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Inside Black Mirror
BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 20, 2018
About the author
Charlie Brooker
14 books535 followersCharlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism.
He presents TV shows Screenwipe, Gameswipe and Newswipe, wrote a review column for The Guardian newspaper, and is one of four creative directors of comedy production company Zeppotron.
His five-part horror drama Dead Set for E4 earned him a nomination for a BAFTA and he is also the host of the Channel 4 comedy panel show You Have Been Watching. Brooker won Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for his column, and the Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2009.
He presents TV shows Screenwipe, Gameswipe and Newswipe, wrote a review column for The Guardian newspaper, and is one of four creative directors of comedy production company Zeppotron.
His five-part horror drama Dead Set for E4 earned him a nomination for a BAFTA and he is also the host of the Channel 4 comedy panel show You Have Been Watching. Brooker won Columnist of the Year at the 2009 British Press Awards for his column, and the Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 28, 2019
This is a must, MUST read -- must own actually -- for any fan of Black Mirror. Review to come!
February 27, 2019
First of all, I highly recommend rewatching earlier episodes before reading this book (especially the lesser loved eps like the Waldo moment).
This book breaks down the black mirror series episode by episode, with a running dialogue between Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones and the ever rotating team of directors, actors, costume designers, production teams and set designers. Of course, this is packed with trivia, but I found it more fascinating to read about the creative process behind each episode.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that Brooker is not as brooding and cynical as his show might paint him to bee - he sees weird shit in the world and is constantly evolving these stories before they are finally produced as episodes. Admittedly, I’ve been describing the show as “what happens when tech goes too far” but that’s not his intention at all - it’s just simply not that deep.
Anyway, what a great read. As a trivia nerd, it ticked all my boxes.
This book breaks down the black mirror series episode by episode, with a running dialogue between Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones and the ever rotating team of directors, actors, costume designers, production teams and set designers. Of course, this is packed with trivia, but I found it more fascinating to read about the creative process behind each episode.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that Brooker is not as brooding and cynical as his show might paint him to bee - he sees weird shit in the world and is constantly evolving these stories before they are finally produced as episodes. Admittedly, I’ve been describing the show as “what happens when tech goes too far” but that’s not his intention at all - it’s just simply not that deep.
Anyway, what a great read. As a trivia nerd, it ticked all my boxes.
April 19, 2019
I bought this right when it came out and then put off reading it for forever because I skimmed through the pages and thought “this just looks like the transcript of an interview, how boring!” Oh how wrong I was. I loved learning about each episode and the accompanying behind-the-scenes stories! So many previous concepts and ideas and issues they faced, it was all fascinating! The photos included just added to the whole experience and were a beautiful addition. If you love black mirror and wanted to know the origin story of the show and each episode, this is a must-read!
December 3, 2018
Lots of insights into each episode. Makes you want to see certain ones again — either because you loved them or you realize now you didn’t fully appreciate them.
December 25, 2018
A must-read for fans of the show! Enjoyed it immensely and heartily recommend this book.
May 4, 2019
i! love! black! mirror!
July 4, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — saw this book of one of my favourite Netflix series in a bookstore in Bristol for only 4£ and knew I had to buy it, really intriguing insights showing me a lot about the behind the scenes of each episode with all its cinematographic considerations. Fascinating book, the reading experience (and rating) would probably have been even better if not that many years had passed by since I watched these episodes — excited for watching the recently released sixth season with this newly acquired knowledge :)
February 22, 2021
A lot of background stories about creative process, film business, tv production and working as a creative team.
November 23, 2020
This book takes us on a journey across each and every episode of Black Mirror seasons 1-4, combining a conversation by the key talent behind each episode (producers, director, actors, etc) with high quality imagery (concept art, production materials, episode shots, etc.)
The book offers interesting insight into the creative process involved in each episode - which felt great not only on my personal favourites (San Junipero, The Entire History of You and Shut Up and Dance) but, to some extent, across all episodes (including those which I only vaguely remembered - e.g., Playtest, Waldo moment, Metal Head)
Spoilers are fairly common throughout - but, in any case, this would always be a book only recommended for fans of the show!
