Geeking out to 'The Social Network'

'The Social Network' - a Page 6 version of Mark Zuckerberg's rise from dorm room geek to billionaire baller – is a compelling, though highly clichéd, picture of Silicon Valley via 'Girls Gone Wild.'

The film chronicles the meteoric rise of the now-ubiquitous social networking site Facebook. Through its evolution, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (West Wing), along with director David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac), have brought us a hackneyed morality tale - one in which the losers inevitably win, but at a cost that renders them impotent and alone.

Before they even role the opening credits, a smug and condescending Zuckerberg (a curly-haired Jesse Eisenberg) chides his girlfriend in a Cambridge pub until she finally relents to his overbearing verbal assault.

Girls won’t like him, she says, but not because he’s a geek. It’s because he’s an asshole.

Movie Reviews: Not on Staten Island

The Dump would like to review two new movies currently out in the theaters: 'Catfish' and 'I'm Still Here.'

'Catfish' is the creepy, Facebook-inspired dystopian social network documentary, and 'I'm Still Here' is the Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary that managed to fool everybody while getting blistering - though misguided - reviews in the process.

They may not be blockbusters, but both are compelling new films generating buzz and conversation throughout the city. Also, both are not playing on Staten Island.

Once again, like in the 'Brokeback Mountain' and 'Milk' debacles, Island theaters continue to avoid arthouse, while appealing to the lowest common denominator at the same time.