout the night. It’s still one of the most viewed televised events of all time, in a year when the Earth’s

population was less than half of what it is now. For years, people had been waiting for the moment man finally landed on the moon, an amazing and (almost) purely scientific pursuit that represented a milestone in human achievement. At the beginning of the decade, it seemed like an impossible target, send a rocket to land on the moon. I’m sure that the British laughed at the thought, dismissing it as nothing more than Cold war political gain, an exercise in national pride. But the Apollo missions had a bold and relatively noble aspiration, fuelled by a president Kennedy’s “we choose to go to the moon” speech in 1961. For hundreds of years, man had looked up at the moon in wonder, and suddenly the public felt the desperation of getting a man to land on it, the next frontier. Once the moon was a spectacle, now it was an object of immediate political importance. The Soviet space program had already successfully launched the first artificial

satellite into space, and in - the same year as Kennedy’s speech, had sent a man into space, just before the US could launch their own ‘project mercury’. US national pride was at a low, and they could not afford to lose the space race to Russia. After the speech, the American public gained an optimism for their government, thanks to the president brilliantly playing on their pioneer spirit, portraying the moon landing as the single most important achievement modern humans could accomplish. This perfect storm of politics and patriotism was amazingly exciting for the whole world to watch. After the first Apollo mission ended in disaster, with the crew tragically dying to a fire during pre-flight tests, it was a stark reminder of what NASA was trying to achieve, and how insurmountable a goal it truly was. Many had their doubts, and the political climate at the time meant that many were worried it would be called a hoax even if they were eventually successful. The next major Apollo missions all sought to test how well live TV could be broadcast from space. Live broadcast has never been as important as it was in 1969, as the world who had waited and waited, were treated with a historic moment, as Neil Armstrong made his first strides on the surface of that big glowing ball that lights up the night sky. It’s hard to

imagine, for people who were born into a world where man had already been to the moon, just how significant it was at the time. The internet as we know it wouldn’t be conceived for another twenty years, if you wanted a private phone conversation, you had to go down the road to a booth and there were only 5 TV channels, none of which broadcasted after 10pm. Yet we had done it, put a man on the moon, it was a glorious day for mankind, but an even more glorious day for Americankind. The stars and stripes of the American flag flew on the moon, their divine right had extended all the way out into the cosmos, and the memory of JFK lived on in the achievement of his goal to reach the moon. Today, there are fewer and fewer people who remember what it was like that day, to sit on the edge of your seat for hours, waiting for the moment it finally happens, and you can bear witness to the advancement of our species. Perhaps that’s why millennials are so entranced by the stories of the moon landing, as our grandparents get older and pass on, we lose our attachment to these events. Eventually, they become legend, the histories we teach to our children, knowing nothing of what it was like to be there when it happened. Fifty years ago, a single live TV event changed the world as we knew it, and we may never see it’s like again.

Build Me Up Buttercup!

“

The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.” - John Lennon

e have been taking a trip through the illustrious and definitive styles of the late 20th century. Recently, they’ve been working their iconic styles and colour schemes into our wardrobes, an homage to the fantastic creations that moulded the culture of those times. As we journey down memory lane, we will submerge ourselves in one of the most iconic eras of fashion: the sixties, better known by her glorious name: The Mod Era. The sixties saw a generation of young people emerge from the shadows of their overbearing parents. The late fifties had shown a growing demand from young people to be seen and heard as well as a push to adopt a new outlook on British life. These energetic cultural rebels fought to establish their identity, leading a revolution in defiance of their parents through music and fashion. They challenged their parents’ culture, it was a revolution pioneered by the youth, eventually giving rise to Modernism. The “Mods” tore down the rules of the old tradition, pushing a new perspective that brought freedom and all things sexy and streamlined into the fray. Soul, rhythm, blues and jazz hit the scene, though The Who’s 1973 album Quadrophenia is known for powerfully encapsulating the feeling of the time. Fashion and music experienced the shift brought about by a passionate youth, split between their parent’s conservatism and their own need to find their place in the world.

