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Black Mirror
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Author:  Hearthly [ Thu Jan 11, 2018 16:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Mimi wrote:
Cras wrote:
I liked this season a lot. Except for the Jodie Foster ep which was incredibly predictable.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism of this episode based on it suggesting that using emergency contraception causes/equates to terminating a pregnancy and what a dangerous message that is.


I didn't know this. It was only when I saw some of the kerfuffle about the episode that I looked into it and was like, 'Oh, I see'.

Author:  RuySan [ Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Both episodes 4 and 5 were the highlights for me, although I still haven't seen the last one.

Episode 4
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
was the feel good/San Junipero of the season. I enjoyed it a lot, and a The Smiths song makers everything better


I don't understand why the low opinions on episode 5
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
it was incredibly scary and tense. Pretty much terminator on steroids. The lack of overall setup and explanations make it even more nihilistic. The black and white helped a lot

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I feel like I'm missing something about Metalhead (ep 5); it's a standard
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
terminator
style story with nothing interesting or distinguishing about it and a suggestion of depth in place of any actual depth. It's also almost Prometheus-esque in terms of characters being fucking idiots.
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
They all obviously understood exactly how lethal and implacable the robots are yet this woman managed to talk two other people into going up against them for the sake of a fucking cuddly toy? And it's not just like they were risking their own lives, they also obviously knew about the tracker tech so they were risking the destruction of the entire community they came from if they'd accidentally led one of them back home. It's just...nonsense.

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I’ve now finished S4. I don’t agree it was worse than previous seasons. It was certainly different; it feels like Brooker is deliberately stretching the formula. That’s a good thing in my book. The Toast memorably summarised every Black Mirror episode as “what if phones, but too much?” [1] but that’s becoming less accurate as the show goes on.

[1] which Brooker found so funny he worked it into an episode.

Author:  Hearthly [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Bamba wrote:
I feel like I'm missing something about Metalhead (ep 5); it's a standard
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
terminator
style story with nothing interesting or distinguishing about it and a suggestion of depth in place of any actual depth. It's also almost Prometheus-esque in terms of characters being fucking idiots.
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
They all obviously understood exactly how lethal and implacable the robots are yet this woman managed to talk two other people into going up against them for the sake of a fucking cuddly toy? And it's not just like they were risking their own lives, they also obviously knew about the tracker tech so they were risking the destruction of the entire community they came from if they'd accidentally led one of them back home. It's just...nonsense.


Yes I pretty much agree with all of this but I saw one review that interpreted the episode as being about hope and optimism, the human spirit and all that stuff, that in the middle of such a grim wasteland, people would still go to so much effort for such a thing.

I didn't get any of that myself, and personally feel it is by far and away the single weakest Black Mirror episode across all the seasons and specials.

Author:  Cras [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I think it's pretty decent. The whole series is about what happens when hunanity's relationship with tech goes too far, and it's clearly done so here. Robotics hasn't really been touched so far so it's an obvious place for the show to go. It makes you think about strides we're making in automation, in remote drones, in AI, and asks whether you could ever write the parameters for a fully independent robot that wouldn't potentially end up in this scenario, where the bots become manhunters.

And then it tries to present the idea of trying to live a normal life, when man is no longer at the top of the food chain.

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Cras wrote:
It makes you think about strides we're making in automation, in remote drones, in AI, and asks whether you could ever write the parameters for a fully independent robot that wouldn't potentially end up in this scenario, where the bots become manhunters.

And then it tries to present the idea of trying to live a normal life, when man is no longer at the top of the food chain.


All of this is absolutely true, but it accomplished all of that--admittedly quite deftly--in about the first ten minutes and then does pretty much bugger all with the concepts after that. Concepts which are far from original going in. I kept hoping the ongoing chase would somehow bring us to a location that made more of the story but it just never happened. And the black and white presentation just seemed like a wanky affectation which doesn't help it's case. Taken altogether I'm happy calling it the weakest episode of BM to date purely because even the ones that weren't as well executed at least attempted a more interesting premise.

ETA: misspelling 'affectation' as 'affection' is a bit embarrassing!

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

The black and white was gorgeous. It was really superbly lit.

