That's the one. Nasty drug. About as similar to MDMA as Buckfast is to Chateau Petrus.
Television Black Mirror | Season 6 out June 15th
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
That's the one. Nasty drug. About as similar to MDMA as Buckfast is to Chateau Petrus.
I gave Mephedrone a whirl at a festival once, never again
I never touch those new designer drugs, if they were any good they would have been mass produced and widespread.
Watched San Junipero
Wasnt really feeling it. Admittedly I spent a lot of the time second guessing it (rightly) which took a little of the intended sheen off, but I don't think it packed the punch it needed to anyway. I also felt the ending (the actual ending) was a bit damp.
The idea isn't bad, per say - if a little obvious by Black Mirror standards - but the nugget of profundity it found in there, it jettisons pretty quickly in favour of a 'nice' ending...
Not a great start. Thankfully I've got a whole 5 to go! It's like getting 2 series in one..
The idea isn't bad, per say - if a little obvious by Black Mirror standards - but the nugget of profundity it found in there, it jettisons pretty quickly in favour of a 'nice' ending...
Not a great start. Thankfully I've got a whole 5 to go! It's like getting 2 series in one..
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I had some at Las Fallas in Valencia a few years ago. It was great, just like a pill.
The buzz was pretty good, I'll admit, but the comedown!? feck me, I had to call in sick for 3 days to give myself ample time to question my entire existence.
I didn't have that, maybe you had a dodgy batch. Las Fallas is a pretty mental event and even better on something.My abiding memory of the vile stuff is sitting in a dingy club, unable to get both pupils looking in the same direction while being horrified at the smell of my own farts.
Get done with episode 1 and really like the performance from the main character, she really did a good job of being obnoxious yet likeable.
I quite liked the Meow Meow Beanz one. Dallas-Howard was very good. Could've done with a better ending but it was very well made and immersive.
Likewise Kurt & Goldie's sprog was excellent in Playtest, which was good fun, but probably one of the most thematically lightweight so far...
I need to ration them. I'm not sure it's something that should be binged. The best ones in previous series benefitted from a bit of digesting and discussion afterward. It's not disposable TV.
Plus I don't want to have no more Black Mirror to watch!
Likewise Kurt & Goldie's sprog was excellent in Playtest, which was good fun, but probably one of the most thematically lightweight so far...
I need to ration them. I'm not sure it's something that should be binged. The best ones in previous series benefitted from a bit of digesting and discussion afterward. It's not disposable TV.
Plus I don't want to have no more Black Mirror to watch!
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Didn't really enjoy e01. Premise was good and - as always - the dystopian near future was very believable. But the story left me cold, especially the last 20 minutes or so. Felt like a missed opportunity tbh.
Now you've gotta watch Meow Meow Beanz and see which is better. Its on Netflix. Community - S5e8 "App development & Condiments"...You're welcome!
Of the 4 ive now watched, I can't escape the feeling it's missing something.
Black Mirror is at its best when it deals with some underlying cynical point taken to its logical, but bonkers extreme. These seem to either have slightly less of a point to them, or don't run far enough with it. Though I'm not sure whether that's merely a numbing byproduct of binging them!
Of the 4 ive now watched, I can't escape the feeling it's missing something.
Black Mirror is at its best when it deals with some underlying cynical point taken to its logical, but bonkers extreme. These seem to either have slightly less of a point to them, or don't run far enough with it. Though I'm not sure whether that's merely a numbing byproduct of binging them!
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I liked the first one despite worrying that the piano loop was gonna drive me insane during the first 5 minutes.
Speaking of which I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't do the cheesy Hollywood ending I was kind of (but not really) expecting.
Bryce Howard was indeed excellent. That fkin laugh
I suppose I better watch meow meow supercats now.
Speaking of which I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't do the cheesy Hollywood ending I was kind of (but not really) expecting.
Bryce Howard was indeed excellent. That fkin laugh
I suppose I better watch meow meow supercats now.
Yeah, I'm trying not to binge watch for that reason.
And just in case people think some of these concepts are a bit 'out there', check out what these idiots did...in Ameri..China...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-34592186
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-34592186
I wrote in one of the threads that I was worried after the trailer that one of the episodes would be the same as the community episode and it was exactly the same. Don't get me wrong it was done well, a well developed story, taken to its logical conclusion, although I would have liked more screen time for those who had rejected the rating system, still it was a good episode but given it wasn't in any way fresh or innovative
Episode 2, I thought was great, I really enjoyed the episode and thought the mental breakdown was really really well done, very well acted as well, it was genuinely hard to keep guessing what was reality. The only reservation would be it may have been one twist too many as the final twist suggests the he was aware that he was about to die by his mum ringing him as he tries to stop it and I don't understand why he would know that.