The book offers interesting insight into the creative process involved in each episode - which felt great not only on my personal favourites (San Junipero, The Entire History of You and Shut Up and Dance) but, to some extent, across all episodes (including those which I only vaguely remembered - e.g., Playtest, Waldo moment, Metal Head)
Spoilers are fairly common throughout - but, in any case, this would always be a book only recommended for fans of the show!
September 6, 2023
If you’re a Black Mirror fan, this book is a must! I was always so intrigued about the thinking that went into making each episode - and this book offers heaps of insight & helps to understand some of the concepts. One of the most interesting things I learned was the show was originally made under the comedy department at Channel 4 and although the show is played straight for the most part, there is a comedic aspect built in. Very pitch black comedy!
December 8, 2018
This book is such a great read! It's interviews with various people involved with the show: writers, directors, actors, make-up artists, set designers. There's so much interesting information in this book about the thought process, and inspirations and some insights into discarded ideas. There's also lots about development of ideas and how some episodes arrive fully formed and some are tweaked until they are just right.
The book is chronological by episode so you can see the growth of the shows popularity and how things changed when Netflix took over....they went from filming cheaply in a disused army base to filming in coastal towns in South Africa.
If you're a huge fan of Black Mirror like I am, you need to read this book!
The book is chronological by episode so you can see the growth of the shows popularity and how things changed when Netflix took over....they went from filming cheaply in a disused army base to filming in coastal towns in South Africa.
If you're a huge fan of Black Mirror like I am, you need to read this book!
December 2, 2018
The most insightful stuff here is about the challenges of moving from Channel 4 to Netflix. The rest can skewer toward Charlie Brooker hagiography, but if you’re a fan of the show who bought this book, you’re in the target market anyway. The interviews are fun and it made me want to re-watch the show all over again.
May 4, 2021
Surprisingly in-depth. When I saw that it was just interviews with production about the episodes I was worried it would just be people congratulating themselves but all the contributors take a decent step back to really talk about how the show was created. It offers insight not only into how the scripts came about and thinking of certain narrative choices but also delves into production on set and in the edit to the point you can really imagine how these stories are being created.
Overall a great read, not only as a great source of information and inspiration about the first 4 seasons of Black Mirror. This book is also hugely entertaining as the personalities of each contributor shine through.
Overall a great read, not only as a great source of information and inspiration about the first 4 seasons of Black Mirror. This book is also hugely entertaining as the personalities of each contributor shine through.
May 11, 2020
Magnífico libro que, en formato de entrevista con el equipo creativo de la serie, analiza episodio por episodio todos los capítulos de las temporadas 1 a 4 de esta magnífica serie. Aporta información interesante sobre origen de las historias, aspectos alternativos del guión que se descartaron, información sobre dirección, efectos especiales, fotografía, etc, acompañado de fotografías del rodaje y otros elementos gráficos interesantes. Muy recomendable si, como yo, sois fans de Black mirror. Ideal acompañar su lectura con la revisión de los episodios de la serie.
January 3, 2019
Inside Black Mirror is, unsurprisingly, the story of TV series Black Mirror, told in oral history fashion by its creators, directors and actors amongst others. Due to the anthology format of the series, the book goes through each episode individually, with relevant people's comments and discussion, and it is all held together by the voices of Charlie Brooker (creator, writer, executive producer etc) and Annabel Jones (co-show runner and executive producer). The writing is combined with stills and design images, which form a useful way of remembering key elements of the wildly differing episodes whilst reading the book.
TV tie-in books can be a bit naff. The sort of thing that make an easy gift. However, this one is less naff. Basically, it is very interesting, an in-depth look at both the process of creating an anthology show and fighting to get further series made, and how the cast and crew managed to actualise the weirdness that is Black Mirror. Brooker's comments on the ideas and how plot lines evolved are particularly good, showing how much editing, rethinking, collaboration, and being forced by circumstance can make amazing narrative elements. It's also worthwhile to read about the issues with getting Channel 4 to keep making episodes, for something that so notably moved to Netflix. Naturally, the book can veer towards self-congratulatory (all these famous actors wanting to be in it, oh look at the Emmys we won, etc, etc), but is kept from going too far due to Brooker's trademark self-deprecation and the banter between him and Jones, who are longtime collaborators.
Seeing as the world has "gone a bit 'Black Mirror'" (as Brooker says in the book), it's nice to remember that the series is created as an entertaining art form, playing with genres and characters, rather than a collection of predictions we should all be worrying about.
