snicklin Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) Hands up, this isn't Atari related but I think that most people here will enjoy this. The 'Black Mirror' TV series is releasing (in around 24 hours) a new episode on Netflix which relates to the creation / non-creation of the 'Bandersnatch' game on the C64 back in 1984. It will have all the British viewers reminiscing back to the 1980s with the street scenes with WHSmiths, Wimpy, Blockbuster Video and Chelsea Girl being authentically recreated for our viewing pleasure. You can see more here: It may be a show which you can choose your own way through it, I hear that over 5 hours of footage has been recorded. My prediction is that the young programmer is actually an AI writing the game from scratch in the future. Could be wrong.... Edited December 27, 2018 by snicklin 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Knight Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 Wasn't Bandersnatch vapourware for the spectrum? (Timex 1000 in US). If i recall you needed to add hardware and ram to get it to work (included in package) which meant it was a whopping £80 in mid 80's - which is around £230 for a game. Marked the end of Imagine games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 We need to be care not to get mixed up with Brattacas (or whatever the name was by Pysignosis as that was initially named Bandersnatch if memory serves me because they had the rights and possibly some of the staff from Imagine.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 27, 2018 Author Share Posted December 27, 2018 Wasn't Bandersnatch vapourware for the spectrum? (Timex 1000 in US). If i recall you needed to add hardware and ram to get it to work (included in package) which meant it was a whopping £80 in mid 80's - which is around £230 for a game. Marked the end of Imagine games. Sorry, yes, this seems to be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 27, 2018 Author Share Posted December 27, 2018 We need to be care not to get mixed up with Brattacas (or whatever the name was by Pysignosis as that was initially named Bandersnatch if memory serves me because they had the rights and possibly some of the staff from Imagine.. I bet that you like the 1980's scenes in the trailer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 Hmm...Just looked, very weird, preferred the 70s Dunno what the tabs were but looked like Beechams cold and flu relief tabs, huge buggers.....Not sure they space you out tho Some nice retro detail tho...Looks like the nicked stuff from Ringu (The Ring) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Hmm...Just looked, very weird, preferred the 70s Dunno what the tabs were but looked like Beechams cold and flu relief tabs, huge buggers.....Not sure they space you out tho Some nice retro detail tho...Looks like the nicked stuff from Ringu (The Ring) All that retro-goodness and you're examining the tablets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 All that retro-goodness and you're examining the tablets! Well then, we know he was a "pill head" in the 70s Not that there's anything wrong with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Well then, we know he was a "pill head" in the 70s Not that there's anything wrong with that. As he's such a gentleman and because I would never state anything otherwise, I'd rather inform him that that he needs to see his doctor with his 40 year cold. That's no good for anyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 As he's such a gentleman and because I would never state anything otherwise, I'd rather inform him that that he needs to see his doctor with his 40 year cold. That's no good for anyone. Yeah - I could probably see doctor for a 30 year issue. Seems everywhere I go, when I cough, an aromatic smoke emanates from within. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 (edited) Btw watching The Americans and arrived at 1983 and in S3E13 guy types in a C64.... and it seems a real one as he inserts a disk into 1541 and you hear the drive.... Same with Arcade full of Centipede and PAC Man cocktails.... Still think that those 80s American cars looking to me like 70s.... Edited December 28, 2018 by Heaven/TQA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 FWIW, the ZX Spectrum was not equivalent with the Timex Sinclair 1000. If anything, the closest US released machine would've been the lesser known TS 2068, though it requires a different ROM and possibly more in order to play ZX Spectrum software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Netflix has now released it and I've watched it. It is a "choose your own adventure" film. I'll let you all watch it before commenting on it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 (edited) Pill head....Tish!!!! I was the epitome of nice living, didn't drink, smoke or do any drugs... Now, I still have never smoked, still don't do any drugs that are not prescribed to me and I stopped what little I did drink last year as the weight was getting rather high (although we did have wine for Xmas with the food and a bottle of very cheap fizzy for new years eve..) The nearest I came to out side drugs back then was when my old man who was a seriously good drunk turned to selling drugs, I'd see him every week or so as he and my mum had separated and divorced because of his drinking, he used to sell a drug called Turinol (not sure if that is the spelling) and had asked me to take a small tub of the tablets to a customer of his, I said no thanks, last thing I wanted was to be nicked for him. Just another snippet of my strange life.. but back on semi topic, I'll watch that show at some point, we don't get Netflix but I'll source it.. <evil grin> Edited December 28, 2018 by Mclaneinc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Pill head....Tish!!!! I was the epitome of nice living, didn't drink, smoke or do any drugs... Now, I still have never smoked, still don't do any drugs that are not prescribed to me and I stopped what little I did drink last year as the weight was getting rather high (although we did have wine for Xmas with the food and a bottle of very cheap fizzy for new years eve..) The nearest I came to out side drugs back then was when my old man who was a seriously good drunk turned to selling drugs, I'd see him every week or so as he and my mum had separated and divorced because of his drinking, he used to sell a drug called Turinol (not sure if that is the spelling) and had asked me to take a small tub of the tablets to a customer of his, I said no thanks, last thing I wanted was to be nicked for him. Just another snippet of my strange life.. but back on semi topic, I'll watch that show at some point, we don't get Netflix but I'll source it.. <evil grin> Good on you, drink is enough for me, don't need more problems with drugs or smoking. Smoking killed my Dad, never want to go there. As for sourcing it, I am not sure that you will actually unless you get access to someone else's Netflix account. As you choose your own way through this, it isn't a simple video file. I couldn't even watch it through my TV, I had to use my computer as my set top box isn't compatible with this choose your own adventure system. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 (edited) Trust me, there's ways and means..and no need for a Netflix account or use of someone elses... But enough of the naughty stuff.... Just seen that you said it was interactive which will make it nigh on impossible for an episode until someone does a blu ray version with branching added to enable to adventure choices....Clever film, not many have went that path so deeply.. My mother died from Dementia and the affects of smoking for all her life since a 12yr old, her lungs were like that cheese with big holes in it according to he specialist at the hospital, too late for any intervention.. Not good... Oddly I get more stick for NOT smoking than for being health conscious (both parents were smoking chimneys, hardly an incentive for me, hated it) people just refuse to believe I've never even tried a cig and the notion I've never smoked weed is met with utter shock, it seems that its some sort of must have right of growing up that you must have smoked weed....Not here... I don't have a problem with people that do smoke but we get so many skunk head druggies here with that awfully rank STINK that I avoid them or tell them to politely GO AWAY if they do it outside my flat... Weird thing... Edited December 28, 2018 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbaeza Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 My old LG smart TV refuses to play Bandersnatch...hooked up the notebook via HDMI port...woohoo! Finally plays, but kids have just arrived from the evening pool...will have to continue watching later. So far I have been able to enjoy the 80s recreation, those close ups of the Chris Foss look alike book cover...I have not been able to enjoy Jeff Minter's acting skills yet...Maybe later. Kind regards, Louis BQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 (edited) While looking around I was amazed to see a 'scene' rip of this which made me wonder 'how?' considering there are 250 branching choices but what they have done is released what Netflix define as the 68 default choices to allow a linear experience... Lol....So no choices, set story thus defeating the whole notion Charlie Brooker and the other creator whose name I don't remember made for that exact reason..A truly interactive choice and the actual effect those choices made.. The scene, creative and stupid at the same time... Edited December 29, 2018 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ely Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 To be honest that suits me fine I like the idea of this if it was a "game", but when I'm watching TV / Films I want a story as told by the writers of the piece not by me having to interact with it. The whole myth of "Bandersnatch" (and Pysclapse for that matter) are so intertwined in my memories growing up in 80s UK that I'd rather have a straight story using is as the contact point for the era. I'll probably download that "default" version, watch it and then maybe go try the interactive version later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbaeza Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 At first I was stressed by this "interactive" thing, I am just not used to it in this context. I remember a Deniro crime movie were you could choose the ending, I didn't like the fact you could interfere with the original story. Just not my kind of thing. So when the first decision showd up on Bandersnatch, I just ignored it and waited to see the thing crash or something like that. But nothing happened. I mean, the thing just made a choice for me, and the thing kept going. Having to make decisions every 5 minutes is distracting for me, but given I like the setting and the production values of the movie , I could say I am more patient. Kind regards, Louis BQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_M Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Just watched it with my xbox one. Sorry to say, but I did not like it. The choices are almost random, I have seen 3 different endings. The first 2 lead me back to another "faulty" choice I made earlier. I love the Black Mirror series, but this one I did not like. I was curious to know which ending was the "right" one, otherwise I would have stopped watching this movie after 30 minutes or so. I want to enjoy a movie and don't want to make a choice every 5 minutes or so. For the retro computers, as this series is made in the UK the main computer is the Spectrum. But occasional you see a BBC computer, C64, Dragon etc. I have not seen any Atari though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snicklin Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 Just watched it with my xbox one. Sorry to say, but I did not like it. The choices are almost random, I have seen 3 different endings. The first 2 lead me back to another "faulty" choice I made earlier. I love the Black Mirror series, but this one I did not like. I was curious to know which ending was the "right" one, otherwise I would have stopped watching this movie after 30 minutes or so. I want to enjoy a movie and don't want to make a choice every 5 minutes or so. For the retro computers, as this series is made in the UK the main computer is the Spectrum. But occasional you see a BBC computer, C64, Dragon etc. I have not seen any Atari though. I'm the same as you here, I love Black Mirror but this didn't feel that it fitted into Black Mirror. While I love Black Mirror and retro computing and think that it could make an excellent Black Mirror episode, I wish it hadn't been used with the multi-choice system. They could have done that experiment with a different subject. Did anyone who watched it think that the surnames of 'Ritman' and 'Butler' were a reference to other famous people on the 8-bit scene? (Simon Butler and John Ritman) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ely Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 John Ritman was at Imagine when Bandersnatch was being developed so Im sure thats a reference. Hes in the BBC documentary that shows the collapse of Imagine and is well worth a watch; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ely Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Actually, I'm talking complete bollocks, it's not John Ritman who worked at Imagine but John Gibson. Doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 (edited) Yup, easy mistake, Jon Ritman was with Ocean and we all know the Ocean / Imagine etc connection.. BTW, another excellent docu to watch especially for the UK folk is From Bedroom to Billions.....Top notch... Edited December 30, 2018 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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