Black Mirror

[radiator]

Very true, and as the guy had obviously spent a long time planning this, it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that he grew his fingernail and had a manicure etc especially for this purpose.

Fifteen Million Merits was, IMO, not as interesting. I suppose this could be down to the subject matter. I have  zero interest in X-Factor style talent shows - I'm not even interested in intellectualising them or examining them as a social phenomena. It's the same reason that I eventually stopped following Brooker's Screen Burn columns once he started to cover Pop Idol every other week. I simply DON'T CARE!

The two leads were fantastic, though, and their story was very sweet. The girl who played Abi is almost painfully attractive, isn't she?

[TordelBack]

Some more good points about National Anthem there.  I wonder if I'm not missing the point entirely - if they are aiming for a Brass Eye effect, then the joke is very definitely on me.  I find it hard not to see them as dramatised SF short stories, a modern version of Flipside of Dominic Hyde and its 'Play for Today' brethren, and judge them accordingly.

As to 15 Million Merits... I'm afraid these are still not really gelling with me.  The opening 15 minutes were excellent, a nicely horrifying  mix of Cheeseburger Brown's 'Bikes of New York' novella (http://cheeseburgerbrown.com/stories/The_Bikes_of_New_York.html) and Lucas' THX1138, with more than a shake of Brazil.  It's never less than beautifully made and brilliantly acted, and clever too...  but it was too long for its content - the X-Factor bit in the middle was far, far too much like X-Factor for my tastes. 

However, I'm delighted that this is not X-Factor, it's different and potentially thought-provoking - and that it's been made to the incredibly high standard it has.  I liked that there was the opposite of a pat resolution, I liked the depth of design, and the affecting love story.

I just wish there was a bit more originality in the concepts, and that I enjoyed it more.  Next!

[JOE SOAP]

I just wish there was a bit more originality in the concepts, and that I enjoyed it more.  Next!

and this is pretty much how I feel. It's not a fault in production values or craft but in the tiredness of the ideas. It's all a bit 'been there done that' with added commentary on the vacuousness of 'spectacle' culture but not enough to separate it from older shows of similar format. The show is at least trying, from the apparent tone, thoughtfulness and effort to be a little more than the usual, to aim for that highest plateau but not quite there yet. Maybe I've just seen too many Twilight Zones.

They're admirably made but for second viewings I don't feel compelled to make the effort. Maybe they could've changed format and tried to intersect the three narratives to add an extra element? Set them in the same world with criss-crossing characters, where each episode would focus on one set of characters, who would then become background characters in the next episode etc. This may have freed up the writing and allowed a fourth, broader sub-story to play-out in all three, but then again this is how they wanted it and they're obviously looking to turn this into a continuing series.

[Emperor]

Well I can't claim any knowledge of talent or reality shows but I think the second one hung together much better, although I had a nagging feeling the end could have been tightened up a bit to give it some extra punch (although I don't know what that would have been - panning back out of his luxury flat to show the state of the world outside? But then would it be a post-apocalyptic wasteland or perhaps it is nice open countryside now they've got the ordinary folk locked up in silos peddling to produce power).

It also chimed with a piece I read on Adam Curtis' blog about the way the revolution always seemed to get co-opted and defanged:

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/10/dream_on.html

Which struck me there was a story in there somewhere - this wasn't it, but it was along similar lines.

[JOE SOAP]

Well Curtis was all for 'positive' revolution at the conclusion of the Trap, that the forces of change should not be controlled and frightened into a box as if they were primal urges not to be trusted.

[TordelBack]

Great read, Emperor!  Parallels with Year of the Sex Olympics very obvious in hindsight.

[Emperor]

Great read, Emperor!  Parallels with Year of the Sex Olympics very obvious in hindsight.

Indeed, although I might not have spotted the link if I hadn't read that piece a week or two ago (as it was still rattling around my mind). Pity the DVD is so expensive now and the Beeb might not be that interested in reshowing it, as I would quite like to see it again, I suspect I'd get more out of it now.

[Emperor]

And the last one was shown the other night and the fact that no one has felt moved to comment is telling

I thought it was OK but the path of the story seemed fairly obvious early on and it didn't deviate from it.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

I watched the first one and found it bland in the extreme and so full of plot holes that I was slightly pissed off.
The second one I had to fast forward through part as I was so bored and when I realised it was 90 minutes long I was physically sick. Tedium is too nice a word for it!
The third one is stored in the V+box thingy but I honestly don't know if I'll ever get around to wasting precious minutes of my life on that one.

Nothing wrong with the acting, in fact if the acting had been as competent as Amy Pondlife's acting I would have binned both episodes very early on!

[Steve Green]

And the last one was shown the other night and the fact that no one has felt moved to comment is telling

I thought it was OK but the path of the story seemed fairly obvious early on and it didn't deviate from it.

I was watching the quantum theory thing with Brian Cox and the celebs, will probably watch it tonight...

[JOE SOAP]

And the last one was shown the other night and the fact that no one has felt moved to comment is telling

I thought it was OK but the path of the story seemed fairly obvious early on and it didn't deviate from it.

I thought it was the best of all three, lived up to its premise and followed through the whole way to the end. Also happens to be the only one Brooker had no part in writing.

[Ghastly McNasty]

Not seen 3rd one yet as was out frolicking in the German Market in Birmingham. Will download and watch when possible although I've still got 4 episodes of Spooks in my 'to watch' back list so it won't happen soon.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Just watched the first of these. I've read the first couple of pages of comments here, but have skipped to the end for fear of spoilers for the other two. So, forgive me if this has been mentioned.

BUT - in National Anthem, while I can appreciate the whole satire element sandpapering the rough edges of reality, what about the whole "we don't negotiate with terrorists" thing? If the PM has done that then what will the next demand be? Surely he'd say "sorry, no, can't."

[Steve Green]

Finally got around to watching the third episode - nicely done, especially the dead-eyed sex when they were both watching their memories

I thought the ending could have been stronger though, I was half-expecting Flash frames of him killing his other half as he removed the grain but maybe that would have been too obvious.