TV tie-in books can be a bit naff. The sort of thing that make an easy gift. However, this one is less naff. Basically, it is very interesting, an in-depth look at both the process of creating an anthology show and fighting to get further series made, and how the cast and crew managed to actualise the weirdness that is Black Mirror. Brooker's comments on the ideas and how plot lines evolved are particularly good, showing how much editing, rethinking, collaboration, and being forced by circumstance can make amazing narrative elements. It's also worthwhile to read about the issues with getting Channel 4 to keep making episodes, for something that so notably moved to Netflix. Naturally, the book can veer towards self-congratulatory (all these famous actors wanting to be in it, oh look at the Emmys we won, etc, etc), but is kept from going too far due to Brooker's trademark self-deprecation and the banter between him and Jones, who are longtime collaborators.
Seeing as the world has "gone a bit 'Black Mirror'" (as Brooker says in the book), it's nice to remember that the series is created as an entertaining art form, playing with genres and characters, rather than a collection of predictions we should all be worrying about.
January 20, 2022
4.5 stars.
Black Mirror is an excellent TV show. Probably the best science fiction show in the last ten years alone. The concepts are always higher and the content is richer. One will almost walk away from an episode feeling reflective and albeit, a little terrified. I was very excited to read more about Black Mirror and these interviews with the two creators and crew as well as cast were so enlightening and added extra depth to the episodes. It did take me a while to read because I took a break, but once I got back into reading the interviews I flew through the last 100 pages of Inside Black Mirror. This is a book every fan should want to add to their collection.
Black Mirror is an excellent TV show. Probably the best science fiction show in the last ten years alone. The concepts are always higher and the content is richer. One will almost walk away from an episode feeling reflective and albeit, a little terrified. I was very excited to read more about Black Mirror and these interviews with the two creators and crew as well as cast were so enlightening and added extra depth to the episodes. It did take me a while to read because I took a break, but once I got back into reading the interviews I flew through the last 100 pages of Inside Black Mirror. This is a book every fan should want to add to their collection.
June 23, 2020
BLACK MIRROR is the twilight zone of this generation, at least the first four seasons... Mercifully, this book stops there. It's a bit of a slap on the back AREN'T WE CLEVER and not much more behind the scenes which would have been nice - but if you've been through the series, it will make you want to do a rewatch.
March 19, 2019
Simply amazed at how Charlie Brooker and his team were able to conceptualize and turn the problem of technology into an opportunity.
Certainly not to be missed is the huge list of Black Mirror influences and references! Certainly added to my To-Watch and To-Read Lists in life.
Certainly not to be missed is the huge list of Black Mirror influences and references! Certainly added to my To-Watch and To-Read Lists in life.
October 29, 2022
Rozmowy i przemyślenia twórców i aktorów o wszystkich odcinkach z sezonów 1-4. Zawiera ciekawe anegdoty czy poznanie pracy niektórych aktorów wcielających się w różne postaci. Dla fanów serialu obowiązkowa pozycja.
April 16, 2022
must read dla wszystkich fanów :)
January 7, 2019
I loved the insight into the creative process. I would have loved more interviews with some of the other participants and actors in the episodes as well.
December 30, 2021
A solid 3.5 stars (obviously only if you're a fan of the show), though it is remarkable how literally every single person included in this book goes out of their way to praise Charlie Brooker effusively. He must be a hell of a guy.
January 1, 2019
A great insight into the creative process, challenges and development of one of my favourite TV shows. Obviously, you will enjoy this only if you are a fan of the series. The book also has some amazing photography and design apart from the fact that your fingerprints remain showing on it.....but maybe that's on purpose :D
December 22, 2018
It was like reading a commentary of each episode, so much insight I completely missed before!
May 26, 2019
This is pretty much an oral history of every Black Mirror episode through Season 4 so it already needs an update. I was worried it would make this a collection of vague redundant dithering but I was happy to find this to be very well edited. I was also worried about my eyes glazing over when reading about the few episodes that are duds. Happily, even reading about those is interesting and in one case, even the filmmakers seem to sort of agree with me. It was also refreshing to hear about all the wrong turns they made along the way. If you love the show, then this will be fascinating. Duh.
