Charlie Brooker Black Mirror

[Pindar]

TheGodBen wrote:

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The humour appears very similar to Police Squad/The Naked Gun, but it just seems off somehow.

He says that was part of his inspiration in an interview.

[Bob The Skutter]

Another trailer for A Touch of Cloth.

[HappyDayRiot]

I like the look of this a lot. One week to go!

[Bob The Skutter]

Black Mirror series 2 starts on the 11th of February. The trailer is very creepy.

[trekkiedane]

Thanks for posting! -it reminded me that I still hadn't seen the first series

[Bob The Skutter]

The first series is on 4oD still if you haven't seen it yet.

Here's a trailer for the first episode

[Starkers]

I definitely like the look of the first one...

[CaptainWacky]

I LIKED IT BETTER WHEN IT WAS CALLED CAPRICA.

(I'm sure it'll be good.)

[Bob The Skutter]

So anyone watch? I thought it was a good episode but what was that ending? Weird is what it was.

Oh and in some other weird news, Robert Downey Jr. has bought the rights to make a film of "The Entire History Of You" from the first series.

[TheGodBen]

I thought the episode was okay, but it kinda went a bit too far when not-Ash became "real". For the first half-hour it seemed like the story was taking place 10-20 years in the future, then there were suddenly replicants. I'd say it was actually my least favourite episode so far, although it was still enjoyable enough.

As for The Entire History of You, it was my favourite episode of the previous series, so a feature version of it should be cause for celebration. But it's Hollywood, so my initial reaction was that they'll probably butcher it and change it from being a story of mundane horror into some sort of cop story. Then I read this:

For the film version, the story will be set in a near future where technology that allows users to re-experience past events, and follow a man who reconstructs his relationship to his dead wife - from her point of-view - and unknowingly uncovers a vast conspiracy.

Wunderbar.

[Starkers]

I quite liked it, in particular the first half, thought it was a great performance by Atwell, but when it went from plausible near future to Blade Runner I felt it lost its way somewhat, which is a shame. That said the ending redeemed it somewhat for me, the notion of things being put in the attic nicely foreshadowed it, and I thought it was an interesting allegory for the life of a lot of modern fathers who are no longer with their wives; the kid only getting to see them at weekends and special occasions.

In a way I wish Brooker had cut out some of the sex scenes (not that I'm prudish I just didn't see much point apart from fake Ash being great in the sack when real Ash was a bit rubbish) and spent more time with the family unit. I mean, whilst the mother knows this person isn't Ash, from the daughter's perspective he's her dad, and is a fake representation of him better than just a few old photos? Like I say it would have been interesting to take that a little further.

I'm afraid The Entire history of You was my least favourite of the three, nice idea but done with such a lack of empathetic characters that frankly I didn't give a shit about any of them. The one with the PM and the pig was the worst idea of the three, but it was better, in my eyes, because I could at least feel some connection to the characters. So for me Downey's version sounds like it might be more fun to watch

[Bob The Skutter]

I don't know about it being the worst idea per se. The idea was about how much of life is focus group and opinion poll driven, and how they can get away with some awful things if they can sell it right to the public. The actual shagging a pig distracted from the point of the episode.

[Starkers]

Oh I agree, though I still found it a stretch that everyone watched it. Perhaps I'm naive but I don't think they would, I mean there are all sorts of horrible things out there you can find if you go looking for it, but on the whole people don't, or at least I don't.

Heck I never even looked up the Harry/Kate pics last year

[Bob The Skutter]

No, but it was broadcast on every TV network. Much harder to ignore than the stuff you'd have to actively look for. Also there was a huge public interest in the safety of the Princess.

[HappyDayRiot]

Bob The Skutter wrote:

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So anyone watch? I thought it was a good episode but what was that ending? Weird is what it was.

She put 'Ash' up in the attic, the same place his mother had put all the photos of his father and brother up in the attic when they died.

I did really like this one though I'd agree that it maybe went a bit too far with the concept in bringing a robot doll avatar to life. The rest doesn't seem like something that's quite so far away or impossible.