Just found this 2011 TV series. In a word, phenomenal.

Each hour long episode is a dystopian techno-future. It's pretty dark though, and seems to get progressively so, so don't be in a sad place when you switch it on.

The third episode of the first season (there's a second season I'm getting to) is especially red pill.

Quote: (12-10-2014 06:05 AM)Generation21stCentury Wrote:  

Just found this 2011 TV series. In a word, phenomenal.

Each hour long episode is a dystopian techno-future. It's pretty dark though, and seems to get progressively so, so don't be in a sad place when you switch it on.

The third episode of the first season (there's a second season I'm getting to) is especially red pill.

I watched both series a couple of years ago. They're not bad at all. There were some quite clever themes. I liked the first series a little more. It was a little stronger, I think.

Oh this series is fantastic

Created by Charlie Brooker from Britain, so maybe didn't make it over to America at the time

It's like the Twilight zone, shows the dark side of social media and a lot of the topics we talk about here on the forum.

Both seasons are fantastic. 'White Bear' from the second series is probably my favourite.

Great series. I also enjoyed S1E3. It deals with the choice of a beautiful lie vs. the ugly truth, blue pill vs. red pill. However I think the protagonists final action is blue pill.

Ha that first episode was great...would be very intrigued how that situation would be handled in the real world today.

I love this show. A friend told me about it Saturday, and I watched every episode over the weekend. I think it's a more modern, and darker Twilight Zone. The White Bear episode (Season 2 Episode 2) was a twist that I didn't see coming. I'm hooked. Hats off to you Brits for making some good television.

This is great, I just watched episode 3, best in the series. Bummer that there are only six episodes and a special though.

Too good not to share - Charlie Brooker on how TV destroyed your lovelife:






Quite a bit of redpill ideas in here too.

Just seen the Black Mirror Christmas special (was release a few days ago). My mouth is on the floor, five-star episode

Charlie Brooker is a damn genius

Also just watched the new Christmas special.

It was an amazing. I watched the first 6 episodes last year but this may have been the best. Don't want to spoil the plot but the creator has clearly read up on Game. There are some futuristic game teaching techniques.

The white bear episode is some of the most brutal dark work I've ever seen.

And the Christmas episode... very redpill.

This is the work of an artist.

This show sucks.

One of the main purposes of art is to provide a means of catharsis (yes you have your hangups and problems but others do to- you're not alone) or to provide redemption & hope (you will persevere through the struggle as long as you try - you'll get what you need just keep working hard and keep your faith).

This show doesn't have either hope or catharsis. It shows life as shit and you as shit and everything as hopeless. It's a black hole of misery & negativity.

It's been compared to Twilight Zone but this couldn't be further from the truth. This show ends (just as it begins) with everything being shit. Twilight Zone always ended with Rod Serling's voiceover sending a positive and inspiring message.

^...And in Kubrick's Clockwork Orange Alex goes back to raping and ultraviolence, except this time with government backing. So is that movie not art?

Quote: (12-20-2014 06:22 PM)monster Wrote:  

This show sucks.

One of the main purposes of art is to provide a means of catharsis (yes you have your hangups and problems but others do to- you're not alone) or to provide redemption & hope (you will persevere through the struggle as long as you try - you'll get what you need just keep working hard and keep your faith).

This show doesn't have either hope or catharsis. It shows life as shit and you as shit and everything as hopeless. It's a black hole of misery & negativity.

It's been compared to Twilight Zone but this couldn't be further from the truth. This show ends (just as it begins) with everything being shit. Twilight Zone always ended with Rod Serling's voiceover sending a positive and inspiring message.

This is why I have Miss Congeniality 2 and Legally Blonde queued up tonight

Quote: (12-20-2014 06:45 PM)IvanDrago Wrote:  

This is why I have Miss Congeniality 2 and Legally Blonde queued up tonight

Those suck too. But they don't try to be more than what they are. Legally Blonde is not trying to make any sort of grand statement. it knows its a popcorn romcom and isn't trying to be anything more than that.

Black Mirror tries to be profound but it's just shit.

Oscar Wilde said, "The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things." In other words, art is life-affirming and makes life meaningful & "beautiful." Black Mirror is 100% negativity and life-denying nihilism.

Downloading the entire series thanks to this thread. I'm excited, I haven't seen some quality television in a long time.

Quote: (12-20-2014 06:40 PM)Slim Shady Wrote:  

^...And in Kubrick's Clockwork Orange Alex goes back to raping and ultraviolence, except this time with government backing. So is that movie not art?

That's not exactly how Clockwork ends - Kubrick never ended any movie with a definitive ending but always leaves it open to interpretation.