FASH

HION The modernists were responsible for this evolution. Inspired by the music of bands like The Beatles and The Monkees, they not only transformed the London scene musically but visually too; furnishing the streets of London with style inspired by chic Italian attire, suiting and lifestyle. For instance, coffee shops became central to their social lives, as the modernists would gather to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company over jazz or the latest release. As the night approached, the coffee shops worked as night clubs. Jazz would turn to swing and you would find this fresh-faced collective jamming and rocking to it until the early hours of the morning. The attitude was all about going with the flow, avoiding the seriousness and rigidity their parents’ represented. The aesthetic was individual expression and in order to express it you had to be original. Mod wasn’t just a mood, it had to be visual. Young men started to take a greater interest in fashion, using clothing as a tool to express their personalities visually. Taking inspiration from the Italian suit; simple tailoring, attention to detail with clean and sharp lines became the preferred silhouette. Women explored the hydrogenous look by wearing their counterparts’ suits, ties and bow ties. Then in a spectacle of their own feminine power they invented the iconic sixties look; short clean cut dresses paired with opaque tights of all colours, sharp symmetrical bobs and flat shoes. Mary Quant, a mod herself, created the greatest piece of clothing to grace the fashion world and human invention, the mini skirt. The mini skirt liberated young women from their mothers heavy, knee length garters and gave them freedom to dance and move effortlessly. The chicness and simplicity of the design was original, completely embodying the values of Modernism and it became a sensation

in no time. As the years progressed into the mid sixties, the inclusion of blinding-bright colours and bold patterns which were inspired by the wide acceptance of psychedelics used by the youth. At the forefront of this evolution in style were the crusaders who exported the Mod style internationally. People like Jean Shrimpton and most iconically of all, Twiggy. Twiggy became the face that embodied the sixties style and culture. These two heroines paraded the Mod aesthetic on the global stage in magazines, television and any from of media that wanted a taste. With their help Modernist fashion travelled overseas to the United States, becoming unstoppable from its growing momentum. The movement hit full speed, influencing not only the youth but also celebrities and politicians. Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn famously embraced the look and with their support Modernism was taken in by fashion giants such as Chanel, Givenchy, Emilio Pucci and Paco Rabanne. They took advantage of the movement and launched it into a global trend. Even in 2018, the sixties aesthetic was re-emerging on countless designer catwalks. Notably, Valentino’s 2018 Fall Couture Collection. The collection was a love letter to the Mod era. All the looks were brushed with vibrant colour, sharp cut out silhouettes and blouses and jumpsuits. The collection also featured heavily printed capes and all-feathered-out gowns. But the most outstanding aspect of the collection was the hair. We witnessed spectacular gravity defying bouffants, extreme teased up-do’s and head pieces that were completely covered by flowers.This extravagant display from Valentino was a tribute to the resurgence of this decade and we cannot wait to see what comes up next from the Mod Era.

WORDS & CURATION: ZOË GATER The 80s are such a huge part of our lives, purely due to the fact that our parents forced it down our throats. Now, we don’t know about you… but we are 100% ok with a bit of 80s vibes, here and there! Our social media editor, Zoë Gater reflects on the electrifying decade with her own opinions on it and a good ole’ playlist. Make sure you hit the Spotify button to listen to Zoë’s throwback playlist, filled with tunes, bangers and songs you can bust a move to!

he 1980s – a carefree decade notoriously recognised for awful shoulder pads, bold, bright neon clothes and outrageously giant hair (I’m almost choking on the hairspray thinking about it). Envision Prince, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Debbie Harry, ABBA. No matter who you are, whenever someone mentions the infamous 80s you remember something. NES? Neon lights? Roller discos? Cabbage Patch Dolls? The War on Drugs? Everyone reminisces about it, despite actually being there or not. But, the ‘80s were about much more than bad clothes and new wave music. For example, the technology. OK, it’s nothing like the iPhone X or the latest gadget today, but for the time, it was incredibly exciting. In fact, many of the most popular consumer products today made their mark in the 1980s. CDs, Walkmans, portable phones, fax machines, answering machines. But one of the most groundbreaking electronics was the personal computer. Without these first developments, the World Wide Web wouldn’t be possible. By the end of the ‘80s, PCs were absolutely everywhere. It’s hard to imagine a life without access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media now, but back then, they didn’t even exist. What about all of the classic video game characters that we all love so dearly? 8-bit Mario jumping in to rescue Peach, Pac-Man trying to avoid those frustrating neon ghosts and of course, Link, protecting Princess Zelda and the lands of Hyrule. These games are universally recognised and still remain in our hearts today, both child and adult.

