They never made a ‘Myspace’ or a ‘Friendster’ movie, but then again Facebook has got those two dinosaurs beat in the social network hierarchy, by a matter of both time and money. I was shockingly impressed by The Social Network. Jesse Eisenberg managed to portray Mark Zuckerberg, the Harvard Undergraduate geek whose social networking site made him the world’s youngest Billionaire–with remarkable believability and depth. The Academy seemed to think so too, and awarded him Best Actor nomination. It provides a realistic rendition of the social conundrums faced by our generation: the quest for innovation, acceptance and intimacy in a voyeuristic world. Definitely a flick worth watching.
But when it comes to guiltless pleasure, I like it served up at the hot at the padd on the projector, vintage style. And when it comes to vintage flicks, the Pink Panther series takes the cake. Jacques Clouseau’s clutz-wonderful charisma can take me away to a land of Russian Princesses and jewel thieves any day. It’s like James Bond infused with an air of ultimate ridiculousness. It all began in the 1963 with the original Pink Panther film, starring Peter Sellers. For those who are ill-advised, let me recommend watching the series in order. Start with The Pink Panther. Then watch The Return of the Pink Panther, folllowed by The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Add more and repeat as necessary.
Jacques Clouseau, Trying Desperately to Hide