I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books starting with the The Cave of Time (1979) by Edward Packard. I think it was in the time of the early video games where players controlled the game not group play. I always thought it would be great if somehow this could be brought to movies. The closest is Clue (1985) with multiple endings. I can see where a theater has audience members load a program with their phone before a showing. Then, choices will be shown and each audience member makes a choice and it passes to another audience member. Sort of a group think of a movie. Black Mirror is innovative as a sci fi show with twists on dark, obsessive people. “Bandersnatch” is an interactive episode of Black Mirror written by series creator, Charlie Brooker. It is directed by David Slade who also directed Hard Candy (2005) and 30 Days of Night (2007). The episode debuted on Netflix on December 28th and is currently streaming on Netflix. “Bandersnatch” stars Fionn Whitehead as Stefan Butler who was Tommy in Dunkirk (2017). Bandersnatch is of course one of the fierce creatures in Through the Looking Glass. The Alice in Wonderland tropes continue.
We get the alarm clock going off and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” plays as we see Stefan asleep with the “9th July 1984” date. He shuts off the clock next to a copy of the paperback of Bandersnatch. Then, goes to take his pills. His father, Peter played by Craig Parkinson who was Shaun in the Misfits BBC show, locks a door. These are all important later at least according to my story path. Peter gives him a cup of tea while Stefan is busy going through his copy of Bandersnatch. He mentions that he has a meeting with Mr. Tucker to show his game design for Bandersnatch. Peter then says that the book belonged to his mother. His father offers him the choice between two cereals, this is your first choice, there is a ten second timer and the tempo of the music rises, if you don’t choose it goes to default. The choice is not consequential, it may be just to get you used to the concept. Peter goes to yell at the neighboring dog that is digging in the garden. Stefan takes the bus to his meeting, puts on his headphones, and then has the choice of the Thompson Twins’ “Hold Me Now” or Now2, a compilation album that plays the Eurythmic’s “Here Comes the Rain Again.” Again, not pivotal, but referred to later.
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BLACK MIRROR -- “Bandersnatch” -- ASIM CHAUDHRY, WILL POULTER, FIONN WHITEHEAD -- Stuart Hendry/Netflix.
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Stefan sees Mr. Tucker (Asim Chaudhry) who shows him his plans for laying out the floor with sections for each part of the game development teams. He also shows the poster of the new game, “Metal Hedd” by Colin Ritman. Colin, Will Poulter who was in this year’s Maze Runner: The Death Cure, is at his desk with headphones on programming a computer. Tucker introduces Stefan to Colin. He shows Stefan his latest game, Nohzdyve, a video game of a falling man who has to dodge objects. The game freezes and Colin explains the eyeballs have overloaded the memory, this is something that comes in the repeat play that Stefan now knows. Stefan shows them the demo of Bandersnatch, his maze game that leads to Pax, the demon. He explains that like the episode you have ten seconds to make a choice. Colin says he has a copy of Bandersnatch at home and then mentions that the author, Jerome F. Davies, cut off his wife’s head. Tucker enters a choice, but the game freezes, Stefan explains that he hasn’t finished the game. The executive explains that they will have to get the game finished and ready for Christmas. Tucker offers to have Stefan work with a team, an important choice, if he refuses, remember that Stefan is lonely person, so he says he will work on the game, but on his own.
This way he can finish the game. Colin respects his decision or your decision and says “madness” is needed to work on a concept game. Tucker says the game has to be finished by 12th of September. Colin asks about Stefan’s choice in music, Thompson Twins or compilations, and he has Stefan write down some more inspirational music. His father is concerned about Stefan working on the game at home. On a video game review show, Robin (Paul Bradley) raves about the latest Colin Ritman game. Stefan takes notes and then we see a game design book, Look Door, Get Key, that becomes important. Then, a family photo of his father, young Stefan (A.J. Houghton), and his mother (Fleur Keith) on a picnic. Stefan explains the day’s events to his psychologist, Dr. Hayes (Alice Lowe). He explains that he said no, but doesn’t understand why he made that choice. Dr. Hayes congratulates him, but he says she sounds like his father and is nervous about the sessions. She asks if he wants to talk about his mother, an important choice. He had a toy rabbit and his father took it away, young Stefan tries to look for it, and his mother is delayed for her train trip. Stefan blames his father and Dr. Hayes reminds him that he knows her number.
He goes to the record store and reading Colin’s list, picks up Phaedra by Tangerine Dream and The Bermuda Triangle by Isao Tomita, another choice. Then, he sees a copy of The Lives of Jerome F. Davies. Stefan is looking through the book and sees Bandersnatch imagery and also the red branching symbol. He works on the game. It’s the 17th of July. Some surreal video game music plays. Stefan wakes from a nightmare on the 3rd of August. More time passes and we get the 20th of August. Stefan sees the path charts on his wall, all of the choices, and buries his head in his hands. His father interrupts him to invite him to the pub. This is the important choice that sends Stefan spiraling into the darkness. On two screens are choices where you can go back, there is a summary of the choices you have made. There is a breaking of the fourth wall where Stefan thinks he is being controlled by something. I really like that at some points he resists the choices you made. Colin can help Stefan through his creative block and even further into drugs and a fatal choice. There is a VHS tape of Davies’ (Jeff Minster) life about the branch symbol. We get a further exploration of free will like The Matrix. One of the strangest choices is you can communicate to Stefan about Netflix. Characters can appear or not depending on your choices. On another path, you follow Colin to his home seeing his wife, Kitty (Tallulah Haddon), and his baby girl, Pearl. This is a dark and innovative episode of Black Mirror.
Four Nohzdyves out of Five!
#BlackMirror, #Bandersnatch, #CharlieBooker, #FionnWhitehead.
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