Then the music. Nowadays, everyone is walking around with AirPods listening on their iPhones, but back in the day the ‘in thing’ was the Sony Walkman. Revolutionary due to the fact Sony had managed to shrink a cassette player down to a tiny pocket-size, but secondly because people were making their own cassettes and mixing songs together that they had taped from different albums. As you can imagine, this took a little while longer than just dragging some songs into a playlist on Spotify. The music - although some of it questionable - still finds its way onto our playlists now. It’s difficult to resist singing along to Lionel Richie’s All Night Long or Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Of course, no party is complete without the classic Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners. ‘80s music was an easy listen and almost entirely uncontroversial. Saying that, Madonna’s Like a Virgin was a little bit taboo. But hey, it was acceptable in the ‘80s. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! How could we forget all of the movies? The era of timeless classics. Wishing to spend a day off like Ferris Bueller or discovering your very own alien like E.T., mimicking Schwarzenegger in The Terminator and practicing the iconic dance from The Breakfast Club. These movies truly will never die even if the budget and special effects weren’t what they are today.

There was much more to the 1980s than just TV aerobics instructors wearing ridiculous leg warmers and neon nylon and Dirty Dancing. The ‘80s was a time of innovation and creation with unforgettable blockbusters and music that spoke to us on a level like no other. We can’t say that the fashion was a good choice, but it was certainly unique and Kids at Christmas couldn’t wait to see wheth- the icons from the era were extraordinary and er they’d be opening up a new G.I. Joe, the decade still has great influence today. Care Bear, Macintosh or Atari and the sound of the Speak and Spell would ring through everyone’s brains for weeks to come.

IT WAS ACCEPTABLE

THE

THANK YOU,

WORDS & CURATION BY HESHAM ABDELHAMID ILLUSTRATIONS BY KLAUDIA MIHALOVA

rom shows about being single which gave birth to character like Carrie Bradshaw to TV presenter Gail Porter’s bum being beamed on to the Houses of Parliament, the ‘90s were a pop culture treasure trove, culminating in the rise of Britpop and ‘Cool Britannia’ as the decade wore on. Let’s face it: We love the 90s.

the 90s were about much more than that. The reason all of us are so nostalgic when it comes to the 90s is because a lot of us were too young to actually enjoy it. Of course, we loved the style, the mentality and the whole package that comes with being a 90s kid, but most of us were just that: kids.

We were simply too young to fully enjoy the entire culture, we weren’t exactly ready Most of us millennials were born in the late to understand it all. So, looking back at this 80s and the 90s, the golden era, the mec- decade, now, we are truly shook – It’s just ca of existence. While we love the idea of too influential. alien crop tops and black stretchy chokers,

90s tv and films are incomparable. The decade had some of the best shows, and there’s nothing today that even compares to that success. Every show had a meaning and a life lesson takeaway for those who watched. Also, one word: Clueless. The go-to reference for 90s fashion; which is loud, bright, spunky and fun.

or text message because it lacks tone and emotion.