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
I’ve now finished S4. I don’t agree it was worse than previous seasons. It was certainly different; it feels like Brooker is deliberately stretching the formula. That’s a good thing in my book. The Toast memorably summarised every Black Mirror episode as “what if phones, but too much?” [1] but that’s becoming less accurate as the show goes on.

[1] which Brooker found so funny he worked it into an episode.


I wouldn't say it's weakest season overall; the massive variability between each episode makes comparisons at that level almost pointless I think. That said, after reviewing episodes list prior to typing this up, it certainly feels like there's been no real stand-out "Jesus fucking Christ, that's horrifying" episodes whereas the last season was stuffed full of them.

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 13:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
The black and white was gorgeous. It was really superbly lit.


I'm not saying it didn't look nice, just that it doesn't seem to have been done for any real reason; and given that filming in b&w can often just be a lazy shorthand for 'meaningful and considered' it counts against you in my book if you never then do much that's meaningful or considered.

Author:  markg [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I don't get why looking nice isn't reason enough. Perhaps they just preferred how it looked without colour.

Author:  Hearthly [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I didn't buy a colour telly to watch things in B&W. Ponces.

Author:  DavPaz [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Hearthly wrote:
I didn't buy a colour telly to watch things in B&W. Ponces.

You watched it in 720p though. Peasant

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

markg wrote:
I don't get why looking nice isn't reason enough. Perhaps they just preferred how it looked without colour.



Quote:
given that filming in b&w can often just be a lazy shorthand for 'meaningful and considered' it counts against you in my book if you never then do much that's meaningful or considered.

Author:  Cras [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I'd suggest it's intended more to be shorthand for bleak and dystopian rather than meaningful.

Author:  Doctor Glyndwr [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

DavPaz wrote:
Hearthly wrote:
I didn't buy a colour telly to watch things in B&W. Ponces.

You watched it in 720p though. Peasant

M-m-m-m-m-monster kill!

Author:  Bamba [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Cras wrote:
I'd suggest it's intended more to be shorthand for bleak and dystopian rather than meaningful.


That's no less lazy to my mind. And completely unnecessary; the bleak and dystopian setting and plot are more than enough to suggest bleak and dystopian in and of themselves.

Author:  Cras [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I find the UK often doesn't have the scenery for it. Bit too green and pleasant land.

Author:  DavPaz [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 14:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Cras wrote:
I find the UK often doesn't have the scenery for it. Bit too green and pleasant land.

You've obviously never been to Fleetwood

Author:  markg [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 15:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Fleetwood is very beautiful. You just need to stand on the beach and look at the Lake District (but ignore the nuclear power station).

Author:  DavPaz [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 15:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

markg wrote:
Fleetwood is very beautiful. You just need to stand on the beach and look at the Lake District (but ignore the nuclear power station).

I tease! In fact, I flew over Fleetwood in Google Earth VR last night. There's some funky shaped buildings down the coastline towards Blackpool

Author:  RuySan [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 17:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I think you'all are overthinking Metalhead. It was an incredibly tense and well directed episode. I found the robo-dog much scarier than either the xenomorph or Arnie in T1. Yes, it didn't explore many more complex issues like some other episodes, but that wasn't what the episode was about. Being minimalistic helped a lot, i think.

Author:  Pundabaya [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 17:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

markg wrote:
Fleetwood is very beautiful. You just need to stand on the beach and look at the Lake District (but ignore the nuclear power station).


Their Apple Store is top notch too.

Author:  Zardoz [ Fri Feb 02, 2018 18:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

DavPaz wrote:
I flew over Fleetwood in Google Earth VR last night.

I knew it wasn't a Blue Moon!

Author:  Grim... [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I've watched this all now.

Seemingly controversially, the Jodie Foster one (Arkangel) was my favourite of season 4.

White Bear is still my favourite of the entire series, though.

Author:  Cras [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Arkangel was incredibly predictable.

Author:  Grim... [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Did you see the birth control bit or the ending coming?

Author:  Grim... [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I saw your mother coming.

Author:  Grim... [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I've been drinking.

Author:  Cras [ Sat May 26, 2018 23:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Grim... wrote:
Did you see the birth control bit or the ending coming?


The ending

Author:  Grim... [ Thu Dec 27, 2018 23:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

New episode at midnight!

Author:  Hearthly [ Fri Dec 28, 2018 8:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I can't see anything new on Netflix.

