See More. Be More. Know More. [Black Mirror]

Nuzak

black mirror is a paranoid TV show by charlie brooker and other really good writers, all about modern technology and how it affects society. it's a bit like the Twilight Zone but now everyone's on facebook. it's 3 episodes a season, each set in their own bitter world. last season was about modern media forcing the British prime minister to fuck a pig on live tv, a talent show distracting people from their lives of pointlessly cycling on exercise bikes, and a sky+ box enabling people to relive their memories over and over and over and over again in excruciating detail.

it's bleak and engaging, and it's back on air next week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5AKVtvkdc

the first episode is about a woman recreating a data copy of her dead partner from his internet history, like a twitter bot but more so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld9m8Xrpko0

who wants to talk about this show? or the fact that they are sitting in a room staring at a screen and realising that their life can be summed up by a small indestructible data file somewhere on the web before attempting to distract yourself with short videoclips of things you will never experience or interaction with people in countries you have never visited

Tube

Any word on who's writing which episodes?

Nuzak

wiki says charlie brooker is behind them all, i assume that's a placeholder. imdb reckons the first episode at least is brooker's. i liked his episode last season but he clearly benefited from working with konnie huq on the second episode.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

darleysam

Just seen this starts on Monday (11th), and it'll be on Channel 4 at 10pm like last time. Plan accordingly.

Tube

Nuzak wrote: »

wiki says charlie brooker is behind them all, i assume that's a placeholder. imdb reckons the first episode at least is brooker's. i liked his episode last season but he clearly benefited from working with konnie huq on the second episode.

That seems like an odd take given that it's the first thing she's ever written for anything ever. While his solo episode was probably the weakest for me, I wouldn't go so far as to assume that it was Konnie who pulled his shit out of the fire.

Virgil_Leads_You

Neon Bible is a good album.

Langly

Oghulk wrote: »

This sounds really good and like something right up my alley. Where does it air?

In Britain land, so not for us

Fyndir

So, aim to fall asleep by 9:59pm Monday night so that no spoilers, then straight onto the computer when I wake up the next morning to get it on 4OD.

This plan has no flaws.

Peter Ebel

I only saw the first episode. I should watch more.

Travan

Oh my god YES.

I'd given this show up for dead after the first season wrapped up and there wasn't much movement for months. This made my goddamn day.

chidona

Tube wrote: »

Nuzak wrote: »

wiki says charlie brooker is behind them all, i assume that's a placeholder. imdb reckons the first episode at least is brooker's. i liked his episode last season but he clearly benefited from working with konnie huq on the second episode.

That seems like an odd take given that it's the first thing she's ever written for anything ever. While his solo episode was probably the weakest for me, I wouldn't go so far as to assume that it was Konnie who pulled his shit out of the fire.

You really thought the second episode was the weakest? Fair enough, but I honestly thought it was the strongest; the lead actor put on a really strong performance throughout, and I was really the digging the aesthetic of it all. The last one was a bit weaker for me, it just felt like a rather standard drama with some techno stuff stuck on.

I'm really looking forward to the series opener tomorrow, the trailers seem to have just the right ambience. Even if its a little weak, it's so different to anything else on TV that its a right treat.

interrobang

i am super stoked for this

"The Entire History of You" was some of the most harrowing shit i saw on television all last year

Tonkka

This looks really depressing.

I think I'll go stab myself in the leg instead.

-Tal

damn this show throws dark

Legba

I heard about this. On one hand it sounds pretty great, on the other I'm terrible with horror and would probably brick myself watching. So...

Peter Ebel

It's not so much horror. This is despair. In a way, watching it is committing the ultimate sin.

interrobang

yeah it's not scary at all

it's just bleak, dark, and bitingly critical of modern society

Nuzak

the last episode had a really good premise, i was just disappointed by the lack of follow-through. i really liked the little touches, like the airport security rifling through his memories, but the relationship drama stuff was a bit basic. i was hoping for a twist, like the entire episode was a playback by a much older liam endlessly re-watching himself fuck up, or something.

Fyndir

interrobang wrote: »

yeah it's not scary at all

it's just bleak, dark, and bitingly critical of modern society

I would ammend that to say that it is perfectly possible to watch it and be scared for the future of society, in the same way that watching good Horror makes you scared of the dark/the forest/the attic/etc.

cj iwakura

This kind of sounds like Serial Experiments Lain.

Dessart

http://youtu.be/Ee9U9VjjuPA

Legba

Okay, bleak I can deal with. And a Twilight Zone comparison is the fastest way into my heart. I'll check this out.

Lost Salient

I have had that song stuck in my head since I saw this thread.

Also I love the Twilight Zone but I am having trouble watching TV, as usual.

Mr Bubbles

This episode was pretty depressing.

Nuzak

jesus christ

interrobang

Mr Bubbles wrote: »

This episode was pretty depressing.

the end segment

just

goddamn

Gatsby

Holy shit. Well.

That could've been worse.

Bleak and sad as all hell but @Melding (who I was live blogging my reactions to) thought it was going to end in a much more depressing and gruesome fashion.