We didn’t think about what filter would look best on the sunset you’re watching with your friends because we didn’t worry about posting pictures. We were able to enjoy the moment, live in the moment and not worry about sharing it. We weren’t constantly checking up on everyone We weren’t following handheld cam- else, but instead, seeing if we could eras into the lives of young teenage keep our Tamagotchis alive. mothers; we were watching stories and narratives with substance and Alongside all of that, the thing we meaning. We were watching Rachel love the most is the sound of the and Ross’ epic love saga; we were 90s, the music. We’re no strangers watching Will Smith grow up in Bev- to the greatness the music industry erly Hills; we were watching Michelle held in the 90s, and not just in one Tanner struggle to grow up without genre. The 90s had the best music a mom. We would watch TV and al- across the charts. Boy bands made ways come away learning a valuable our young, bubbly, pop hearts beat life lesson. We weren’t just watching endlessly for Lance Bass and Justin a bunch of housewives fighting over Timberlake. Women were rocking a handbag or sex scandal. We were the charts and showing us anything learning about life from Tracy Beak- guys can do, girls can do just as er. great. Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey were belting The 90s were the very beginning out ballads and owning the charts. of the technological world. Steve Anyone who liked a little edge was Jobs had just gone back to Apple to rocking out to Nirvana, Blink-182 change the way we would see mp3 and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The players and phones forever. But, with rap industry had real rappers who such little technology, we were free. weren’t beefing over Twitter, like Tupac and the Notorious BIG. Gwen People would actually communicate Stefani was showing us punk rock with each other in person, or at least wasn’t just for guys, and there was call each other more on their house No Doubt girls could rock out with phones…until mum picked up from the boys. the kitchen and told us to go to bed. We didn’t text each other to catch up, and we didn’t have the drama of misunderstanding a Facebook post

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Thank you, 90s.

Lovefool – The Cardigans Hypnotize – The Notorious B.I.G. Freedom! 90 – George Michael Stop – Spice Girls Champagne Supernova – Oasis Torn – Natalie Imbruglia Fake Plastic Trees – Radiohead Independent Woman, Pt. 1 – Destiny’s Child Disco 2000 - Pulp

THANK YOU, 90s

90s music was filled with hope and pride, welcoming the new millennia with a true celebration. It was hard narrowing down the vibe of the 90s, but we got there. This playlist is filled with tunes that will give us that fuzzy nostalgic feeling.

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A LOOK BACK ON LONG LOST DESIGN TREASURE

YOLK MAGAZINE WORDS & CURATION: JYNI ONG

In the first half of the 1990s, before the term “cultural appropriation” was a widely understood concept, a group of 20-something Asian Americans were seeking to improve their visibility. Gathering together in Los Angeles’ media capital with two Macintosh LC’s (those old solid beige blocks of computers,) and an edition of QuarkXPress (otherwise known as InDesign’s greatgreat-grandma), a magazine priding itself on expressing unheard stories from the East and South-East Asian diaspora in the US was formed. That magazine, was Yolk.

one of a kind title in its celebration of Asian and Asian American identity, Yolk ran from 1994 to 2003. Since then, not a single publication has come close to rivalling its mantel for championing people of Asian descent. It was innovative in its art direction, experimental layouts and not to mention its original content. It featured interviews with highly visible film directors such as Ang Lee, to features on lesser-known creatives like Pedro Flores, the inventor of the Yo-yo. Yolk created a platform not only for Asian faces but for wide spanning editorial storytelling and cutting-edge graphic design, highlighting ten years of Asian creativity during a period of very little non-white representation in the mainstream media.

co-founder-come-creative director Tin Yen – a group of passion-filled creatives attempted to find a way of catapulting Asian faces into the mainstream. “I was magazine junkie,” said Tommy. “I would go to the newsstand and stare at tens of thousands of covers and I’d never see any Asian faces on any of them. Maybe only on stereotypical martial arts magazines, but everything in the mainstream like Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair never had Asians on their covers.” With this in mind, Tommy and Tin called a gathering, meeting their future colleagues that would become core members of Yolk’s team over the next ten years.

On one hand Yolk was a witness to some fraught hostility between the city’s ethnic groups, but on the other hand, the magazine’s plethora of stories also reveals how these communities have overlapped and interbred, producing new generations of hybrid cultures One of the first things decided was the that now form a composite part of LA’s social magazine’s name. It was Larry Tazuma, structure. Yolk’s managing editor, who had the lightbulb moment. He recalls: “I was For Tommy Tam, the lead visionary behind thinking about the colour yellow and Yolk, the publication started as a way how we could use it to empower to “discover my own identity,” he told ourselves. I wanted to turn it around ‘itsnicethat.com’ “Growing up in Mississippi into something that doesn’t sound so and Florida, I had a lot of identity issues.” negative.” Yolk’s name plays on the Tommy shares this experience with many of racial slurs that allegorise non-white his Yolk colleagues, not to mention millions people to food. There is a schoolyard of other ethnic minorities, assimilating into slander of likening East Asian people another culture as a way to feel less alone. to an egg – white on the outside and “But when I had the chance to go to college yellow on the inside – but Larry’s idea in California in 1987, that really opened emerged from forgetting the white my eyes,” he continues. “I saw there was a part completely in light of its vibrantly Chinatown and a Koreatown, and I started yellow yolk. to accumulate more Asian friends.” With these new friends – including Yolk’s other

