Quote: David Bussell @ February 8 2013, 3:56 PM GMTI actually prefer the US version for its coherence.
I don't watch a horror for its coherence.
And soggy biscuits at dawn, naturally.
Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe - Series 1 Page 4
Quote: Lee @ February 8 2013, 3:58 PM GMTI don't watch a horror for its coherence.
Then why watch a story at all? I could show you a penis ten times scarier than anything you ever saw in a movie.
Quote: David Bussell @ February 8 2013, 3:59 PM GMTThen why watch a story at all?
I didn't think you were referring to the story, I thought you meant the concept or it's direction.
A lot of horrors lack coherence, especially when the serial killer character keeps coming back after receiving multiple terminal attacks to his person and it's not explained why or how that's even possible.
Quote: David Bussell @ February 8 2013, 3:59 PM GMTI could show you a penis ten times scarier than anything you ever saw in a movie.
You had me at penis.
Quote: David Bussell @ February 8 2013, 3:25 PM GMTIt's not that it's bad, but if you're capable of reading subtitles (as I assume Zooo is), you may as well go with the best of the two.
When eating I often look down at my plate, which means I sometimes miss key dialogue if I'm watching a subtititled film at the same time. So if I was zooo and wanted to enjoy a meal with my zombie movie I'd watch Quarantine. If she's not eating, she should watch REC.
I'm enjoying this but I don't really understand why they have Barry Shitpeas AND Philamena Cunk (or whatever her name is) when they are basically the same character?
Just watched ep 2. I like Brooker a lot, but I think that Stewart Lee's description of him as a man moaning about traffic from his car (or something), is about right.
As ever, it's not really sure if it's a serious critique of visual media, or a list of silly jokes. At his best, he marries the two, but sometimes it doesn't quite gel.
I quite like Stanhope, but I don't know why they don't just show the stand up extracts, they're generally more natural than the monologues.
Quote: gappy @ February 9 2013, 4:58 PM GMTJust watched ep 2. I like Brooker a lot, but I think that Stewart Lee's description of him as a man moaning about traffic from his car (or something), is about right.
As ever, it's not really sure if it's a serious critique of visual media, or a list of silly jokes. At his best, he marries the two, but sometimes it doesn't quite gel.
I quite like Stanhope, but I don't know why they don't just show the stand up extracts, they're generally more natural than the monologues.
Did Stewart Lee really say that? Is there no one that pretentious shitbag can't make himself feel superior to?
Anyways I enjoyed it. I thought Bob Mortimer was great, with his whole smoking in empty cinemas thing.
Okay, I've just caught up with episode 2 and after being reasonably satisfied by episode 1, I have to say I don't quite get the love for this, because it is disappointing in many ways. Screenwipe and Newswipe were great. This isn't. The format is disjointed and simply doesn't work. If it's a weekly wipe, why are all the news items so old? (it's okay, we know - but don't put weekly into the title if you aren't recording it as up-to-date as that implies).
Then there's Stanhope. Take him or leave him, surely he has to stay in character? He doesn't. And the routines have nothing to do with "the weekly wipe".
Brooker can do no wrong in some eyes, and I'm a fan in general. But in episode 2 there were some appalling bits, e.g. the Charles/Camilla tube routine would have been slated by "alternative" comedians of the 80s - have we regressed so far since then that "in" people get away with shit like that? It's also interesting that people seem amused by the Mali/Marley running gag; I don't think that's something he'd have done on BBC4 and that's one of the reasons why this show is weaker. I love puns, but Brooker's BBC4 shows had guts, not puns at the heart of them.
Of course, there's also the weird few minutes where he points out that weird people say weird things on the internet sometimes. Go Charlie!
And to all those loving Bob Mortimer for his performance on this (I don't get it, he slated Hitchcock, which is criminal), to me it emphasised how the show's format doesn't work. A couple of minutes badly-edited film chat with random guests? Strange.
Also, I echo what Tony C said, Shitpeas and Philomena perform the same role. If you want both, make them more distinct.
I quite like the show, it doesn't measure up to Screenwipe or Newswipe just yet.
It seems as if the filler bits (Stanhope & the chat with two guests) are getting mixed reviews here. Personally I love Stanhope and have done for time, so I'm just happy with seeing him weekly on British TV. The guest chats are OK, I get the feeling they're probably quite long but then edited for the best bits, but it doesn't really leave us with much.
I also think these elements, along with the reading online comments have simply been added to take some of the pressure off Brooker writing. It's worth remembering plenty has changed in the man's life since those early Screenwipe days; he's much more in demand, has numerous projects and a family now.
Either way, the show still packs a punch and I'm glad to see him back on TV with this kind of format, as I think we'll never get Screenwipe/Newswipe back.
Quote: Badge @ February 13 2013, 1:10 AM GMTBrooker's BBC4 shows had guts, not puns at the heart of them.
It seems that the lighter Channel 4 stuff he did has been carried back to the BBC (with his radio show, too) so now we have Brooker Lite: Occasionally biting but mostly just pointing at things. I still love him and I still enjoy the show, but you're totally right, this is not the kind of thing he used to give us. Perhaps he's poured all of his satire into Black Mirror?
Quote: BenBroughton @ February 13 2013, 11:12 AM GMTas I think we'll never get Screenwipe/Newswipe back.
It was good, but like most good ideas it's a little limited in scope. So it will run out of ideas, where as the originals were brilliant this a little reheated. But then is there anything better on telly? I think not, so let's wait for the rest of the world to catch up.
As it is I think Black Mirror feels like what he really wants to say and that is brilliant.
N.B. Doug Stanhope, what's all the fuss about? Another supposingly invective US stand-up; who just sounds like a grumpy tramp complaining about the cost of cooking sherry.
Quote: BenBroughton @ February 13 2013, 11:12 AM GMTI also think these elements, along with the reading online comments have simply been added to take some of the pressure off Brooker writing. It's worth remembering plenty has changed in the man's life since those early Screenwipe days; he's much more in demand, has numerous projects and a family now.
That's no excuse. If you don't have time to commit to a topical weekly series, then you don't do a topical weekly series. If that is the case, it's a pathetic weaseling out of his commitments and he should be getting more criticism, not less.
He's not the show's only writer anyway.
I find the show diverting, but I don't feel there's any real centre to it, no real point. CB is fantastic when he really digs down into television, and when you can imagine him as an intelligent everyman viewer ranting at the screen.
A show like Newswipe managed to balance silly "oops, his wig's on wonky" type jokes with serious issues (remember the High School massacre report deconstruction?), or seriously interesting features about the realities of TV production.
Watching his old shows I really felt that I was watching a very thoughtful critic who loved TV, but who was frustrated that it couldn't be better; now I feel I'm watching an man just trying to be amusing for 30 minutes. And he is amusing, sometimes very much so, but I prefer the old content. Celebrity interviews and little guest spots are all very well, but all he really needs is a TV, a constantly rolling camera, and an editing suite.