I thought the mum part was just his biggest fear rather than awareness he'll die
Watched the first two episodes and they were decent. As people said the first has kind of been done but was still interesting and made me cringe with how accurate parts of it were. Second one was good but also thought it was one twist too many. Trying not to binge them as well.
Yes I thought so too and that's why I put one twist too many because the scene moves on from that, because he starts screaming when his mum starts dialling on the phone, implying he knows what will happen
I just thought he screamed because the phone ringing scrambled his brain and his worst fear was his mum. I don't think he was aware he was about to die. Everything we saw in the episode happened to him in about 1 second in his brain.
I've just watched it back again to check, and I think you're right, obviously his worst fear is dealing with his mum, he's been travelling the world to avoid her, he makes a little look towards the phone which on first viewing I thought was a realisation of what was happening, but after watching it again its probably just him screaming his biggest fear as he starts to lose control in the real world, it just coincides with when she is dialling in his fear. I think he did know he was dying though, but it just isn't related to the dialling, its just the last four seconds of his fear when he starts screaming, as you say its very brief, 4 seconds in the real world the episode.
You know like in a horror movie when you think this is just stupid and unrelatable because the central character is doing things which make no logical sense, for the duration of the episode it made no sense to me why he was going along with what he was being told for something so small, so the end itself which brought to light why he was doing that was great, in general end was top, radiohead and everyone realising they are fecked and all these things they have spent the day doing haven't saved them, and its vintage black mirror the way it deals with a very twenty first century issue such as powerful online, anonymous organisations but takes is to extremes, I think someone said something along those lines earlier in here, about thats what black mirror should be and I think this episode was the most like that. Most of the episode was just good but the ending was great.
Was he actually looking at kids or were they just saying that? Seemed to me all they had was him wanking which didn't make much sense as to why he'd comply when it was so small. If that was me I'd tell them to post it, wouldn't give a shit.
Yeah he was actually looking at kids, they just left the reveal to a relatively garbled phone call in the last couple of minutes for impact which I think they did brilliantly. All the way through I was sympathising with him, he may have robbed a bank but he pissed himself doing it, the murder was in self defence, and then they revealed that which makes you really think about the moral implications of having sympathised with someone for the duration then realise he has these terrible impulses, that episodes stayed with me more than the other two. They did signpost it a bit earlier when he is about to have the fight to the death when the other guy says something along the lines of 'how young? me too.' And thinking back now the scene that the little girl forgets her toy in the restaurant is a bit creepy and putting a lock on his door because his sister keeps borrowing his laptop seemed over the top at the time.
The first 2 episodes reminded me why this is the best show around. Wouldn't put them among the best of BM, but still quite amazing.
I really don't want to binge all of them, but it will be (too) hard to resist.
I really don't want to binge all of them, but it will be (too) hard to resist.
Watched the first, Nosedive was it, with Bryce Dallas Howard Dallas or whatever she's called. Didn't feel right. Dragged in places. 4/10 for me. The the last third was entertaining. First time I've watched a Blackmirror and thought I was bored. Hope it picks up from here.
Liked Men against Fire. It had a proper point to it...
Shut Up and Dance, which (like Playset) was some good, unclean fun...
Only one more to watch - Hatred of the Nation, which from what I've read, seems like a worth BM concept.
Even if it was a crushingly obvious one, it was thematically what Black Mirror does best...Though it probably didn't need to be just over an hour, and again, maybe could've had a tighter ending..
Nice titular allusion too...https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Men_Against_Fire.html?id=rzLxoITDhQQC&redir_esc=y&hl=en
Seen nothing yet to challenge White Bear, National Anthem or The Entire History of You, which for me are amongst the best telly of the decade, but this has come the closest so far as a thinkpiece.
Nice titular allusion too...https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Men_Against_Fire.html?id=rzLxoITDhQQC&redir_esc=y&hl=en
Seen nothing yet to challenge White Bear, National Anthem or The Entire History of You, which for me are amongst the best telly of the decade, but this has come the closest so far as a thinkpiece.
Shut Up and Dance, which (like Playset) was some good, unclean fun...
..conversely suffered a bit from not really having a point. Yeah it was a nice reveal that he'd been looking at kids, but so what? Was the point that trolling has no point?
Not every Black Mirror needs to have a deep, soul searching lesson or anything, but this season has certainly been less thought provoking than usual. Probably the result of doubling the episodes, tbf. Especially as Charlie seems to have had a hand in all of them...Which is no mean feat.
Not every Black Mirror needs to have a deep, soul searching lesson or anything, but this season has certainly been less thought provoking than usual. Probably the result of doubling the episodes, tbf. Especially as Charlie seems to have had a hand in all of them...Which is no mean feat.