“When I came up with the name Yolk the room sort of froze,” adds Larry. “Cats stopped meowing and we all just went ‘hey, let’s hang onto that’. From then on, we couldn’t get past it and the name stuck.” Prior to the magazine’s launch, Tommy and Tin had also been circulating a self-published Asian men’s calendar as an alternative attempt to publicise the Asian image. “They were trying to promote the Asian male image, presenting them as good-looking people that wasn’t seen in day-to-day life,” says Larry. And, after a decided focus on magazines instead of calendars, Yolk went onto further assess Westernised beauty standards through its editorial platform. One particularly popular article detailed the urban fallacy around “the Asian penis: the long and short of it”. Published in one of Yolk’s earliest issues, this kind of article established the magazine’s agenda for breaking stereotypical taboos. “The article was very topical as here was a magazine that was willing to talk about things that nobody else talked about,” explains Larry. Another article delved into “the whole Asians eating dog thing” and though “some people were upset and disgusted”, others were relieved to read unconventional and unapologetic stories from a different culture outside the tenets of white Eurocentrism. Despite different editorial angles, throughout Yolk’s run, it was playful in tone and layout throughout. If it’s witty article headings didn’t incur a slight internal chuckle – such as “For the new generasian”, “An Asian American woman’s response to ‘rice lovers’” and “Got rice?”, the publication’s outlandish design is sure to tickle readers’ design antennas. It is a credit to Yolk’s first one-man design team, Tin Yen, who started out his career as a graphic designer for the one-and-only Saul Bass. After four years under Saul, the designer brought his creative prowess to the spreads of Yolk, creating an iconic logo and masthead that could adapt thematically with every issue.

“We were all excited about how Yolk had a new look,” explains Tin. “We were constantly experimenting and pushing the envelope as far as photography, illustration and typography were concerned. It was just a really fun and creative time.” With the freedom to make the magazine anything they wanted, Tin emphasises: “We were free to just experiment. It’s one of those things where there was nothing to hold us back, everyone wanted to contribute something.”

day life,” says Larry. And, after a decided focus on magazines instead of calendars, Yolk went onto further assess Westernised beauty standards through its editorials. One particularly popular article detailed the urban fallacy around “the Asian penis: the long and short of it”. Published in one of Yolk’s earliest issues, this kind of article established the magazine’s agenda for breaking stereotypical taboos. “The article was very topical as here was a magazine that was willing to talk about things that nobody else talked about,” explains Larry. Another article delved into “the whole Asians eating dog thing” and though “some people were upset and disgusted”, others were relieved to read unconventional and unapologetic stories from a different culture outside the tenets of white Eurocentrism. Despite different editorial angles, throughout Yolk’s run, it was playful in tone and layout throughout. If it’s witty article headings didn’t incur a slight internal chuckle – such as “For the new generasian”, “An Asian American woman’s response to ‘rice lovers’” and “Got rice?”, the publication’s outlandish design is sure to tickle readers’ design antennas. I t is a credit to Yolk’s first one-man design team, Tin Yen, who started out his career as a graphic designer for the one-andonly Saul Bass. After four years under Saul, the designer brought his creative prowess to the spreads of Yolk, creating an iconic logo and masthead that could adapt thematically with every issue. “We were all excited about how Yolk had a new look,” explains Tin. “We were constantly experimenting and pushing the envelope as far as photography, illustration and typography were concerned. It was just a really fun and creative time.” With the freedom to make the magazine anything they wanted, Tin emphasises: “We were free to just experiment. We felt like nothing could hold us back.”

