Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker)

[CaptainWacky]

Charlie Brooker, the writer of E4's Dead Set, returns with a suspenseful, satirical three-part mini-series that taps into collective unease about our modern world.

Starts tonight on Channel 4!

Look here's Charlie talking about things with a bad photo: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-12-04/charlie-brooker-on-black-mirror,-twitter-and-the-media

 

[whisky]

I'm about to go to bed and cant be arsed to go downstairs to set the skybox, is there a repeat?

 

[Fuddlemiff]

You can always watch it on 4OD.

Watching it now... pretty good so far!

 

[CaptainWacky]

I liked it.

One of the characters said "bibble" at one point.

 

[whisky]

I shall look out for it.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Yeah, it was pretty good. Well filmed, good, straight-faced acting, some amusing deadpan dialogue. It felt quite similar to Dead Set in terms of mood and stylisation, which is understandable and welcome.

 

[CaptainWacky]

I'm not really sure what the point of the high pitched tone before the broadcast was. No one was going to change the channel just because of that (I guess they were desperate.)

 

[FBI parte due]

ENCRYPTED IP ADDRESS

 

[FBI parte due]

I liked it.

It seemed kind of schizophrenic, though. I felt like it wasn't clear whether the show was supposed to be a serious "five minutes into the future"-type drama or just a deadpan satire about OMG NEW MEDIA. Maybe that was the point though?

 

[CaptainWacky]

The next episode is co-written by Konnie Huq, so it'll be nothing but biting political commentary all the way!

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Featuring a scene where protesters attempt to wrestle the Olympic Torch from a petite childrens television presenter, but she manages to fend them all off, with a finishing move of impaling one assailant with the pointy end of the torch, while ramming another's face into the broiling flames.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Then getting fired from The X-Factor.

 

[CaptainWacky]

SO that was good. The production values were quite impressive with the Miis. It was quite convicing (probably with a limited budget.) I liked the absolute arsehole on the bike next to him. The main two were very good and Rupert Everett, Julia Davis and the other guy were perfect as the judges. Great "fuck you" speech. I thought they might end with some glimmer of hope or many show Bing and Abit meeting again, but no, no hope at all! I liked it!

 

[FBI parte due]

The ending seems kind of autobiographical on Charlie Brooker's part.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

I thought that too, as did the girl's fate, as we all know Konnie (or Kanak) Huq is destined for a future in porn.

It's a shame there are only three of these... typical British tv! Something excellent comes along, but it's only excellent because it's so short.

 

[FBI parte due]

Also, I'm pretty sure the local Y has about 20 of that same model of exercise bike bolted to the floor in one of their classrooms, so some pretty clever budget-stretching there!

 

[CaptainWacky]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/11/charlie-brooker-2011-season-finale

(Nothing to do with Black Mirror!)

 

[CaptainWacky]

SO this week's was good too. It had interesting ideas and some disturbing scenes (the sex replay.) The tension kept ramping up and I thought he was going to kill the wife and baby at the end as it was getting so intense. BUT I didn't find it as engaging as the others as the lead character was completely unlikable. Yes, he was right about his wife cheating, but still, what a dick.

 

[FBI parte due]

It was very Peep Show - nobody is likable and everybody is ruining everybody else's life.

I think it was definitely the most believable of the three (technology aside).