Defining A Moment In Time

Between March 2000 and January 2005, I wrote 66 reviews for Epinions.

I don’t think the site gets nearly enough credit for its use of user-generated content in a social networking setting long before those had become big buzzwords.

I recently checked in to see how much money I have earned through my reviews ($145 — not quite enough to retire on yet). In the process I came across a review I wrote of Slacker.

I like that in the process of trying to put Slacker into an historical context, I wound up creating a time capsule of what many of our perspectives were in March of 2000. We were so generally optimistic and hopeful about the world that a film like Slacker seemed so anachronistic that it required a history lesson to appreciate.

Sadly, I don’t think it is required to give that history lesson anymore. The film’s portrait of a menagerie of oddballs whose main connection is a dissatisfaction with the status quo, unfortunately is nearly as relevant today as it was back in the early 90’s.

Wednesday March 5, 2008