Given the fact I am coming back to the Black Mirror saga so late, I decided not to review this episode (I backed away from the series after having mixed views on the 1st episode)… That being said, After 20mins of the 2nd episode, I find myself logging in to post a full review.

I want to start by clearing up my opinion of the 1st episode on Black Mirror, and to do this I need to dive into a very murky and black storyline (if you pardon the very bad pun). The basic storyline of the 1st episode was that a princess is kidnapped in present day England and the kidnappers make a quite ‘out-there’ demand… Hell, lets not beat about the bush, a totally ridiculous and insane demand (That the current prime minister of England has sex with a pig live on the British TV network)…

Anyway, without going into the plot-holes and to be honest sickening scenes of the program, A 1 line review would have been ‘Intresting, possibly entertaining, but totally rediculeas’.

The 2nd episode in the 3-part mini-series claims to be ‘satire on entertainment shows and our insatiable thirst for distraction set in a sarcastic version of a future reality.’ Now, while still having some very un-realistic areas to the story, if you actually think about the real message of the show, its writing, directing and pretty much everything about it is beautiful.

The program does what so many ‘satirical’ shows fail to do, by telling a story well, keeping people hooked and still maintaining its intelligence, morals, and dignity (a huge change from the 1st episode there…). Sadly I do feel that many people will overlook this show, and even if they did manage to catch it, they would decide to pour out another glass of ‘Cuppliance’ and sit down for more mind-numbing brain-dead TV (Something which Black Mirror is certenly not).

I would highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone with a fair few brain-cells, Sadly I do feel that (much like the show suggests) we do have a fair amount of people living in the world that don’t fit into this category, and who will continue to drink from the

The ending does knock 1 point off my final score, But it does again signal towards true human emotional and mental states (I’m being very careful to not spoil anything so sorry if that sounds badly written).

9 / 10 – I truly feel that showing this 1 hour episodes in schools would be a better use of time than 90% of other things done inside most schools).

Thanks to 4OD you can still watch this show HERE

Chanel 4 Live politically-satirical comedy show returned last week, with yet another hit-and-miss 60min cringe-fest. I have to say I had hugely mixed opinions on ’10 O’clock Live’ watching its 1st series last year, Although mildly entertaining, the cringe-filled moments of un-funny jokes falling on the deaf ears of the audience seemed to over shadow the quite strong cast of David Mitchell, Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne, Lets hope this years series has had slightly more planning as the ‘top notch’ cast returns.

A little over 1 min in to the show my worries and memorys of last year return, with the intro explaining Lauren Laverne will be ‘banker-bashing’ later in the show – Not bad enough that she fluffed her lines within the 1st part of the show, but ‘Banker-bashing’ – Yet again channel 4 stand at the T-Junction of comedy: Witty and possibly un-popular jokes with some intelligence and true satire? Or… Easy targets that will get the audience jeering and celebrating no matter how much brains have gone into the jokes… Of-cause, go with the 2nd road channel 4, why break the habbit of a lfie-time.

Jimmy Carrs next segment again shows a return to old form with plenty of miss-timed jokes failing to entertain anyone in the audience – in the studio or at home I presume… I have no idea why such a quick 1 liner comic can be so bad on a live show, but Carr does manage to pull it off time, and time again.

Time and time again the shows audience fail to laugh, and when they do it seems very forced, almost like the ‘laugh now’ light has come on, and anyone refusing its calls is instantly given 90w of electricity directed to their bodies.

The more the show go’s on, the less I feel that the ‘comedy’ bit of this title should be there, and after the ‘banker-bashing’ section I really am close to tuning out, Calling bankers ‘knob-heads’ to get a quick cheer is a far-cry from even low-level intelligent satire.

I realize I’ve been very negative so far in my review, But honesty is a big condition of my reviews, and however much I want to like this show – Hell I’d love a smart satirical and political show to come along, sadly this really doesn’t seem like it, Entertaining at times it just keeps attacking easy targets with quite bad jokes, Please, Please, PLEASE put more effort in, and maybe save this show.

3 / 10 – No brains, And Easy Targets.

Title: Chronicle
Tagline: Its All Fun And Games Until Everybody Gets Hurt / Boys Will Be Boys
Year Of Release: 2012
Director: Josh Trank
Writers: Max Landis, Josh Trank
Staring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan
Plot:
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

Review:
Well readers, its time for my 2nd movie review, and given my last was a review of the horrendous B-Movie gore-fest (With very little gore) ‘Shower Of Blood’ I decided to head on down to the local cineworld and check out a movie that actually made it to the big screen: ‘Chronicle”

This movie definitely took up a stop in my mind that it will probably occupy for quite a while – You may know what I mean when I say that, but just in-case I’ll delve a little bit further into my odd psych. So many movie come along that take up an hour and half of my life, then leave, with a fleeting movement and little actual resonance in my mind, ‘Chronicle’ Is not 1 of these movies.

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen far more entertaining and gripping movies in my life, but its just something about this movie that sticks around, The story is good, BUT I do feel could have been written a-lot better, with a-lot more depth given to the other 2 leading characters.

The true party-piece of this film however is not the actors, story, or soundtrack – the 3rd of which is pretty un-inspiring, The true great element of this film is the directing, and truly stunning camera-work. This does however lead me to a slight criticism, with so many movies hashing up those 2 icons that have people like me yawning instantly (I do of course mean 3D), I am slightly upset at Trank’s decision to not shoot in 3D.

I am far from a fan of 3D, actually as the last paragraph hints at I am quite a strong detractor of the tec, But during the stunning shots of cars being crushed with 1 simple hand movements, and the camera beauty of 3 teens flying threw the air, I did really think this movie could have been a huge saving grace in my mind from the use of 3D… That being said, The flying scene in 2D made me feel slightly queasy, I think Cineworld would have needed quite a big clean up after the showing if it was shot in 3D.

Overall, the movie is a good movie, not a classic, but to be fair, Its worth it just to marvel at the stunning shots – 1 warning that I do think should be given, I am slightly shocked at the PG-13 (US) and 12-Guidance (UK) ratings this movie has been given, it does deal with some pretty intense subjects, including an abusive father and some pretty deep psychological issues – Not something that I feel a kid (under 12) should be exposed to even with an adult.

MOVIE SCORE: 7.5 / 10