Author:  myp [ Fri Dec 28, 2018 8:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Hearthly wrote:
I can't see anything new on Netflix.

You missed it. It was at midnight.

Author:  BikNorton [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 21:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

We tried, and given the topic and setting (I was 7 in July '84!) I was really enthusiastic, but gave up within about 20 minutes of linear story - the progress bar at the point we gave up was barely started - and from what we saw there's really no point selecting anything but the default option.

I might have a default-through after Helen's gone to bed one night but I doubt have much energy for it.

Author:  Grim... [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 22:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Wait, what?

Does it have cleverness?

Author:  Trooper [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 22:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

You know it's a multi-path choose your own adventure, no?

Author:  MaliA [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 22:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Like that tv series with Tony Robinson?

Author:  Hearthly [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 22:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I have just finished it and thought it was awesome, although I'd want it to be a daring one-off rather than a new model for Black Mirror or indeed telly/film in general.

It'll get another run off me (although the limitations are pretty clear even from just one), and I admire its audacity - even though I understood from the off that I was playing a digital version of the 'branching story books' from the 80s, the programme knows it's that as well so I was cool with it.

It worked 100% seamlessly on my XB1X, with no issues whatsoever (streaming/controls/ease of use).

All that said, let's just have it as a really cool 'one of'.

Author:  TheVision [ Sat Dec 29, 2018 22:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Yeah, I watched it and thought it was great. Just like a video game... In fact, exactly the same as a game called 'Late Shift' which I've recently played.

I watched it via the Xbox One and it was perfect. The controller rumbled every time you had to make a choice. Nice touch.

Author:  BikNorton [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 0:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

@hearthly it did a weird framing thing when we chose the wrong option too many times, but yeah, a good implementation.

However that seamlessness doesn't come without platform investment of the sort that is used once then left orphaned. I'm not suggesting more black mirror, but they must have one or two more for other demographics/markets before they bin it, I would've thought.

@thevision that tiny detail is the thing that really stood out for me. All the money in tech, CGI, scenery and props paid dividends, we just didn't like it.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
the fluidity of the animation on the player sprite in nosedive wound me up though. And I saw it a few times because I was seeing how obnoxiously wrong it's prepared to let you be (not very, even that early on)

Author:  TheVision [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 0:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I've just been playing Nohzdyve on an emulator. You can get it from here.

https://www.tuckersoft.net/ealing20541/nohzdyve/

Very clever!

Author:  DavPaz [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 0:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

There's a few interactive shows on Netflix currently. I went through a Puss in boots one with the kids.

My point is: it was probably Netflix that suggested it, not Brooker

Author:  Grim... [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 2:25 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Trooper wrote:
You know it's a multi-path choose your own adventure, no?

I do now.

Author:  Trooper [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 10:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Grim... wrote:
Trooper wrote:
You know it's a multi-path choose your own adventure, no?

I do now.


Then my work here is done.

It's taken 42 years of life experiences, everything has been leading up to this single moment. Every choice has led us both here, and at any point either of us could have messed up and missed a key option, but yet we did it!

Well done dude, I'm proud of you, I'm proud of me, I'm proud of us.

Author:  Cras [ Sun Dec 30, 2018 16:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

I thought this was very smart and cleverly done, but not massively entertaining.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
Then the show pre-empted me with the bit in the shrink's office about how if it was really a game it would be more entertaining! Smart.

Author:  Hearthly [ Mon Dec 31, 2018 16:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Someone flowcharted it all, because, of course they did.

SPOILERS obvs if you haven't seen it.

Attachment:
banders.png

Author:  Joans [ Mon Dec 31, 2018 20:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Dialup sound on bus. Now I feel old.

Author:  Grim... [ Wed Jan 02, 2019 22:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Joans wrote:
Dialup sound on bus. Now I feel old.

That wasn't dialup, that was a tape loading sound. I reckon you could load it.

Author:  TheVision [ Wed Jan 02, 2019 22:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

Grim... wrote:
Joans wrote:
Dialup sound on bus. Now I feel old.

That wasn't dialup, that was a tape loading sound. I reckon you could load it.


You can indeed. I think it's a link to the website so you can download that Nozedyve game.

Author:  Grim... [ Wed Jan 02, 2019 22:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Black Mirror

The author was played by Jeff Minter!

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