BBC Terror Trailer

December 13, 2005 6:31 AM

Dumped, but which BBC Trail got these responses? Hint, its not the Christmas Doctor Who...

"I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill."

"Anyone else think this is the single most terrifying thing ever, or is it just me?"

"Terrifying. Given me nightmares, so it has."

Find out here
posted by Dio (49 comments total)

That is indeed terrifying. And it should've been in the Christmas Dr Who.
posted by RokkitNite at 6:39 AM on December 13, 2005

Clive Barker wrote a short story that is eerily similar to this image - In The Hills, The Cities. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't read it. But I guess I already have. Eh.
posted by fleetmouse at 6:41 AM on December 13, 2005

Great story that one. To be honest the trail didn't do anything for me, it seemed very cliched. What that says about me lord only knows... :D
posted by Dio at 6:45 AM on December 13, 2005

Of course now I want to see a video of this monstrous, horrifying face.
posted by brownpau at 6:56 AM on December 13, 2005

I can testify that the big head is indeed terrifying, but also strangely hypnotic. I for one welcome our giant gestalt head overlords.
posted by Meccabilly at 7:01 AM on December 13, 2005

Terrible, i might never be able to sleep again!!!

Truthfully, i dont really see what all the fuss is about!
posted by maxmix at 7:05 AM on December 13, 2005

The advert did give me the shudders slightly- the gestalt overlords are something devoutly to be wished.
posted by malusmoriendumest at 7:06 AM on December 13, 2005

"The BBC had defended the images, saying they represented the viewers who are able to watch digital TV."

I find that sentence ominous and terrifying in its own way....
posted by Meccabilly at 7:13 AM on December 13, 2005

Metafilter: Welcome our giant gestalt head overlords!
posted by lodurr at 7:18 AM on December 13, 2005

I saw this ad several times, and so did my parents.....none of us found it creepy at all. or weird or anything.

It's not like they were dripping blood.

(for those that havent seen it, its millions of tiny faces/heads swarming around like a school of fish (its not school is it but alas you get the gist), and then form faces of famous people.

Think Finding Nemo. But with decapitated heads.
posted by lemonfridge at 7:22 AM on December 13, 2005

You can watch it here.
posted by chrismear at 7:25 AM on December 13, 2005

lemonfridge:

I have to see this. Someone get a QuickTime link!
posted by symphonik at 7:26 AM on December 13, 2005

I post too early! :)

Metafilter: Think Finding Nemo. But with decapitated heads.
posted by symphonik at 7:26 AM on December 13, 2005

I knew that was coming symphonik
posted by lemonfridge at 7:28 AM on December 13, 2005

MetaFilter: I knew that was coming.
posted by chrismear at 7:29 AM on December 13, 2005

ZARDOZ!

Flying heads and all!

(But no Sean Connery in a loincloth.)
posted by JB71 at 7:30 AM on December 13, 2005

That was so wonderfully BBC! I loved it.
posted by Captaintripps at 7:31 AM on December 13, 2005

woo. I was metafilter-tagglined twice in one post. booya!
posted by lemonfridge at 7:33 AM on December 13, 2005

I would have liked to have witnessed the pitch for this ad.

"There's this big head, see? But the big head is made up of all these other little heads, and all the little heads are flying over a field and they come together to make not just a big head but, like, maybe a pig and a jumping horse and... ummm... Shakespeare... and... uhhh... well... What's that? You like it?"
posted by soiled cowboy at 7:33 AM on December 13, 2005

Is it just me, or did this remind anyone of the opening of Zardoz with the giant floating head that vomits guns?
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:34 AM on December 13, 2005

Damn! Pipped by JB71! /hat off
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:35 AM on December 13, 2005

JB71 agrees Pallas (with his corrected link)
posted by lemonfridge at 7:36 AM on December 13, 2005

I blew the link! I'm so ashamed. :(
posted by JB71 at 7:40 AM on December 13, 2005

happens to us all man *pats back*
posted by lemonfridge at 7:41 AM on December 13, 2005

But less Bondage
posted by Meccabilly at 7:43 AM on December 13, 2005

And to think that this was their second choice, after a giant head of George W. Bush made up completely of assholes.

Also:

"Given me nightmares, so it has."

I was convinced this was going to have something to do with Yoda. Don't tell me people in Britain actually talk that way normally..? Or is it only after they've been traumatized by something like this?
posted by soyjoy at 7:51 AM on December 13, 2005

Want something freaky? Play it backwards.

(shudder)

Also, when they scream "gripping drama", it sounds like a demon is trying to escape the mass but is [temporarily] restrained. Creepy, I agree. But I rather enjoy it.