November 17, 2020
It’s hard to believe that the first episodes of Black Mirror were released ten years ago. I was still studying then, Facebook just started to climb to the peak of popularity, and Instagram was just a beginner… It’s hard to recall what I was doing to kill free time because there weren’t so many social media then. I didn’t read as much as now. Maybe I was focused on analogue life? I don’t know, I can’t remember. And that's when Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones were starting to create their futuristic, fascinating and dystopian ideas about changes and social dilemmas, that could be caused by advanced technology. That was the time when they began to see in the future of the world and think about what could probably happen. They were quite successful at this because some scenarios are (unfortunately) fulfilling now.
I truly love their visions and the way they are talking about it, so after the first glance at this book, I knew that it’s a must-have for me and I really want to read it. It’s just because I really miss their twisted imaginations. The premiere of the very recent episode, Bandersnatch, was over two years ago, so in this situation, the book with reviews with the authors seemed to be a great idea. I hoped that inside of it I’ll find a short reminder of every episode and I wasn’t disappointed. The only one little sad thing is related to the fact that the book ends in the fourth season, so there weren't any texts about the last four episodes. But it’s just nothing because there is still a lot of information about previous parts, and it’s a load of goodies!
Important ideas
This book doesn’t have a plot. It’s just the set of the interviews with Charlie Brooker, his right hand Annabel Jones and the rest of the series authors and actors from every episode. It’s kind of a crowd because every part it’s the almost separate staff and the original story.
In these interviews Brooker and Jones tell us about the backstage of the series: the beginning with Channel 4 and why this cooperation needed to end and they started filming with Netflix. They often talk about their limited budget because of which they needed to be very flexible to make ends meet. They claim that they were lucky to have great actors. But it’s a part of a true only, because the series is simply great so everyone wanted to work on it.
And the series is great because it’s about technology but also about the people. The technology was only the catalyst for showing general problems, dilemmas and emotions: fear, helplessness, inertia, good intentions, bad intentions, jealousy, uncertainty, hate, betrayal, failure and many many more. Every episode is a volcano of emotions.
There are also many technical things here about shot actions and details that are doing the job. For example they explain how they designed graphic projects for buildings and places, or usability and the user interface of gadgets that were used by the characters. Authors did the best to use all the reasons why we are in love with technological toys, we want to have them and use them. They made an effort to show all details.
They were also experimenting with the music and incorporated into it the particular sounds like this signature sound for new messages or this specific sound for interference in your headphones caused by the mobile call. I haven’t noticed most of it at all while watching the series for the first time. I need to watch it again!
The genius of the chaos
Brooker and Jones talk a lot also about the coordination of the work, that wasn’t, to say the least, very well-organized. It happened sometimes that the ending of the episode was changed while filming or even the work on the scenes started without a full scenario. So now, when I know, from what chaos the series was created, a lot more I appreciate the eventual effect. Especially that the authors told many times that they couldn’t afford this and that. Despite dollars from Netflix, their budgets were still limited.
So, how to make a movie and create interesting characters and plots to attract people? This book is all about it. It’s interesting too that Brooker shows himself as a total pessimist, who always is thinking that his success was partly gained by chance. But Jones has the opposite attitude, she moderates his rough behavior.
All the stories from Brooke and Jones show that every moment in our life, every experience, even the smallest and dumbest, could inspire new, great ideas. For example, it could be the device from Legoland, that for an additional fee is telling you where there aren’t queues to amusements or device from the toilet where you can tell how pleased you are (because the toilet was clean or wasn’t clean enough), that inspired Brooker to create a user interface for the teddy bear from the Black Museum episode.
Some drawbacks
One of the very few things that were interfering in this book that was this sweet, exaggerated tone - puff pieces from each other. I didn’t know also that they were sitting together or those are separate interviews, and only Brooker and Jones are in the same place and comment on others. It’s hard to say because sometimes their parts are ragged and sometimes smooth. Maybe it’s because of my Polish translation? I regret a bit that I haven’t read the English version, but it doesn’t matter, to be frank, because this book is still full of interesting information and it has also summaries all episodes, and this was the most important for me.
And there is something more in this book that I really appreciate - indexes. In the Black Mirror Behind the scene, there are two indexes - alphabetical index of inspirations and the list of the names, so you can check where the authors say about budgets for example. WOW. Great work. Great series. Great people. They have totally f*cked minds. I love it.
