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[Prototype Viktor]

Christian Slater and Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) talk with Chris about getting their roles in Mr. Robot, what Chris loves about the show and where they think it’s going. They also talk about growing up in Los Angeles, how Rami went on a date with Christian’s step- sister once and what they do outside of acting!

* Duration: 1:15h

* Published: 8/26/15 2:00:00 AM

* Episode Download Link (35 MB): http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...ist_723_-_Christian_Slater_and_Rami_Malek.mp3

* Show Notes: http://nerdist.libsyn.com/christian-slater-and-rami-malek

* Episode Feed: The Nerdist - http://nerdist.libsyn.com/rss

 

[CRS]

Nice, thanks!

 

[jett]

Man fuck this.

 

[CRS]

Man fuck this.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Wow, they're almost too relevant to current events.

I was just out all day and was looking forward to watching this, crazy it got delayed like this.

The last time a show rocked me like this with a delay was when South Park pulled the Eric Cartman's father 2 week cliffhanger.

 

[Zoe]

Might need to check your DVR's, guys. It still recorded tonight under the finale's title.

 

[CRS]

Might need to check your DVR's, guys. It still recorded tonight under the finale's title.

Yep, delete the episode tonight and force your DVR to record next week's. Not sure if the programming will say it's a new episode but better safe than sorry.

Also, you should extend the recording timer to record an extra three minutes so it doesn't cut off the scenes after the credits.

 

[Future]

On the one hand, I understand and it's probably the right move. Hey, it even extends my love affair with this show by 1 more week

On the other hand, I had a candle lit dinner prepared that will now have to FUCKING BURN AHHHHHHHhH WHyYYYYYYYY I NEEDEd THIS FuUUuUUUUUUuUUUuUUU

Totally the right move

 

[Zoolader]

Man this sucks, I was hoping to watch the new episode now after just catching up. The damn verizon tv guide lied to me and is playing last weeks episode now.

edit: nevermind, read title change hahaha.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

I doubt they'll pull a Hannibal and edit it out wholesale.

I haven't gone back to Hannibal since that happened. I was liking the show, excited to watch more... and then they're like "oh we can't air this and uhh, we'll kind of chop up the parts we can into webisodes or something and here just watch the next episode it's fine, who cares anyway idiot". At least with this they're apparently going to air what they intended.

At least it sounds like they're going to air what they intended, just a week later. But yeah, the reporter shooting is going to be nagging me through the whole episode.

 

[aravuus]

At the risk of sounding cold, I can't say I really agree with the delay... But as long as they won't edit the episode, I suppose it's fine and understandable. I've got tons of stuff to occupy myself with, a week is nothing.

I doubt they'll pull a Hannibal and edit it out wholesale.

That sounds stupid as hell, what did they edit and why?

 

[Intheflorsh]

That sounds stupid as hell, what did they edit and why?

They didn't actually edit the Hannibal episode, they just didn't air it and released a few short "character building" scenes online. I think the episode showed the aftermath of a child who was burned alive, and they didn't want to air it because of the Boston Marathon bombings.

 

[Siegcram]

That sounds stupid as hell, what did they edit and why?

It was an episode in season 1 about abducted children who were forced to murder their own families. The episode got pulled in its entirety and NBC later released it as 6 webisodes with the entire murder plotline cut.

At first it got linked to the Boston Marathon bombing which took place around that time, but I think Singer later clarified that it was a general concern due to the depiction of violence against and by children. They released the uncut episode outside the US and on the BluRay.

It was a mess.

 

[streetsahead123]

I think the Hannibal episode was delayed more out of lingering feelings from Sandy Hook.

 

[Zoe]

I think the Hannibal episode was delayed more out of lingering feelings from Sandy Hook.

This.

And it was available on streaming at the normal time. It just never made it onto air.

 

[Cornballer]

- Adalian for NY Mag: How Did a Show Like Mr. Robot End Up on USA?

Still, there’s a big gap between a network having hope and faith in a creator’s idea and the sort of all-in devotion USA has shown to Mr. Robot. In a rare though not unprecedented move, USA ordered the second season of Mr. Robot before a single episode had aired. It also launched a months-long marketing campaign on behalf of the series, treating it more like a feature-film release than a TV show — right down to screenings at South by Southwest and the Tribeca Film Festival. McCumber says seeing the pilot for the show last fall was a turning point.

“We all said, ‘Wow, we have something special here,’ from the acting to the way it looked, so cinematic. That’s when we decided we need to get this in front of as many people as possible.”

