It will appears on Netflix on 21st October. Six episodes!
Here's the trailer;
http://youtu.be/THP9YQ3WT1k (http://youtu.be/THP9YQ3WT1k)
Looks very good! :)
Now on Netflix, enjoy the first episode "nosedive" - about social rate, sort of 'like' on those social tweets, photos etc. Brutal but can see that happens next few years!
Will watch next episode later
Watched the first three so far, all of such high quality, episode two's 'virtual reality' video game one is particularly excellent.
All, so far, have been thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking.
Glad to hear that Netflix have already picked it up for another series. :)
"Shut Up and Dance with Me" was amazing. It was very John Wagner script-wise and the twist was chilling. My favourite since the wonderfully dark "White Bear" of Season 2.
I've enjoyed all three I've seen so far; the very last shot of PLAYTEST being my favourite part so far. SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME was good but left me with more questions than answers (and I'm talking about plot mechanics rather than philosiphical) but it's NOSEDIVE that's winning so far for me. Possibly because it had a (relatively) upbeat ending but just because what seems on the nose actually has lots of layers.
We watched SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME last night. Well that was fucking grim eh? Loved it.
Number 4 - San Junipero last night.
Another good [spoiler]virtual reality [/spoiler]tale that quickly spins off into some nice philosophical questions about the nature of Heaven and/or Hell.
But this can't be right, it had [spoiler]an out and out happy ending[/spoiler].
During the second half I was wondering "Is that awesome old age makeup or completely different actress(es)?"
FUUUUCK. Just saw Playtest and it was nasty. I'd actually say I think Brooker's tightest script to date - most of his Black Mirror episodes require a couple of big logic leaps in order to work but this unfolded brilliantly. Wyatt's naturalistic tone was amazingly absorbing and the ending was quite genuinely harrowing. Very strong.
It was a really good run of episodes that, although it maybe didn't grab me in quite the same way the previous series did for some reason. Would probably put San Junipero as my favourite of the bunch, but Nosedive and Playtest were both fantastic too.
My one gripe is that in some of the episodes we'd guessed the twists long before the reveal ([spoiler]Within about 10mins of San Junipero I figured they were elderly people either in comas or terminally ill, we figured that kid in the blackmail one must have been doing something much worse than just having a wank, and in the military 'roach' one the perception idea was seen coming a mile off[/spoiler]). It didn't spoil it exactly, because the quality was so high that they weren't exactly dependent on the twists. It just felt a little like those reveals were supposed to have more weight than they maybe did for us.
Also, thought the last episode was the least interesting of the bunch, so felt odd that it was feature-length. It was okay, just didn't seem to warrant the extended running time. Other than that a really good series! Still nothing quite as exciting as the finale to Fifteen Million Merits, or as disturbing as The Entire History of You (which is still the most frightening episode they've done in my eyes).
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 09 November, 2016, 10:51:58 AM
My one gripe is that in some of the episodes we'd guessed the twists long before the reveal ([spoiler]Within about 10mins of San Junipero I figured they were elderly people either in comas or terminally ill, we figured that kid in the blackmail one must have been doing something much worse than just having a wank, and in the military 'roach' one the perception idea was seen coming a mile off[/spoiler]). It didn't spoil it exactly, because the quality was so high that they weren't exactly dependent on the twists. It just felt a little like those reveals were supposed to have more weight than they maybe did for us.
Yes, but we're an audience raised on a diet of Future Shocks, don't forget...
This new episode where America elicts, a rapey racist reality TV star is pushing it too far.
Quote from: pauljholden on 09 November, 2016, 04:20:58 PM
This new episode where America elicts, a rapey racist reality TV star is pushing it too far.
It was definitely the least plausible of the bunch.