I truly love their visions and the way they are talking about it, so after the first glance at this book, I knew that it’s a must-have for me and I really want to read it. It’s just because I really miss their twisted imaginations. The premiere of the very recent episode, Bandersnatch, was over two years ago, so in this situation, the book with reviews with the authors seemed to be a great idea. I hoped that inside of it I’ll find a short reminder of every episode and I wasn’t disappointed. The only one little sad thing is related to the fact that the book ends in the fourth season, so there weren't any texts about the last four episodes. But it’s just nothing because there is still a lot of information about previous parts, and it’s a load of goodies!
Important ideas
This book doesn’t have a plot. It’s just the set of the interviews with Charlie Brooker, his right hand Annabel Jones and the rest of the series authors and actors from every episode. It’s kind of a crowd because every part it’s the almost separate staff and the original story.
In these interviews Brooker and Jones tell us about the backstage of the series: the beginning with Channel 4 and why this cooperation needed to end and they started filming with Netflix. They often talk about their limited budget because of which they needed to be very flexible to make ends meet. They claim that they were lucky to have great actors. But it’s a part of a true only, because the series is simply great so everyone wanted to work on it.
And the series is great because it’s about technology but also about the people. The technology was only the catalyst for showing general problems, dilemmas and emotions: fear, helplessness, inertia, good intentions, bad intentions, jealousy, uncertainty, hate, betrayal, failure and many many more. Every episode is a volcano of emotions.
There are also many technical things here about shot actions and details that are doing the job. For example they explain how they designed graphic projects for buildings and places, or usability and the user interface of gadgets that were used by the characters. Authors did the best to use all the reasons why we are in love with technological toys, we want to have them and use them. They made an effort to show all details.
They were also experimenting with the music and incorporated into it the particular sounds like this signature sound for new messages or this specific sound for interference in your headphones caused by the mobile call. I haven’t noticed most of it at all while watching the series for the first time. I need to watch it again!
The genius of the chaos
Brooker and Jones talk a lot also about the coordination of the work, that wasn’t, to say the least, very well-organized. It happened sometimes that the ending of the episode was changed while filming or even the work on the scenes started without a full scenario. So now, when I know, from what chaos the series was created, a lot more I appreciate the eventual effect. Especially that the authors told many times that they couldn’t afford this and that. Despite dollars from Netflix, their budgets were still limited.
So, how to make a movie and create interesting characters and plots to attract people? This book is all about it. It’s interesting too that Brooker shows himself as a total pessimist, who always is thinking that his success was partly gained by chance. But Jones has the opposite attitude, she moderates his rough behavior.
All the stories from Brooke and Jones show that every moment in our life, every experience, even the smallest and dumbest, could inspire new, great ideas. For example, it could be the device from Legoland, that for an additional fee is telling you where there aren’t queues to amusements or device from the toilet where you can tell how pleased you are (because the toilet was clean or wasn’t clean enough), that inspired Brooker to create a user interface for the teddy bear from the Black Museum episode.
Some drawbacks
One of the very few things that were interfering in this book that was this sweet, exaggerated tone - puff pieces from each other. I didn’t know also that they were sitting together or those are separate interviews, and only Brooker and Jones are in the same place and comment on others. It’s hard to say because sometimes their parts are ragged and sometimes smooth. Maybe it’s because of my Polish translation? I regret a bit that I haven’t read the English version, but it doesn’t matter, to be frank, because this book is still full of interesting information and it has also summaries all episodes, and this was the most important for me.
And there is something more in this book that I really appreciate - indexes. In the Black Mirror Behind the scene, there are two indexes - alphabetical index of inspirations and the list of the names, so you can check where the authors say about budgets for example. WOW. Great work. Great series. Great people. They have totally f*cked minds. I love it.
July 31, 2020
„Czarne lustro” (oryg. Black Mirror) to pięciosezonowy serial stworzony przez Charliego Brookera oraz Annabel Jones, opowiadający o nowoczesnej technologii, skutkach jej nadużywania oraz możliwych scenariuszach przyszłości. Dwa pierwsze sezony zostały wyprodukowane przez brytyjski kanał Channel 4, jednak serial międzynarodową sławę zyskał w momencie, gdy ukazał się na Netfliksie, dzięki któremu powstały kolejne trzy sezony.