Direct download link for your pleasure.
posted by symphonik at 7:53 AM on December 13, 2005

Creepy because people don't like to see faces out of a natural context, where they aren't expected - like behind a tree in the woods or in your bedroom closet.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:54 AM on December 13, 2005

Don't tell me people in Britain actually talk that way normally..?

No, just the Irish (search for 'wintel').
posted by chrismear at 7:55 AM on December 13, 2005

bah. "Dear BBC : Please ban my shadow, because I'm afraid of that, too."
posted by crunchland at 7:56 AM on December 13, 2005

The bit where all the disembodied heads go barrelling across the ground reminds me of Morte's 'Skull Mob' ability in Planescape: Torment. It would've been better if they'd swarmed through a small rural village, savaging the inhabitants.
posted by RokkitNite at 8:21 AM on December 13, 2005

Given me nightmares, so it has
Uh-oh, you pissed off Yoda.
posted by uni verse at 8:25 AM on December 13, 2005

I dunno, made me laugh it's so ludicrous. Loved the serious female voice-over at the end: yeah lady, that's some deep stuff going on there.

For those disturbed, maybe it reminds them of a Pol Pot - eske pile of skulls?
posted by scheptech at 8:31 AM on December 13, 2005

For me, the still alone freaked me out. It looks like a disease-ridden, knobbly old man's head.
posted by kalimac at 8:41 AM on December 13, 2005

I didn't expect to be creeped out by it, but I was. Especially the scenes of the heads speedily floating along over the countryside. Something about the hair blowing in the wind. Ick.
posted by MsVader at 8:54 AM on December 13, 2005

I expected to be freaked out by it, but I wasn't. (I agree with 'strangely hypnotic', though.)
posted by lodurr at 9:01 AM on December 13, 2005

Ordinarily I hate FPPs that don't tell me what I'm clicking through to.
This was awesome. Thanks Dio.
posted by Aknaton at 9:05 AM on December 13, 2005

It was fine until the bit when all the digital viewer bonces become a gigantic John "Liberator of Kabul" Simpson reporting behemoth. That was definitely well creepy.
posted by jack_mo at 9:08 AM on December 13, 2005

It always reminds me of Hobbes' Leviathan.
posted by Mocata at 9:25 AM on December 13, 2005

I am delighted to report that my proto-brother in law worked on that.

There's something about the trails for BBC Digital services... there's another one that involves people getting sucked against their will into weird abstract shapes and patterns, including one that appears to be a five-metre sphere of gelatin. And a couple of years back there was another in which a succession of BBC presenters ripped off their own faces to reveal the face of another presenter beneath -- not in an I'm-removing-a-mask way, more in an I-am-channelling-Clive-Barker's-unconscious-mind way. And I know I speak for may of us when I say: cool.
posted by Hogshead at 9:58 AM on December 13, 2005

the five meter sphere of gelatin ad was for the beebs digital music services.

The face ripping one was excellent imho
posted by lemonfridge at 10:02 AM on December 13, 2005

I must confess that I hated this trailer when it first aired, more to do with the fact that I have poor eyesight and thought it was a swarm of (*shudder*) bees. But I'm finding it hard to believe that so many people (1300 apparently) took the time to complain about it.
posted by ceri richard at 11:12 AM on December 13, 2005

mmmmmmm........datura
posted by lalochezia at 11:41 AM on December 13, 2005

Not to hijack, but can someone tell me if the term "trail" refers to a single ad, or a whole series of them? I always thought the British nomenclature was "advert." </dumbyank>
posted by whir at 11:55 AM on December 13, 2005

There is something about those BBC promos - there was one recently of a tennis player falling down and shattering that generated a lot of complaints...and for fun why not surf over to the Beeb to see what other complaints they have to deal with?
posted by jettloe at 11:56 AM on December 13, 2005

Disturbalicious.
posted by maxsparber at 12:43 PM on December 13, 2005

A "trail" would be a single advert. Probably short for "trailer". It's a very jargonny term though.
posted by cillit bang at 4:45 PM on December 13, 2005

Yeah, 'trail' is only used so we don't have to waste time on a second syllable. Trailers usually feature other programmes you might be interested in. I suppose the heads are technically trailers rather than adverts because the BBC doesn't carry advertising. Spots (more in-industry jargon, there) like this one really stretch that definition though, even if it is for another BBC service, it still feels like an advert to me.
posted by flameproof at 2:20 AM on December 14, 2005

whir, a "trail" is an advertisment for a show/channel, the north american english speakers might call it a "promo".
posted by dabitch at 7:35 AM on December 14, 2005