Shut Up and DanceAgain - the casting is the best part of this 'un. The strained Flynn and the bewildered Lawther are engaging but like the similar "White Bear" before it the otherworldly cynicism of it all is a big pill to swallow. I was discussing it last night with some fellers and one raised an interesting quote from
Vulture.com:
QuoteThe things Black Mirror uncovers about the nature of people and technology are pessimistic visions of humankind, and they're also remarkably absent of nuance. Guess what: Reality shows are dehumanizing. Social media makes people say and do horrible things. Documenting every single moment of our lives has downsides. It's like stepping through the wardrobe into C.S. Lewis's Narnia, but instead of a magical land full of fauns and evil queens and talking beavers, there's just a note that reads, "This is an allegory about Jesus."
(Full article: http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/black-mirror-the-case-against-it.html )
The bleak worldview required to make the dark twists function is so heavy-handedly pessimistic that they rarely function convincingly. A riveting ride this one and well-paced but ultimately leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Holy shit this was some Dark stuff, I've never realy watched any previous seasons and up to number 3 on this one will be going back for season 1 & 2 but i think only a couple of episodes at a time for me way to grim to binge watch. Its bloody well acted though and on Episode 3 Shut up and Dance as if I didn't need another reason to hate that fuicken troll face people use all the time.
Actually I think I may have seem an epsiode or 2 before on TV was there one where a CGI cartoon bear runs for paliment or something?
CU Radbacker
Yeah, Waldo.
San Junipero
Yeah - easily the highlight of the bunch for neatly eschewing the thing I'd quoted in the last episode. Admittedly (possibly ironically) it felt like it dragged on too long towards the end but at times genuinely touching and interestingly structured. Heaven is what you make it.
That rare thing, a Black Mirror episode I'd watch again rather than consigning it to a traumatic memory part of my brain. :D
So behind with my telly that our festive period is being used as catch up time (I'll be watching Christmas TV in February lol ((I'M NOT JOKING)) ) - so here we are with that most festive of programmes...
Men Against Fire
Yes. This really worked - I genuinely believe this will be studied in decades to come as it's a really smart narrative all about perception and moral relativism and it works well as a nihilistic foil to the (relatively) optimistic San Bernadino. Exaggerated liberalism to some but in these times of unquestionable opinions being force-fed by tabloids and television it feels extraordinarily well-timed and prescient.
Blown away by how mature Brooker has become, SB and MAF are both devoid of the awkward holes Black Mirror normally falls into and I've swallowed my cynicism.
Hated in the Nation
....aaaand then you went and spoiled it all by for some reason making one of the episodes feature leeenngth. An otherwise fairly serviceable bit of [spoiler]whodunnit with bees[/spoiler] ruined by a flabby last act that dragged its heels for flipping ages. Nice to see 15 Storeys High's Benedict Wong and there were some horribly tense moments but it sorely lacked the lightness of touch that worked so well with Men Against Fire.
Overall - a patchy series that simultaneously featured BM's very best and absolute worst moments. But absolutely benefited from awesome casting a big fat budget. Here's hoping Netflix do more!
Quote from: CrazyFoxMachine on 02 January, 2017, 09:27:03 PM
Here's hoping Netflix do more!
The contract is for 12 episodes (http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/25/9397087/netflix-black-mirror-season-3) - so another 6 are to be produced.
Interesting to compare first episode Nosedive with the episode App Development and Condiments (https://vimeo.com/95741725) in the fifth series of Community: two app developers introduce a 5 point rating system to the campus called Meow Meow Beenz - obviously Greendale descends into a hellish dystopia of fake meritocracy within a few days.
It's the exact same idea and there's a lot of crossover between how both shows handle the concept but Community obviously has to do it in with a lot less time, budget and a lot more humour.
Just restarting my watch of this.
I got to Shut Up and Dance around the time Trump won, so bleak TV series wasn't top of my to watch pile.
Thankfully San Junipero is relatively optimistic. I think I need to find the spotify list of tracks.
New trailer for next season.
https://youtu.be/oH85obU350E (https://youtu.be/oH85obU350E)