Czarne lustro po drugiej stronie” to album – wywiad rzeka, w Wielkiej Brytanii wydany w roku 2018, przez co zostają opisane w nim cztery pierwsze sezony. Premiera piątej serii nastąpiła bowiem w czerwcu 2019 roku. Nie umniejsza to jednak wartości tej pozycji. Publikację podzielono na cztery rozdziały, w których omawiane są poszczególne odcinki każdego sezonu. Została spisana w formie wywiadu z twórcami „Czarnego lustra”, wykonawcami, aktorami, scenografami, a nawet kompozytorami ścieżki dźwiękowej. Rozmowy poprowadzono w luźny, naturalny sposób, z włączeniem zabawnych anegdot. Charlie Brooker i Annabel Jones wypowiadają się na temat powstawania wszystkich epizodów, szukania pomysłów na kolejne historie, wspominają też o trudnościach związanych z kręceniem odcinka w określonym, narzuconym przez stację czasie, opinii publicznej i niepewności dotyczącej przyszłości serialu.
W mediach głośnym echem odbiło się przejęcie produkcji przez Netflix. Pojawiły się krytyczne głosy, że odcinki zostały złagodzone i zabrakło klimatu odczuwalnego w pierwszych dwóch sezonach. Twórcy odnoszą się również do tej kwestii, nie tyle tłumacząc się, co wyjaśniając widzom powody tej decyzji, która koniec końców dała im pewną swobodę w tworzeniu kolejnych serii.
W książce nie brakuje także anegdot związanych z przyjęciem przez opinię publiczną odcinka ze świnią („Hymn państwowy”, sezon 1) i zabawnego nawiązania do późniejszego skandalu z premierem Wielkiej Brytanii Davidem Cameronem w roli głównej. Przybliżono także realizację nagrodzonego nagrodą Emmy epizodu „San Junipero” oraz emocje towarzyszące osobom odpowiedzialnym za serial przy kolejnych nominacjach. We fragmencie dotyczącym „Czarnego Muzeum” czytelnik może dowiedzieć się o wszystkich Easter Eggach* nawiązujących do całej produkcji, a ukrytych w tym odcinku.
W albumie znajduje się także sporo fotografii z planów zdjęciowych, projektów kostiumów i dodatkowych grafik na pierwszy rzut oka niedostrzegalnych elementów. Dzieło zostało wydane w dużym formacie, w twardej oprawie, z klimatycznymi czarnymi wstawkami w środku. Pomimo pojawienia się kilku literówek jest to solidna publikacja nadająca się również na prezent.
„Czarne lustro po drugiej stronie” to duża gratka dla fanów serialu, którzy jeszcze raz mogą przypomnieć sobie emocje towarzyszące przy każdym odcinku. Niemałą frajdę sprawia także odkrywanie tych historii razem z albumem i po obejrzeniu danego epizodu przeczytanie odpowiadającego mu fragmentu. Żałuję, że zabrakło odniesienia do interaktywnego filmu Bandersnatch, niejako będącego przełomem w połączeniu gry z serialem, jednak data premiery rozminęła się z datą wydania publikacji. Pozostaje nadzieja, że twórcy nie poprzestaną na pięciu sezonach i uzbierają materiał na drugą część książki.
*Easter egg (dosł. z ang. „jajko wielkanocne”) – ukryte przed użytkownikiem treści w interaktywnych produktach cyfrowych (gry, aplikacje, filmy) lub jawne nawiązanie do innej treści, ale w oczywisty sposób niepasujące do treści/fabuły produktu (często łamanie czwartej ściany). Mają najczęściej akcent humorystyczny lub nawiązują do innego znanego produktu (gry/filmu/postaci/książki itd.). – źródło Wikipedia.org
Recenzja napisana dla portalu: http://szuflada.net/czarne-lustro-po-...