Back then in the 90s “everything was much slower” as expected in the pre-digital age. Nowadays, designers comparably take the speed of digitalisation for granted. But when Yolk first started, “everything was either fedex’d or physically transported” as there was no email. Despite this slowness, Tin still managed to “push the bar… we broke some rules but it was fun,” he adds.

Although some of Yolk is quite illegible with its overlapping variety of letterforms, it represents a part of design history that truly valued original eccentricity over accessibility – at times. Even more astonishingly, Tin would proof the magazine through four layers of physical film separated into its individual CMYK components. During pre-press, the designer would overlay the layers of traditional colour separation to proof how the page would look once litho printed. Unsurprisingly, the design process “took a lot longer than it does today,” says Tin. “It was painful. We used to use Photoshop 2.0 and we’d do a few things in the programme, then walk away for a while, and when we came back after some time, it had rendered.” Slow beyond belief compared to today, Tin would pull allnighters one or two days a week to comply with the pace of his Mac LC. Regardless of being time consuming, Tin goes on to say: “What I’m most proud of is the mix of photography, illustration and

typography that we mixed together. All the tools and talents of different people that made up the issues, along with the writers, created this synergy.” Drawing from a wide network of contributors, mainly other young Asian Americans that also wanted to be part of the conversation including art director Jeff Aguila and designer Ching Lau. As well as photographers Huey Tran, Shane Sato, and Jaimee Itagaki, the overall publication resulted into something bound to “no rules”. With “no bars” and an attitude of “just go with it”, Tin ensures: “We published our interpretation of a story” with unorthodox design decisions to match. With utterly fascinating stories, Yolk’s strengths also lay in recording significant moments in history for Asians in high status positions. Take for example an interview from 1998 with a Disney character designer ChenYi Chang. In the interview, he discusses a new animation that’s soon to be released. It’s based on an old Chinese folktale that is littleknown outside Asia: Mulan. Other articles delve deep into Hello Kitty’s headquarters, discuss Bruce Lee’s impact on Hollywood and explore mixed race identities; to name just a few. Alex Luu, Yolk’s longest standing editor, also caught up with us to discuss his favourite editorial features. Back in 1999, “when the Star Wars prequel came out,” Alex recalls, “I did some research and found out that the main design director for all three prequels is this Oscar-winning, Chinese-American guy, Doug Chiang!” He enthusiastically remembers his favourite articles as if it were yesterday, recollecting microscopic details from 20 years ago. In short, after a lot of research and as the result of a cold call, Alex secured a day out on Skywalker ranch, living out a childhood dream at George Lucas’ secret location. “It was the holy grail of everything I loved as a kid, it was so great.”

YOLK MAGAZINE: THE FACTS FINAL ISSUE NUMBER: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: BASED IN: CIRCULATION: FIRST ISSUE: FORMER EDITORS:

SANOE LAKE COVER, 2004; NO. 31 ALEX LUU ALHAMBRA 50,000 MARGARET CHO COVER, 1994 LARRY TAZUMA, PHILIP CHUNG, GEORGE JOHNSTON

In the last year alone, we’ve seen some profound developments in mainstream Asian representation. From the film Crazy Rich Asians (its significance was raised by every single one of the interviewees) to Sandra Oh being the first woman of Asian descent nominated for a best leading actress Emmy; it certainly seems as if things are advancing. And it’s not only in the film and TV industry, the founder and editor of Mold magazine LinYee Yuan comments on how Yolk was “critical” in leading to her career in magazines. “Reading the stories of creative, successful, and brilliantly unapologetic Asian Americans was inspirational for me as a first generation teenager growing up in Houston, Texas,” says LinYee, recalling her teenage years over the phone from New York. “More than that, it showed me how magazines could connect people through the magical alchemy of storytelling and graphic design.” Even though Yolk was nearly forgotten, remnants of its legacy are very much visible today. In terms of its design there are hoards of newly published magazines attempting to echo such a fresh, unbridled design. But more importantly, for Yolk’s readers, and for anyone else that came across the magazine, its very existence amongst all the other white faces on the newsstand, served a vital advancement in representation. By just being there, representing a marginalised group of mainstream society, Yolk improved the pursuit of fair representation to be what it is today. And though there is still a long way to go, LinYee sums up how one magazine can be everything: “It showed me how mere representation in a homogenous field can be both provocative, and empowering.”

YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK YOLK

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WORDS & CURATION: JOE THOMPSON

You have probably heard someone express one or more of these sentiments sometime in your life, whether it was your grandparents or your “90s baby” friend. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can be triggered by anything from a bite of cake to the stray soundtrack that pops up during a Spotify shuffle. Films are an amalgamation of all things nostalgic. The combination of music, fashions, language, setting and even hairstyles always take us back. Like let’s be honest, we all wanted to do the mash potato while watching Hairspray... Joe Thompson looks back at his top films that trigger that nostalgic fuzzy feeling!

BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS

NOSTALGIA THROUGH FILMS

ostalgia is often unreliable. When reminiscing on days gone by, we have a tendency to colour our memory the way we see fit. This is, of course, entirely natural. No one wants their joyful childhood memories tarnished by depressing adult revelations. This does, however, make our memories, particularly nostalgic ones, highly unreliable. When I look back on the summer of 2007, I remember endless sunny days riding my bike and playing football. When in reality it probably rained a lot. Policing our own fuzzy feelings of nostalgia is often difficult, how are we supposed to separate fact from fiction when looking back on our own ever unreliable consciousness? The truth is we can’t. Most people (myself included) are therefore content with leaving their rosy childhood memories unobstructed by miserable adult criticisms. The same ambiguity is not a luxury afforded to film. Unlike my warped memories of footballing glory, we can very much corroborate the status of our nostalgic memories of movies. We simply have to watch them again. Just how good is Superbad? I remember it being the funniest film I’d ever seen way back when in 2007. But unlike my rose-tinted memories of neverending summer holidays, I can actually go back and check on Superbad’s nostalgic status to see for myself if the film really is as good as my twisted teenage memory thinks it is. With that in mind, I’m taking a trip down memory lane to put some of my most revered childhood movies to the test. Did I really have dynamite taste in films when I was 11, or has my nostalgia-ridden brain been deceiving me for years? Let’s find out.

HOT FUZZ 2007

nlike most of the films on this list, I feel like I’ve seen a lot of Hot Fuzz over the last decade. Rarely do I get a chance to watch it in full, but as far as I can tell it seems to be the only film ever shown on ITV2. Whenever I flick past it on TV I can’t help but indulge myself in Edgar Wright’s classic, at least until the next ad break. Like an old friend you haven’t seen for a while, Hot Fuzz welcomes you back with open arms and a wry smile. This is without a doubt one of the most popular films of my childhood with everyone from teenagers to pensioners reveling in the majesty of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost chasing a violent swan through a field. The years have been kind to

the West Country cop caper with the sensational jokes landing just as hard as they did 12 years ago. In light of recent awards, it was particularly fun to see Olivia Colman delivering her iconic line ‘nothing like a bit of girl on girl’, whilst battering a knife-wielding assailant with a wet floor sign. Brilliant. What I thought then: I really like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, I wonder if they’ll make any other films together? What I think now: Probably the funniest British film ever made.

TRANSFORMERS 2007

rgh. Easily the film I am most ashamed to own on DVD. In my defence, at the time of release, I was an 11-year-old boy and therefore the exact target audience for Michael Bay’s exploding car fest of a film. Upon revisiting the blockbuster I was struck by a multitude of things that hadn’t occurred to me in my 11-yearold state. Firstly, this movie is LONG, like, ridiculously long. How anyone at Paramount justified a two-and-a-halfhour-long film about toys is beyond me. Secondly, the whole thing seems to be shot in orange and blue. Seriously, google it. The entire thing reeks of the mid-2000s blockbuster colour grade that dominated box offices and is thankfully no longer around. Thirdly, I’m not really sure I knew what ‘objectifying’ was when I was a kid, but

Transformers is genuinely a couple of shots away from being soft-core porn. Megan Fox is leered at by the camera in every conceivable way to the point of being extremely unsettling. Add to that the cheesy script, drawn out central premise and ludicrous set pieces and you have a film that really is best left as a long-forgotten memory. The only solace to take from this is that the recent Bumblebee reboot of the franchise has veered away from the ridiculous sexual gratification and shows that blockbusters are (slowly) making progress. What I thought then: Wow! Explosions! What I think now: Creepy, too long, shit.