Here are some choice quotes from our experience (spoilered for h-scroll)

[12/02/13 8:39:24 PM] Gatsby: and she's begun the IMing stage
[12/02/13 8:39:36 PM] Gatsby: one IM in and it's already mastered sarcasm
[12/02/13 8:40:06 PM] Gatsby: ohhhh fuuuck
[12/02/13 8:40:23 PM] Gatsby: she just told it she's gonna be pregnant and it responded naturally
[12/02/13 8:40:40 PM] Gatsby: "I wish I was there with you."
[12/02/13 8:40:55 PM] Melding: "but i can't, because i'm dead. and now a robot. a dead robot"
[12/02/13 8:41:01 PM] Gatsby: "Beep. Boop."
[12/02/13 8:41:18 PM] Melding: "Microchipsss"
[12/02/13 8:41:40 PM] Gatsby: "Does this unit have a soul? Haha I'm just fucking with you."

[12/02/13 8:47:58 PM] Gatsby: aaand she's nearly had a breakdown after she dropped and broke her phone talking to it
[12/02/13 8:48:23 PM] Gatsby: she's apologising to it
[12/02/13 8:48:28 PM] Gatsby: haha
[12/02/13 8:48:32 PM] Gatsby: "I'm in the cloud."
[12/02/13 8:48:44 PM] Melding: did, did that seriously happen?
[12/02/13 8:48:51 PM] Gatsby: did it say that? yes
[12/02/13 8:48:56 PM] Melding: amazing

[12/02/13 8:49:23 PM] Gatsby: oh god she's working up to the next tier
[12/02/13 8:49:33 PM] Gatsby: oh god it's a robot I think
[12/02/13 8:49:41 PM] Gatsby: oh fuck she's gotten a huge package
[12/02/13 8:49:50 PM] Melding: i'm back in
[12/02/13 8:50:12 PM] Melding: "just like one of my japanese animes!"
[12/02/13 8:50:15 PM] Gatsby: IT'S A ROBOT HIM
[12/02/13 8:50:20 PM] Gatsby: WITH SKIN
[12/02/13 8:50:23 PM] Gatsby: FUCK
[12/02/13 8:50:34 PM] Melding: what the fuck kind of company is this?
[12/02/13 8:50:40 PM] Gatsby: I don't fucking know!
[12/02/13 8:50:59 PM] Melding: shouldn; there be some kind of psyc evalution before that?
[12/02/13 8:51:05 PM] Gatsby: it's still in beta
[12/02/13 8:51:07 PM] Gatsby: remember
[12/02/13 8:51:07 PM] Melding: how do you have robots with skin with a program still in beta?

[12/02/13 9:03:45 PM] Gatsby: oooohh shiiiit it was her sister
[12/02/13 9:03:48 PM] Gatsby: not friend
[12/02/13 9:03:54 PM] Gatsby: clever, show. Clever.
[12/02/13 9:04:25 PM] Melding: how is that clever?
[12/02/13 9:04:45 PM] Gatsby: because it's never mentioned once up until then
[12/02/13 9:04:52 PM] Gatsby: so we assume he's asking a genuine question about her friend
[12/02/13 9:05:09 PM] Gatsby: and she realises this robot is not actually her boyfriend if he can't recognise her sister
[12/02/13 9:05:55 PM] Melding: oh, now i'm sad

Nuzak

it was hinting at a more violent, cliche ending and i'm glad it didn't go there and went for something more disturbing.

Mr Bubbles

The Guardian are reporting that Hollywood has bought the rights to 'The Entire History Of You'.

Mr Bubbles

Robert Downey Jr, specifically, it seems.

wayward

I've loved all of these so far, and I was just thinking during last night's offering that Charlie Brooker should really get into films. I'd love to see a collaboration with Ben Wheatley.

Then, Robert Downey Jr has acquired the rights to The Entire History Of You.

Tommy2Hands

this looks like my type of show

how many rapists are choked out in the first episode??

Mr Bubbles

The British Prime minister has sex with a pig, then vomits.

Fyndir

interrobang wrote: »

Mr Bubbles wrote: »

This episode was pretty depressing.

the end segment

just

goddamn

I was so confused.

At the "extra slice" thing. I thought they meant an extra slice for later as a treat or something...and I guess they sort of did but that wasn't really what they meant.

wayward

Also, I somehow accidentally started watching this with audio description for the blind on, and spent a good couple of minutes wondering whether it was part of the premise of the episode.

Mr Bubbles

Brooker just tweeted the trailer for the next episode.

It looks like Resident Evil 4, with smartphones.

http://t.co/2W8V506l

Tube

Episode 2 is ok so far. The first few minutes were great until the introduction of Tough White Girl who seems to be overplaying everything.

Tube

Actually having just heard the explanation for the premise I am tentatively declaring this episode to be toss

Nuzak

wait for it

Tube

Well the twist explained some of my problems (the bad acting, the white girl being too well made up, the same two hunters appearing constantly) and replaced the existing preposterous plot with one that is possibly even more preposterous.

Over all the concept has the makings of a ten minute long horror short ala The Lottery and didn't stretch to 40 minutes. Definitely the weakest piece of writing I've seen from Charlie Brooker, who I'm a big fan of.