Not too long ago, getting a new USA Network show out to as many people as possible was a pretty straightforward proposition: The network could simply schedule it behind one of its biggest hits, and 5 million or more folks would almost automatically tune in. But in the era of DVRs and VOD, even USA’s biggest hits draw much of their audience well after their initial telecast on the network — and on-demand viewers don’t have the option of staying tuned for the new show. Likewise, because Mr. Robot is such a departure for the network, it was hardly a given that the fans of, say, Royal Pains would have much interest in USA’s new direction. McCumber and his team opted for a saturation approach, making the Mr. Robot pilot omnipresent: “We did a four-week run across every known nonlinear platform, including Facebook,” he says. More than 3 million people caught at least part of the pilot before it bowed on the network proper.

While that didn’t result in any sort of record-breaking ratings, it did allow Mr. Robot to cut through the summer clutter. “One of the biggest effects of prereleasing Mr. Robot on every platform imaginable before we aired was that we got early critical reviews of the show,” McCumber says. “And that started building the buzz. We also won the audience award at South by Southwest, and we premiered as an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. And all of that had a snowball effect.” Indeed, until this weekend’s premiere of Fear the Walking Dead, Mr. Robot was the top-rated new drama of the summer among viewers under 50. It’s also been overperforming on cable-VOD platforms, and — though USA doesn’t completely love this factoid — the show ranks behind only Game of Thrones and True Detective as the most-pirated series on cable.

As encouraging as Mr. Robot’s season-one performance has been, McCumber doesn’t seem ready to declare victory, either with the show or with USA’s attempt to evolve its brand. Like most networks these days, USA will use the months between the first and second seasons of Mr. Robot to build a bigger audience. “The job right now is to keep Mr. Robot in the public eye as much as possible, he says. “People are still in the discovery mode with it. We need to get it in front of people and make sure they are discovering the show.” To that end, USA will rerun season one of Mr. Robot on its own air, and on other platforms, with a sizable marketing push to tell people where they can catch up. (A deal with Amazon, Hulu, or Netflix also seems logical and likely, though McCumber declined to comment on any such possibility.) Looking ahead to next season, McCumber hints that USA is open to new ways of convincing viewers to watch Mr. Robot in as close to real time as possible while also serving the network’s advertiser clients. “We’re looking at whether there's a way for us to do a viewing experience that is sponsored but has less commercials, and maybe no commercials?” he says. “We did that when we released the pilot.”

The other challenge ahead for USA: leveraging the massive buzz around Mr. Robot to prove both to viewers and potential showrunners that Esmail’s genre-busting series wasn’t just some random bug that briefly messed up the network’s blue-sky machine. On the consumer front, USA has already begun heavy promotion for the Carlton Cuse–produced futuristic thriller Colony, debuting in January, and is working on a campaign for next year’s Queen of the South, which McCumber describes as a “female Scarface.” “At their core, both of these shows have this rebel with a cause, the unlikely hero,” he says. As for the creative community, McCumber says he and his team will continue to “be very clear about what we want to do,” pointing to the network’s very public commitment to Mr. Robot as a sort of calling card. “Having the critical acclaim and having everybody talking about Mr. Robot certainly helps us,” he says. “It sends a clear signal that USA Network is looking for programs that are unique.”

Much more via the link.

 

[Lambtron]

Just please release an uncensored Blu-Ray set as soon as possible. Let me give you my money and share this show with people.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

- Adalian for NY Mag: How Did a Show Like Mr. Robot End Up on USA?Much more via the link.

I feel like Hannibal and Mr Robot would make the perfect one-two punch

 

[sparky2112]

Wife and I still a number of episodes behind, but the shit's DARK.

Only complaint: does EVERY closeup need to be at a distance, with the actor occupying like a sixth of the frame?

 

[jett]

Wife and I still a number of episodes behind, but the shit's DARK.

Only complaint: does EVERY closeup need to be at a distance, with the actor occupying like a sixth of the frame?

Agreed, I don't really understand some the framing in this show. It's odd, wastes space (most of the time you see a floating head in the corner and the scenery is blotted out by DOF), and honestly it doesn't really look good aesthetically. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't quite see it.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Agreed, I don't really understand some the framing in this show. It's odd, wastes space (most of the time you see a floating head in the corner and the scenery is blotted out by DOF), and honestly it doesn't really look good aesthetically. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't quite see it.

aesthetics are subjective though
i think the shots you're describing are gorgeous and haunting

 

[sparky2112]

aesthetics are subjective though
i think the shots you're describing are gorgeous and haunting

I actually like them, I just think they're overused. Or maybe not, what do I know?

