andPOP » The Social Network

Golden Globes Winners and Losers

Megan MacKay — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:17:19 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It was a big night for showbiz as Hollywood’s most talented gathered in Los Angeles for the 2011 Golden Globes. The ever-hilarious Ricky Gervais hosted, bringing his trademark barbed quips and off-the-cuff jokes to the stage as the room celebrated the most inspired productions of the year.

Big winners included The Social Network, who took home the awards Best Director, Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Musical Comedy Glee also took home a bucketful of globes, including one for fan favourite Chris Colfer’s performance on the show.

But the most buzzed-about win of the night was Natalie Portman’s statue for her work in Black Swan, the Darren Aronofsky thriller about a ballerina driven mad by her role in the classic ballet Swan Lake.

We’re pretty unhappy that Christopher Nolan’s Inception didn’t fare very well, but you can’t win ‘em all, right?

Click HERE for a full list of last night’s winners and losers!

Movie Review: The Social Network

Lauren Treihaft — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:02:14 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

David Fincher seems to have a knack for directing buzz worthy films. His previous, Fight Club and Se7en, have each gone on to attain cult status and he is set to direct the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo based off the tremendously popular Swedish book and film series. If that isn’t enough, his current film, The Social Network, is making worldwide headlines. Though it hasn’t been released yet, its notoriety has reached a colossal level.

The film traces the birth of Facebook from its initial concept to its rise to prominence. The narrative is centered on Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), the creator of Facebook, and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), the CFO. Mark and Eduardo met at Harvard and were best friends due to their computer hacking and programming abilities. After Mark is snubbed and called an asshole by his girlfriend, he decides to take revenge on all women by creating a site that compares pictures of female Harvard students side by side and judging which one is hotter. The site was called facemash.com. After the site is flooded with a gigantic amount of hits within an hour, the Harvard network shuts down and Mark is pin pointed as the culprit.

Although he is hated by the majority of women on campus after this ingenious stunt, he is also sought out by three upperclassmen who have noticed his expertise in programming. They propose that Mark help them set up a new kind of social network that is exclusive to Harvard students called Harvard Connect. He agrees to help them but soon develops his own ideas for a social network and this is where Facebook is conceived. He then approaches Eduardo to run the business side of the site. The two partner up and begin building and expanding facebook.

They face early challenges such as being accused of stealing the idea from the Winklevoss’s( the upperclassmen who proposed Harvard Connect). These obstacles are miniscule in size to the ones that lie in store for Mark. Mark also catches the attention of Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the founder of Napster. Parker ends up owning seven percent of facebook and Eduardo is completely shut out of the picture. Eventually Mark faces two massive lawsuits, one from Eduardo and the other from the Winklevoss’s, that are both economically and emotionally taxing.

The acting in the film is superb. Eisenberg, who has been seen in Adventureland and Zombieland, again plays the self-deprecating dork who seeks acceptance from the outside world. However, this time his character has a much more serious edge and darker story to tell. It is arguable that Eisenberg is being typecast as a neurotic teen or underdog, but as far at The Social Network goes, we shouldn’t view this as a downfall. Garfield, who starred in last year’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, steals the show. He portrays Eduardo with true conviction and the audience is able to sympathize with his character to no end. Garlfield and Eisenbeg have exceptional onscreen chemistry. Their exchange of witty banter is sharp and enjoyable. Though many are skeptical of Timberlake’s acting abilities, he delivers well as Parker, the somewhat sleazy Napster party boy.

If the story itself and the cast are not enough to make you tempted to see this film, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails did the soundtrack which is a mix of LCD Soundsystem styled synth beats and suspenseful tracks that add to the high-strung and obsessive narrative. More over, Kevin Spacey produced the film. Spacey generally has good taste in projects and has won two Academy Awards for American Beauty and The Usual Suspects. Seeing that it garnered the attention of many crucial players in Hollywood, it is hard not to recognize The Social Network as an important film.

The film has received a substantial amount of backlash for its portrayal of the true facebook story. Many are claiming that the film is a work of fiction. This upheaval of criticism may hover over the film like a dark cloud but, despite the scrutiny, it is paramount that we critically approach the film on its own. The film will be successful regardless of the adversity. It is a return to form for Fincher and the cast is outstanding.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Crucial Donation

Lauren Treihaft — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:13:41 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Twenty-six-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest billionaire in the world and CEO of Facebook has pledged to donate a mammoth sum of 100 million dollars to the public school system in Newark, New Jersey, reports PerezHilton.com.

The public school system in Newark is responsible for having some of the worst performing public schools in the United States and is in desperate need of some help.

It’s a very generous contribution at a very crucial time in young Zuckerberg’s life. The Social Network is only three weeks away from being released and the film paints a tainted picture of Zuckerberg. Although it may not be entirely factual, Zuckerberg could still face a blow to his reputation. Though we don’t truly begin to understand Zuckerberg’s true character, he is portrayed in the film as a jealous and conniving, yet never greedy. The end of the film humanizes Zuckerberg, but we know how viscous people can be and many will most likely look past his civility.

The charitable donation may have come straight from the heart, but it was also a good move on Zuckerberg’s part and may just aid him in avoiding a tidal wave of backlash from the film.

Andrew Garfield Cast as the New Spider-Man

Jacob Morris — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:18:24 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

After much speculation of who the next Spider-Man will be, the billion-dollar franchise finally has a new lead. Andrew Garfield has been cast in the role of Peter Parker, and the studios are very confident that this guy has got what it takes.

Amy Pascal, co-chairmen of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures, commented, “You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man,” continuing, “we have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker.”

Though he’s a relatively new actor on the scene, his credits speak for themselves. The young actor has had roles in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Lions For Lambs, and his most significant part hasn’t even hit the theatres yet. Garfield stars in David Fincher’s new much anticipated movie about Facebook titled The Social Network opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake.

As the young actor has already worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, it should be taken as a true testament that Garfield has some real talent. He’s starred alongside names like Heath Ledger, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and worked with greatly respected directors such as Spike Jonze.

The director of the new Spider-Man movie, Marc Webb, had nothing but good things to say about Garfield, commenting “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”

The next instalment of the Spider-Man series is scheduled to begin production in early December and will hit theatres in 3D on July 3, 2011.

Kevin Spacey Sets Record Straight About Facebook Movie

Ilan Mester — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:35:19 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

After the hit gambling movie “21,” Kevin Spacey is once again teaming up with author Ben Mezrich to produce “The Social Network,” an adaptation of the the new book “The Accidental Billionaires.” The book tells the story of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.

There have been rumours that actors including “Transformers” star Shia Labeouf, Canadian Michael Cera and “I Love You, Beth Cooper’s” Paul Rust are up for the lead role. However, in an interview with MTV News, Spacey set the record straight and said no one has read for the part.

“I can’t imagine anyone’s read for it because we haven’t really announced the director…So I don’t think anyone’s read for it. Maybe in their fantasy they’ve auditioned for it,” he told MTV News.

Although an official announcement has not been made as to who will be directing the flick, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” director David Fincher is reportedly set to direct the movie.

Spacey said the story is “very filmic, very modern, very cool” and that they could be shooting the film “this year”.