Czarne lustro po drugiej stronie” to album – wywiad rzeka, w Wielkiej Brytanii wydany w roku 2018, przez co zostają opisane w nim cztery pierwsze sezony. Premiera piątej serii nastąpiła bowiem w czerwcu 2019 roku. Nie umniejsza to jednak wartości tej pozycji. Publikację podzielono na cztery rozdziały, w których omawiane są poszczególne odcinki każdego sezonu. Została spisana w formie wywiadu z twórcami „Czarnego lustra”, wykonawcami, aktorami, scenografami, a nawet kompozytorami ścieżki dźwiękowej. Rozmowy poprowadzono w luźny, naturalny sposób, z włączeniem zabawnych anegdot. Charlie Brooker i Annabel Jones wypowiadają się na temat powstawania wszystkich epizodów, szukania pomysłów na kolejne historie, wspominają też o trudnościach związanych z kręceniem odcinka w określonym, narzuconym przez stację czasie, opinii publicznej i niepewności dotyczącej przyszłości serialu.
W mediach głośnym echem odbiło się przejęcie produkcji przez Netflix. Pojawiły się krytyczne głosy, że odcinki zostały złagodzone i zabrakło klimatu odczuwalnego w pierwszych dwóch sezonach. Twórcy odnoszą się również do tej kwestii, nie tyle tłumacząc się, co wyjaśniając widzom powody tej decyzji, która koniec końców dała im pewną swobodę w tworzeniu kolejnych serii.
W książce nie brakuje także anegdot związanych z przyjęciem przez opinię publiczną odcinka ze świnią („Hymn państwowy”, sezon 1) i zabawnego nawiązania do późniejszego skandalu z premierem Wielkiej Brytanii Davidem Cameronem w roli głównej. Przybliżono także realizację nagrodzonego nagrodą Emmy epizodu „San Junipero” oraz emocje towarzyszące osobom odpowiedzialnym za serial przy kolejnych nominacjach. We fragmencie dotyczącym „Czarnego Muzeum” czytelnik może dowiedzieć się o wszystkich Easter Eggach* nawiązujących do całej produkcji, a ukrytych w tym odcinku.
W albumie znajduje się także sporo fotografii z planów zdjęciowych, projektów kostiumów i dodatkowych grafik na pierwszy rzut oka niedostrzegalnych elementów. Dzieło zostało wydane w dużym formacie, w twardej oprawie, z klimatycznymi czarnymi wstawkami w środku. Pomimo pojawienia się kilku literówek jest to solidna publikacja nadająca się również na prezent.
„Czarne lustro po drugiej stronie” to duża gratka dla fanów serialu, którzy jeszcze raz mogą przypomnieć sobie emocje towarzyszące przy każdym odcinku. Niemałą frajdę sprawia także odkrywanie tych historii razem z albumem i po obejrzeniu danego epizodu przeczytanie odpowiadającego mu fragmentu. Żałuję, że zabrakło odniesienia do interaktywnego filmu Bandersnatch, niejako będącego przełomem w połączeniu gry z serialem, jednak data premiery rozminęła się z datą wydania publikacji. Pozostaje nadzieja, że twórcy nie poprzestaną na pięciu sezonach i uzbierają materiał na drugą część książki.
*Easter egg (dosł. z ang. „jajko wielkanocne”) – ukryte przed użytkownikiem treści w interaktywnych produktach cyfrowych (gry, aplikacje, filmy) lub jawne nawiązanie do innej treści, ale w oczywisty sposób niepasujące do treści/fabuły produktu (często łamanie czwartej ściany). Mają najczęściej akcent humorystyczny lub nawiązują do innego znanego produktu (gry/filmu/postaci/książki itd.). – źródło Wikipedia.org
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November 26, 2018
What’s not to love of a behind the scenes book about what is arguably the most thought provoking and ballsy show out there. Black Mirror is one of those shows that challenges, entertains and horrifies in equal measure from episode to episode and this book harnesses all the creative output behind every episode. Whether your a fan of “San Junipero” or “Shut up and Dance” this book explains all the details and inspiration for these classic episodes.
Narrated by Charlie Booker and Annabel Jones, the creators of Black Mirror, with guest commentary by the directors, producers and stars of each episode, you get a deep dive into everything you wanted to know about how a show so twisted and fun came to be. Booker and Jones are quite funny throughout this book as it’s clear some of their conversations were transcribed exactly as they occurred. Including making fun of each other and busting each other’s balls.