 

[Valonquar]

Reminds me of when MGS 2 got edited to remove a scene where Arsenal Gear knocks down the twin towers. The game was set to release in Sept and then 9/11 happened... the game was so far into development they didn't even bother trying to change things. The narrative fades to black and then you're just in the fucking city already fighting on top of a government building.

I'd ask "Are people REALLY this fucking sensitive?" but I already know the answer.

 

[Lambtron]

Reminds me of when MGS 2 got edited to remove a scene where Arsenal Gear knocks down the twin towers. The game was set to release in Sept and then 9/11 happened... the game was so far into development they didn't even bother trying to change things. The narrative fades to black and then you're just in the fucking city already fighting on top of a government building.

I'd ask "Are people REALLY this fucking sensitive?" but I already know the answer.

The vast number of mass shootings in the U.S. makes me despondent. I was in a serious funk yesterday because of it. I am glad I will be able to have some distance between the event and the episode. It will make it a more enjoyable viewing experience. But I mean, maybe I'm too fucking sensitive.

 

[Cornballer]

Agreed, I don't really understand some the framing in this show. It's odd, wastes space (most of the time you see a floating head in the corner and the scenery is blotted out by DOF), and honestly it doesn't really look good aesthetically. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't quite see it.

I read it as a way to convey alienation and lack of connection between people.

They regularly have two people talking and split them up like so:

There's a video here with clips from Ep 5 / 6 here that shows how the framing is used in those two episodes. The rule of thirds, lead room, and headroom are thrown out the window. It's unnerving and feels a little out of control. Everyone is disconnected and lonely.

Someone with more knowledge on the subject can probably explain it a little better than I can.

 

[-griffy-]

I made this post earlier in the thread analyzing a bit about what the unorthodox framing communicates in one scene:

The way this show uses simple framing to communicate to the audience is amazing. That boardroom scene for example, when Tyrell is leaving after thinking he's on top and laying the seeds for jealousy with the wife, and the new CTO guy Scott comes back with "Did you enjoy the view?" we cut to this shot of Tyrell:

The tables have turned, he is realizing he doesn't have the upper hand, and the shot makes him look tiny and diminished, completely weak in the frame.

Then Scott starts displaying his power over Tyrell, advancing on him and intimidating him, until he gets right in his face in this shot, where we start on Scott and his forward movement pushes the frame right to reveal Tyrell and he says "You are not going to be CTO":

The balance is completely tipped to Scott's side, Tyrell so powerless that he is practically being pushed out of the shot by the sheer weight coming from Scott.

I also LOVE what they do with the title and opening credits every episode. And I'm gonna need a soundtrack album as soon as possible.

 

[RastaMentality]

Mr. Robot will explode once it goes on Netflix. They need to get it up on there asap.

 

[Retrocide]

Mr. Robot will explode once it goes on Netflix. They need to get it up on there asap.

That's my thinking as well, it's perfect for binge watching.

 

[Aiii]

Can't unsee Eliot in Until Dawn, this is weird.

 

[Einchy]

Agreed, I don't really understand some the framing in this show. It's odd, wastes space (most of the time you see a floating head in the corner and the scenery is blotted out by DOF), and honestly it doesn't really look good aesthetically. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't quite see it.

It's really unique, wouldn't you say? I don't think I've seen any movie or show use composition like Mr. Robot.

I can see why some people would dislike it but I think it works really well and it gives the show it's own composition style that's unlike anything done before.

 

[Mindlog]

It's happening it's happening

Spoiler

it's happening

It's happening!

This isn't happening.

Commence the rewatch.

 

[metsallica]

- Adalian for NY Mag: How Did a Show Like Mr. Robot End Up on USA?Much more via the link.

Great read, thanks for sharing. I'm ready to care about USA for the first time since the mid-90s as long as the quality of their new shows is anywhere close to Mr. Robot. Though Carlton Cuse doesn't inspire confidence.

 

[Night Hunter]

Mr. Robot will explode once it goes on Netflix. They need to get it up on there asap.

If this ends up on Prime I'm going o throw a tantrum. People actually need to see this.

 

[Herbs]

It's really unique, wouldn't you say? I don't think I've seen any movie or show use composition like Mr. Robot.

I can see why some people would dislike it but I think it works really well and it gives the show it's own composition style that's unlike anything done before.

Luther uses it. It's a great use of space and I expect we'll see more of it moving forward in television and film. Mr Robot uses it to greater effect than Luther.

