Black Mirror The Collection DVD: 5 stand alone TV films from Season 1 & 2 of the British dark satire / sci-fi drama miniseries created by Charlie Brooker.

Showing the dark side of life and technology, Black Mirror has been described as “a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected”.

Our grip on reality is shifting…

Over the last ten years, technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives before we’ve had time to stop and question it. In every home; on every desk; in every palm; a plasma screen; a monitor; a Smartphone – a black mirror of our 21st Century existence. Our grip on reality is shifting. We worship at the altars of Google and Apple.

Facebook algorithms know us more intimately than our own parents. We have access to all the information in the world, but no brain space left to absorb anything longer than a 140 character tweet. Black Mirror is a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected which taps into our contemporary unease about our modern world.

The stand-alone dramas are sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales with a techno & paranoia bend – all audacious ‘What if’ stories: some comic, some shocking – but all entirely unlike anything else you’ve ever seen on television.

• Winner of an Emmy award for TV Movie/Mini-Series, 2 BAFTA nominations.

DISC 1 – SERIES 1

The National Anthem
A twisted parable for the Twitter age, ‘The National Anthem’ looks at how information is now disseminated so quickly and public opinion now so loud, powerful and quick to change, that life is very much harder for the rich and supposedly powerful. It’s a political thriller in which the fictional Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) faces a huge and shocking dilemma when Princess Susannah, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped.
Written by Charlie Brooker, Directed by Otto Bathurst
Cast includes: Rory Kinnear, Lindsay Duncan, Tom Goodman-Hill, Donald Sumpter and Anna Wilson-Jones

“thrillingly daring and highly intelligent..” Radio Times
“This carefully crafted and compact drama is engrossing, with the tension rising by degrees as the time moves ever closer for the PM to meet the kidnapper’s de­mands. It comes across as being anti-Twitter but also serves as a cautionary tale about the power of the collective ‘hive mind’ that is social media. It takes no prisoners..” Independent UK

The Entire History of You
We find ourselves in an alternate reality where everyone has access to a memory chip style implant which records everything they do, see or hear – a sort of Sky Plus for the brain. You need never forget a face, a holiday, a meeting or a night out again … but is that always such a good thing?
Written by Jesse Armstrong, Directed by Brian Welsh
Cast includes Toby Kebbell, Jodie Whittaker and Tom Cullen

“compelling, affecting, and decidedly disturbing viewing…an excellent piece of decidedly plausible science-fiction.” Iain Stott
“stark, simple and thought-provoking, helped along by some great acting from its small cast.” denofgeek.com

DISC 2 – SERIES 2

Be Right Back
A young couple move to a remote cottage in the country. When Ash is suddenly killed in a car accident a friend tells Martha to sign up to a service that allows her to keep in touch with the deceased. By using all his past online communications and social media profiles a new “Ash” can be created. Martha, initially disgusted by the idea, finds herself being drawn in.
Written by Charlie Brooker, Directed by Owen Harris
Cast includes Hayley Atwell, Domhnall Gleeson, Claire Keelan, Sinead Matthews

“The afterlife in “Be Right Back” may be digitally rendered, but it’s also hauntingly plausible – it’s really not too much of a stretch to believe that some e-entrepreneur might one day develop a piece of software that can take your digital footprint and use it to build a virtual replica of you. It’s also a chilling premise that really makes you think about how much of yourself you willingly put out to the world on the likes of Facebook and Twitter…an impressive return for the show.” SFX.co.uk
“This really is Brooker at his best; I hope that the remaining episodes are as fascinating and compelling.” TwitchFilm.com

The Waldo Moment
Waldo is an anarchic CGI character on a satirical late-night comedy show. Behind the scenes, he is voiced and controlled by a failed comedian, Jamie. When the channel give Waldo his own pilot, for a stunt Jamie finds himself entered into a political race that quickly gets out of control.
Written by Charlie Brooker, Directed by Bryn Higgins
Cast includes Daniel Rigby, Chloe Pirrie, Jason Flemyng

“Blending thoughtful drama and intelligent comedy is no simple task, and this concluding episode brings the series to a memorable ending. While it isn't as subtle or nuanced as the other offerings, this episode is a compelling and unsettlingly realistic depiction of the present state of politics.” TwitchFilm.com

White Bear
Victoria wakes and cannot remember anything about her life. Everyone she meets refuses to communicate with her and enjoys filming her discomfort on their phones. She discovers a signal is being transmitted that has turned most of the population into dumb voyeurs allowing the “unaffected” to attack people like her. Victoria sets out to destroy the transmitter. Will she manage it and will it be the end of her torment?
Written by Charlie Brooker, Directed by Carl Tibbetts
Cast includes Lenora Chrichlow, Michael Smiley, Tuppence Middleton

“a compelling and thought-provoking drama that keeps your sympathies shifting constantly as you try to work out what the hell’s going on…You’ll have to come to your own conclusions, but you will be thinking about what you’ve just seen. Disturbing but brilliant.” SFX.co.uk
“a biting piece of satire that sets the heart racing and the mind whirring…While I am not as enamoured with White Bear as I was with Be Right Back, the film is still superb.” Independent UK