It’s especially interesting getting the story of the shows inception, as well as the drama that occurred when Black Mirror made the jump from BBC to Netflix. It’s also interesting to see the guts it took to get some of these episodes made, “National Anthem” anyone? I’ve been a huge fan of the show for years and was reminded of all the greatest episodes of “The Twilight Zone” and “Tales of the Crypt” when I watched my first episode. What Black Mirror does however is always not being afraid to change formats and tones throughout the series. Something that keeps it refreshing and innovative all these years later.
If you love this show this book is a must have. I’ve already recommended it to friends who love the show and like any good book about a show, it’s endlessly entertaining.
Narrated by Charlie Booker and Annabel Jones, the creators of Black Mirror, with guest commentary by the directors, producers and stars of each episode, you get a deep dive into everything you wanted to know about how a show so twisted and fun came to be. Booker and Jones are quite funny throughout this book as it’s clear some of their conversations were transcribed exactly as they occurred. Including making fun of each other and busting each other’s balls.
It’s especially interesting getting the story of the shows inception, as well as the drama that occurred when Black Mirror made the jump from BBC to Netflix. It’s also interesting to see the guts it took to get some of these episodes made, “National Anthem” anyone? I’ve been a huge fan of the show for years and was reminded of all the greatest episodes of “The Twilight Zone” and “Tales of the Crypt” when I watched my first episode. What Black Mirror does however is always not being afraid to change formats and tones throughout the series. Something that keeps it refreshing and innovative all these years later.
If you love this show this book is a must have. I’ve already recommended it to friends who love the show and like any good book about a show, it’s endlessly entertaining.
August 16, 2019
Whats not to love?
This book... Of course it was going to be good. For me, it is definitely one you would read having watched Black Mirror. Its a read which is bound to be interesting if you already love the genre and want further insights as to how each episode came about. Its a bit like a directors comment track you get on some films but, in this case, for every Black Mirror Episode up to and including Series 4. I found myself really enjoying consuming the behind scenes around one episode while at the same time, hardly being able to wait to read about what inspired the next as there really isn’t a Black Mirror title I don’t like. One o the biggest takeaways for me was getting to know Charlie Brooker more personally through the interviews documented in the book. He is far less disconnected and aloof as a person than I thought which would make sense given the complex nature of stories and characters in Black Mirror. I also had no idea that Annabelle Jones was so involved. All round good stuff.
This book... Of course it was going to be good. For me, it is definitely one you would read having watched Black Mirror. Its a read which is bound to be interesting if you already love the genre and want further insights as to how each episode came about. Its a bit like a directors comment track you get on some films but, in this case, for every Black Mirror Episode up to and including Series 4. I found myself really enjoying consuming the behind scenes around one episode while at the same time, hardly being able to wait to read about what inspired the next as there really isn’t a Black Mirror title I don’t like. One o the biggest takeaways for me was getting to know Charlie Brooker more personally through the interviews documented in the book. He is far less disconnected and aloof as a person than I thought which would make sense given the complex nature of stories and characters in Black Mirror. I also had no idea that Annabelle Jones was so involved. All round good stuff.
June 27, 2021
As you can imagine, this is a book pretty much exclusively for Black Mirror fans. As you can also see from my rating, I'm very much in that target audience. This is a fantastic companion to my rewatching the series from the start (I'd recommend doing the same - so many little easter eggs and hidden details that make a rewatch a lot of fun).
The book itself has lots of interesting commentary about the making of the episodes and it's interesting to see how the success of the show opened up their budget and scope whilst still remaining true to the ethos of the show itself. My favourite bits were the discussions about potential different directions that the script may have taken (the dogs in 'Metalhead' being operated by a human) and when Charlie and Annabel reflect back on the reception to episodes and what they might have changed in hindsight.
As a note, this book was produced before the fifth season so doesn't include content on 'Smithereens', 'Striking Vipers', 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too' or the 'Bandersnatch' film.
The book itself has lots of interesting commentary about the making of the episodes and it's interesting to see how the success of the show opened up their budget and scope whilst still remaining true to the ethos of the show itself. My favourite bits were the discussions about potential different directions that the script may have taken (the dogs in 'Metalhead' being operated by a human) and when Charlie and Annabel reflect back on the reception to episodes and what they might have changed in hindsight.
As a note, this book was produced before the fifth season so doesn't include content on 'Smithereens', 'Striking Vipers', 'Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too' or the 'Bandersnatch' film.
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