SUPERBAD 2007

uperbad is, for many millennials, a defining film of the mid2000s. Heralding the arrival of such household names as Jonah Hill and Emma Stone this coming of age comedy cemented itself into pop culture with memorable characters and even more memorable lines. Competing with an onslaught of high school comedies at the time of release Superbad stood out from the crowd largely thanks to its central performances and its dismissal of traditional high school stereotypes. Lazy cliques are dismissed in favour of far more relatable and well rounded characters. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s now iconic script struck a chord with teens in 2007 and had them quoting “I am McLovin!” for years to come. Between Superbad and Juno (released within a fortnight

of each other) Micheal Cera was unquestionably the man of the moment and would go on to build a successful career off the back of Superbad’s success. His performance and the film as a whole remain entirely re-watchable 12 years on. Whilst the trademark toilet humour now feels slightly dated in a modern context the film is undeniably a time capsule of pre-smartphone teenagers. What I thought then: I can’t believe they put this many dick jokes in one film. What I think now: So, this is what we were like before social media!

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL 2008 After watching endless repeats of How I Met Your Mother on E4 I was predisposed to enjoy Jason Siegel’s goof-ish humour before seeing Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I remember enjoying it at the time, but I haven’t seen the film since I watched it on DVD at a friend’s house back in 2008. Revisiting this Nicholas Stoller directed flick for the first time was something of a strange experience. I had almost completely forgotten that we once lived in a world where Russel Brand was a movie star, seriously, an actual unironic Hollywood actor. Whilst Forgetting Sarah Marshall is definitely a stronger venture then 2010’s Get Him to the Greek I’m more inclined to enjoy Brand’s current musings as a YouTube political revolutionary then as a weird 00s sex symbol. The rest of the film its harmless enough, Siegel is likeable

as ever opposite a sharp Mila Kunis and brilliantly unhinged Kristen Bell. I vaguely remember the film being more shocking than it actually is, perhaps a sign of how far ‘R Rated’ comedies have come in the last decade. Overall a solid effort, but one that hasn’t lived long in the memory. What I thought then: This film is amazing, the jokes are so outrageous! What I think now: This film is fine, the jokes really aren’t that outrageous…

500

DAYS OF SUMMER 2009

“Just because she likes the same bizarre-o crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soul mate.” A line delivered with the utmost sincerity by a twelve-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz that is indicative of Marc Webb’s 500 Days of Summer. Something of an anti-romcom this film resonated with my teenage self like no other on this list. Perhaps it was the wistful determination of Zoey Deschanel or Joseph Gordon Levitt’s heartwarming fantastical dance number. Most likely it was the ever-present inclusion of The Smiths on the film’s soundtrack. Regardless, I loved this film as a kid and if possible I think I love it even more today. 500 Days of Summer was the first film outside of the blockbuster territory of Star Wars, Indiana Jones or James Bond to truly strike a nerve during my hapless youth. It was also one of the first films I found outside of the influence of my immediate family and friends, unequivocally making it my discovery and that much more

personal. I have seen it countless times since and it holds up beautifully even ten years on. Webb would go on to direct both Amazing Spider-Man films of the back of the film’s success, which proved to be something of a poisoned chalice in the grand scheme of comic-book films. For me, Webb was always more comfortable with ‘guy meets girl’ then he was ‘superhero meets supervillain’. That aside 500 Days of Summer remains, for me, a beautiful, quirky, heartfelt film that takes me back to my teenage years quicker than you can say BlackBerry Curve. It is, the rarest of things, pure nostalgia that lives up to my memory’s impossibly high expectations. And for that, I will always love it. What I thought then: So… this is what films can be. What I think now: In my completely unbiased opinion, a ‘perfect’ film.

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