Kubrick also only ever portrayed dark themes with humor, which Black Mirror entirely lacks.

Anyone else find the irony in not being able to make it past twelve minutes of 15 Million Merits on YouTube before having to watch or skip a Miller Lite or Acura advertisement?

Quote: (12-20-2014 09:05 PM)monster Wrote:  

Quote: (12-20-2014 06:40 PM)Slim Shady Wrote:  

^...And in Kubrick's Clockwork Orange Alex goes back to raping and ultraviolence, except this time with government backing. So is that movie not art?

That's not exactly how Clockwork ends - Kubrick never ended any movie with a definitive ending but always leaves it open to interpretation.

Kubrick also only ever portrayed dark themes with humor, which Black Mirror entirely lacks.

All right, it isn't cheerful, but there is a degree of humor, especially in context. The first episode is a satire of people who will abase themselves for TV popularity on shows like "Big Brother" or "I'm a Celebrity", as well as being the theme of the series-that people miss things staring at a screen while life goes on everywhere else.
"White Christmas" too has a certain wry humor-the guy is punished by having to listen to "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" for years.
Check out British radio around this time and tell me that's not a punishment.

If you've ever seen Brass Eye by Chris Morris (who Brooker worked with at some point) you see a similar trend. Making a satirical fake documentary about crime, drug use or paedophilia is not going to be laugh-out-loud funny, but it raised a laugh from me, as did Black Mirror.
It's satire, and incredibly bleak humor at that, but very well made.

See what you think (more Brooker work)





"Dead Set" is another Brooker creation about a zombie outbreak that coincides with the broadcast of "Big Brother"-no subtext there, huh?

I enjoyed the Hell out of Dead Set.

The Christmas Special is on YouTube, I watched it this morning just to spite monster. I even laughed a few times!

Quote: (12-20-2014 06:22 PM)monster Wrote:  

This show sucks.

One of the main purposes of art is to provide a means of catharsis (yes you have your hangups and problems but others do to- you're not alone) or to provide redemption & hope (you will persevere through the struggle as long as you try - you'll get what you need just keep working hard and keep your faith).

This show doesn't have either hope or catharsis. It shows life as shit and you as shit and everything as hopeless. It's a black hole of misery & negativity.

It's been compared to Twilight Zone but this couldn't be further from the truth. This show ends (just as it begins) with everything being shit. Twilight Zone always ended with Rod Serling's voiceover sending a positive and inspiring message.

What a silly statement. Not everything needs to be "inspiring" or have a catharsis. Requiem for a dream or Lilya 4-Ever, to name a few, are not and they are still amazing works. Sometimes life is not a disney movie. And art sometimes imitates live. So get over it. Also, there are very important books like 1984 and Brave new world that if I´m not mistaken (long time since I´ve read them) have not particularly uplifting endings, but are still considered classics and thought provoking.

This is exactly what Black Mirror is trying to do. To show the dangers that technology can bring on society.

Although I disagree with him, monster makes some good points. One of the reasons I love this forum is that I get to hear the opinions of highly intelligent guys who think about life as we do.

There are some members of this forum which I disagree with on a lot, but I thoroughly enjoy reading their posts. They're usually well-reasoned and are without ad-hominem aggression (the type of which is found on practically every other page of the internet)

That said though, I do feel that NOT liking this show is like the one guy at Reading Festival 2008 who didn't enjoy Rage Against the Machine

Yeah, it probably wasn't as great as the nineties, but jumping around to that for ninety minutes was fun as hell. Even a staunch Indie Kid should have been able to let his hair down (or maybe cut it?)

Also, one must understand Charlie Brooker's comedy. He is incredibly dark with his humor. White Bear/White Christmas both left me laughing out loud at the end (and smiling). Both on point with their criticisms of unquestioned axions of public opinion in this decade.

The ending of the Christmas special sees Brooker playing with his art. For me, he's moved it one way, then pushed it a bit further, then has completely rammed it in your face. Charlie Brooker is an artist, and his writing style is very enjoyable (I recommend giving his books a read)

On this series, He's been quoted as saying "this is what life could be like in ten minutes if we're not careful". I think he delivers this warning with the perfect amount of damnation, frustration and dark humour.

The show is thought provoking and discomforting. Even more so because it's so close to home.

Quote: (12-21-2014 10:19 AM)IvanDrago Wrote:  

The Christmas Special is on YouTube, I watched it this morning just to spite monster. I even laughed a few times!

Just watched it and can't praise it enough. This is the manosphere going mainstream. Clearly Charlie Brooker gets all of the Red Pill/manosphere/MRA talking points and he is presenting it in as hard-hitting a manner as possible. If this was American TV instead of British, the forum would be buzzing.

Hats off.