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‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

nytimes.com

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Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#121

Post by ashark »

ashark wrote: post #114
danso wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think my problem with it was how plot-driven the last episode ("Hated in the Nation") was. It ended in a way as if it mattered whether the cops catch the bad guy. I love cop shows, but the procedural bits here took time from all the interesting tech concepts that had been brought up. Another reviewer described it as feeling like an episode of X-Files, which I think is an apt way to describe it: Good, but not the ki…

I think in an episode largely concerned with revenge and justice it does matter, thematically, that at least one character is very driven to catch the bad guy, right up to the end.

Dirty self-reply here because it's too late to edit, but it has occurred to me that the ending is also indispensable to that character's arc.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#122

Post by anonred »

worldsayshi wrote: post #101
intrasight wrote: post #34

Ok I'll admit it - "San Junipero" both made me cry and scared the shit out of me at the same time. Didn't know that was even possible. Thank you Netflix. And thank you for last Monday too.

What do you think was so scary about it?

Also not the GP, but I think San Junipero goes beyond just the inevitability of aging and death. It hits upon the meaninglessness of both life and a hypothetical afterlife. Although the people of San Junipero “live” in paradise, their existence borders on the hedonistic: thrill-seeking, sex, and drugs (alcohol.) Is a life of this nature worth living? The characters in the episode certainly seem to think so. Yet, I’d argue that living in this manner is a kind of hell.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#123

Post by intrasight »

worldsayshi wrote: post #101
intrasight wrote: post #34

Ok I'll admit it - "San Junipero" both made me cry and scared the shit out of me at the same time. Didn't know that was even possible. Thank you Netflix. And thank you for last Monday too.

What do you think was so scary about it?

I guess that we are transitioning to a time where our digital identities are owned and operated by private companies. The afterlife aspect just makes more scary what is in a sense already a reality.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#124

Post by abandonliberty »

Ntrails wrote: post #51
m_mueller wrote: post #9

Black Mirror often takes little details that we add in software, like a rating system, and takes them to their extreme and logical conclusion. Its premises are mostly sci-fi, but as thought experiments on how what we do could lead to a severe dystopia, it is superbly engaging. I recommend watching no more than one episode per day - I've been thinking about its topics quite a lot recently. At the least, it's refreshin…

I was so nervous when I saw they were being done with Netflix and in a massive season of six episodes. I actually don't think there was a truly weak episode in the bunch. Literally my only complaint was the stupid little explanation taglines Netflix shoved in my face meaning I didn't get to go into most of them completely free of expectation. Charlie Brooker man, what a guy.

None were weak, but some may have improved given more time to work on them.

The British way of writing for TV can be quite different from the american one; less concerned about narrative cohesion/logic/dramatic principles and more focused on taking the audience for a crazy ride (see also: Sherlock, Dr. Who).

In Black Mirror s3, the double-twist episode originally only had a single twist according to Charlie. It feels like they tacked on the second twist without adjusting the entire narrative to align with it.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#125

Post by saurik »

zouhair wrote: post #87
saurik wrote: post #17

For people who like Black Mirror, I highly recommend the YouTube Red series from College Humor, Bad Internet. In the exact same genre, the episodes have nothing to do with each other, so I'll link to my favorite episode, "Amazon Foresight": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQwK3jaQGKY

Jesus, so now we have to torrent youtube also?

Who is "we"? I like this content and know that content like this can't exist if the people at CollegeHumor don't get paid, and I hate all the side effects of advertising as a business model, so not only do I pay for YouTube Red but if there were a way to just pay CollegeHumor specifically for this series I would do so in a heartbeat: paying for work is how I use my labor to buy food and other consumables for all the people who work on the things that I consume in my life, not encouraging people to work on things I need or want or simply enjoy but actually allowing that to be possible.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#126

Post by rbanffy »

gkanai wrote: post #95
rbanffy wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Watching the first one I joked about how a horror movie can be done with only beautiful people with perfect hair talking politely and dressed in pastels.

Have you seen The Prisoner? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Village_(The_Prisoner)

Only the old one. The new one is on my list.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#127

Post by calsy »

kerbalspacepro wrote: post #109
calsy wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats wrong with Netflix? They are one of the few publishers creating large amounts of content specifically for mature audiences. Their revenue model is not based on advertising so they are free to create quality content rather than content that will simply appeal to the most people.

Netflix bloat is what is sometimes wrong with Netflix. Scenes are sometimes a little bit too long in a lot of series. For example, unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's second season was weaker than the first because the original was made for TV but the second was made for Netflix. This led to the same number of jokes being placed in a longer block of time, and therefore a decrease in the #ofJokes/minute.

That is highly subjective. You are referring to a single show where the quality of writing that season may have suffered rather than anything related to the Netflix platform. Pulling at straws.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#128

Post by RangerScience »

"The problem isn't machines, it's letting machines do your thinking for you." - Leto III (Dune)

A friend suggests that Black Mirror is "about screens". I see what he's saying on a surface level, but, screens are just how we interface with machines doing the thinking for us, instead of people.

On the other hand, isn't bureaucracy a machine, running on meat? "Screens" used to be "Paper" - see the crazy movie "Brazil". Replacing something hard (actually getting to know someone and their situation) with something easy (the output of a system) has been with humanity for a really long time, if not forever.

Most [of the prior] Black Mirror episodes are about, I think, man's inhumanity to man, just mediated by modern technology. Most of them are about some way that people are failing to connect to each other.

I have only watched one of the new episodes.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#129

Post by RangerScience »

mountaineer22 wrote: post #76
madaxe_again wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've known about sesame since last year at least - it's getting more attention now but it was definitely public knowledge when this series would have been at the writing stage. It's an idea from sci-fi - I can't remember who wrote what, but there was a society where citizens got more or fewer votes depending on their behaviour (edit: Alastair Reynolds? Banks? Feels like it was one of them.), and knew each other's sco…

Was the currency called whoopy? [update] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whuffie I was thinking later, Cory Doctorow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_and_Out_in_the_Magic_King...

"Down and out.." or, "Why is sucks to be an asshole in a reputation-based economy".

+1 upvote, would cautionary tale again.

PS - If you haven't read Rapture of the Nerds, check it out. It's a Doctorow character (downer of a dude) in a Stross world (craaazy tech).

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#130

Post by RangerScience »

oever wrote: post #107
madaxe_again wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've known about sesame since last year at least - it's getting more attention now but it was definitely public knowledge when this series would have been at the writing stage. It's an idea from sci-fi - I can't remember who wrote what, but there was a society where citizens got more or fewer votes depending on their behaviour (edit: Alastair Reynolds? Banks? Feels like it was one of them.), and knew each other's sco…

Daemon by Daniel Suarez contains the idea that people have reputation. Everyone can rate everyone and know everyone's reputation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daemon_(novel_series)

Note: The sequel goes into way more detail on how the proposed system would work; the first book is really how it (frequently violently) takes over.
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