 

[RastaMentality]

If this ends up on Prime I'm going o throw a tantrum. People actually need to see this.

Prime viewership can't actually be that high. I know Amazon has boat loads of money but Netflix is definitely the best long term game. It's the reason BB blew up into the stratosphere. they're most likely worried that putting these shows up too quick allows for that group that *doesn't watch live and waits for VOD* but I think it'll still help.

 

[Ruruja]

Was looking forward to watching the finale all day (well, all week obviously).

I understand why it got delayed though.

Guess I'll just listen to the piano version of Where Is My Mind on loop for another week.

 

[jett]

aesthetics are subjective though
i think the shots you're describing are gorgeous and haunting

I actually like them, I just think they're overused. Or maybe not, what do I know?

You know, that might one of the problems I have. Usually the camera and direction "should" disappear into a movie, like an invisible hand, but here I'm noticing it front and center in every episode, maybe because they reuse the same angles and framing all the time. And because they're so different from the norm, they stand out every time they're used.

I read it as a way to convey alienation and lack of connection between people.

They regularly have two people talking and split them up like so:

There's a video here with clips from Ep 5 / 6 here that shows how the framing is used in those two episodes. The rule of thirds, lead room, and headroom are thrown out the window. It's unnerving and feels a little out of control. Everyone is disconnected and lonely.

Someone with more knowledge on the subject can probably explain it a little better than I can.

I made this post earlier in the thread analyzing a bit about what the unorthodox framing communicates in one scene:

Yeah I can see that. For sure there's purpose behind the framing, and it is unnerving. Maybe my reaction is the one they want people to have.

It's really unique, wouldn't you say? I don't think I've seen any movie or show use composition like Mr. Robot.

I can see why some people would dislike it but I think it works really well and it gives the show it's own composition style that's unlike anything done before.

It's indeed unique and gives the show an aesthetic of its own, like you said.

 

[Herbs]

Except it's not unique

 

[ivysaur12]

It's certainly a more dramatic framing than most television series.

 

[chessnut]

Just caught up last night and I have a few questions. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, but...

-If Christian Slater was never real, then who was Tyrell talking to when they were in a car together?
-Also are those 2 other dudes that went to steel mountain with Elliot not real either?

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Just caught up last night and I have a few questions. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, but...

-If Christian Slater was never real, then who was Tyrell talking to when they were in a car together?
-Also are those 2 other dudes that went to steel mountain with Elliot not real either?

He was talking to Elliot. When Tyrrell said that he knew his secret, he was talking about knowing he framed the old CTO.

The other two guys are real.

 

[mrjohill]

I just watched the first episode and I instantly got hooked. Shows something else

 

[chefbags]

I just watched the first episode and I instantly got hooked. Shows something else

Good luck my friend. It can only get crazier each episode on.

 

[UrbanRats]

It's certainly a more dramatic framing than most television series.

I think it's a bit too overt at times, but it fits with the tone of the show, which is over the top anyway.
Reminds me of Breaking Bad in that sense, although that one was going for a different vibe.

 

[joshcryer]

Agreed, I don't really understand some the framing in this show. It's odd, wastes space (most of the time you see a floating head in the corner and the scenery is blotted out by DOF), and honestly it doesn't really look good aesthetically. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't quite see it.

I was wondering what was unsettling about this show but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I'm not much of a filmography buff so I didn't even notice this until it was pointed out in this thread. I mean, I guess it's completely obvious now that it's been pointed out.

 

[g0tm1lk]

It seems everyone has Lubezki's skill for cinematography now... ffs.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Guess I'll just listen to the piano version of Where Is My Mind on loop for another week.

where can I hear this, it was fucking great during the show.

edit: Oh right, the internet. thanks for the reminder though .damn it's great.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

Well shit the delay sucks, I was so hyped up for it too damnit.

With Mr. Robot, Hannibal, The Brink and Ballers all finished at ~ the same time for the season, you guys have any shows that you either recommend or are looking out for in the foreseeable futur?

 

[Curufinwe]

Well shit the delay sucks, I was so hyped up for it too damnit.

With Mr. Robot, Hannibal, The Brink and Ballers all finished at ~ the same time for the season, you guys have any shows that you either recommend or are looking out for in the foreseeable futur?

Peaky Blinders, but season 3 won't be till 2016.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

Peaky Blinders, but season 3 won't be till 2016.

Man, Cillian Murphy, Sam Neil and Tom Hardy in the same show? How did I not know about it till now. Will check it out for sure! Thanks.