Only one more to watch - Hatred of the Nation, which from what I've read, seems like a worth BM concept.
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Loved the San Junipero episode. Would be in my top 5 TV episodes from this year.
San Junipero would be in my top 1 TV episodes from this year
San Junipero was brilliant.
I thought San Junipero was a wonderful episode, very well put together and hit all the right notes. Maybe not the most groundbreaking thing ever, but just pretty much perfect in what it set out to achieve. And gorgeous looking.
I've watched 4 so far:
- Nosedive was ok, I thought Bryce Dallas Howard was excellent in it, but it didn't quite pack the punch I would have expected and I felt it was a bit phoned in; but quite good still to get the ball rolling on the new season, and great aesthetics;
- Playtest I really didn't like, I found it boring and was often looking at my mobile; maybe I'll have to give it another shot;
- Shut up and dance worked very well for me, great chemistry between the two main characters and the kid was portrayed just pathetically enough for the reveal to work really well;
- San Junipero: see above; I love Mackenzie Davis, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw is gorgeous.
2 more left, probably for tomorrow
Even though it's hit and miss, it's good to have such a show around.
I've watched 4 so far:
- Nosedive was ok, I thought Bryce Dallas Howard was excellent in it, but it didn't quite pack the punch I would have expected and I felt it was a bit phoned in; but quite good still to get the ball rolling on the new season, and great aesthetics;
- Playtest I really didn't like, I found it boring and was often looking at my mobile; maybe I'll have to give it another shot;
- Shut up and dance worked very well for me, great chemistry between the two main characters and the kid was portrayed just pathetically enough for the reveal to work really well;
- San Junipero: see above; I love Mackenzie Davis, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw is gorgeous.
2 more left, probably for tomorrow
Even though it's hit and miss, it's good to have such a show around.
Interesting. I was very underwhelmed by San junipero. Thought it copped out of committing to its most poignant point, and was laboriously telegraphed.
But then the beauty of BM is that everyone has a very different idea of what works and what doesn't. I've yet to see a ranked list of episodes that's even remotely similar.
But then the beauty of BM is that everyone has a very different idea of what works and what doesn't. I've yet to see a ranked list of episodes that's even remotely similar.
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Tbh, for me for Charlie Brooker went downhill after he quit doing Screen Burn for the Guide in the Guardian- never felt he translated over to TV, despite his obvious writing talent.
So, he went downhill from his first big gig? Bit harsh....Not even Nathan Barley?
San Junipero was a very weird episode, it just didn't feel like a black mirror episode to me, it was less dystopian than usual. It reminded me more of a film someone like Rachel Mcadams would star in than anything else. Having said that, the visuals were fantastic and I was weighing up would that life be good, the whole brain in a vat argument, I just thought it was a nice love story with not enough edge.
I can see why San Junipero is getting mixed reviews because I thought it really straddled the line between good and bad.
The first 20 minutes it just didn't grab me at all and I cared little for its mystery, eventually it sort of got me on board and I was kinda there with it and then it chucked it away with its ending.
The first 20 minutes it just didn't grab me at all and I cared little for its mystery, eventually it sort of got me on board and I was kinda there with it and then it chucked it away with its ending.
I really enjoyed San Junipero but more so for the great cinematography and the way it referenced the times it sent us to as well as the two leads, opposed to the actual BM premise behind it. I didn't really feel like a typical BM episode especially after the grim-ness that was Shut Up & Dance.
I actually thought the BM concept being San Junipero was the best of the lot. It was also the only hour long episode which did not feel too long for me. One of my other favorites BM episodes is Be Right back, which hits some what similar tones, a very simple concept with complex human emotions entangled around it.
I knew its ending won't be for everyone, definitely different to any other BM ending but -
I knew its ending won't be for everyone, definitely different to any other BM ending but -
The joyous beginning of after life by the two gals is contrasted by the actual physical state of their conscious, a small piece in a large server farm.
I thought Nathan Barley was funnier when Brooker was doing his TVGoHome website, pre-Guardian I think.
Like I say, I just prefer his print stuff, although his ScreenWipe reviews of the year were funny.
http://www.tvgohome.com/
I'm going to struggle to put my feelings about the ending into words but Ill give it a go.
I felt like it was trying to be over clever. Instead of giving you the 'happy' ending of them spending their eternity together or the 'sad' ending of her wanting to be with her family it felt like they were trying to go for an ending that left you questioning whether it was a happy or a sad ending and whether 'heaven' was a good thing or not. But in the end it just felt like it hit a bum note with me, failing to do anything it set out to and leaving me confused about the sudden change of heart with little explanation.