The Online Acreage of Zach McFarlen
Currently Browsing: Film
Posted by zmcfarlen | Aug 3rd, 2009
(500) Days of Summer
I have a confession to make. I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle. I’ve never watched You’ve Got Mail. But I bet I can guess what happens in both films: a man and woman meet, develop an attraction, are kept apart by some variable of conflict, and ultimately overcome this trial to live a life of pure bliss together. It’s safe to say that romantic comedies aren’t exactly my favorite genre of film. Heck,...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jul 16th, 2009
The Hurt Locker
Half-way through July, we moviegoers find ourselves in the thick of the Summer movie season, which officially kicked off back in early May. With the recent releases of Transformers 2, Bruno, and Harry Potter 16, deciding which movie to see may not be a simple task. Let me do it for you: if The Hurt Locker is playing in your city, it’s likely the best film out you can see right now. It is a war film, but not...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jul 2nd, 2009
Michael Mann
This week, Michael Mann adds to his directorial filmography with Public Enemies, the John Dillinger biopic starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and a handful of supporting players you’ll probably recognize. While the film is getting mixed reviews, I feel this is mostly a result of misplaced expectations and comparisons to Mann’s other films. In fact, another writer has quoted a former studio chairman who...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Jun 4th, 2009
Up!
If you have children, you have undoubtedly experienced the joy of seeing at least one Disney / Pixar film since the pair first released Toy Story into theaters 14 years ago. The Disney / Pixar partnership has enjoyed unprecedented movie-making success both critically and financially; their films have received more than 20 Oscars and have collectively grossed over $5 billion dollars at the box office globally....
Posted by zmcfarlen | May 5th, 2009
In Bruges
It’s May and thankfully that means the beginning of the Summer movie season. Perhaps no span of weeks and months is as dry at the cinema as those months between Oscar season and early May. And between such limited appeal at the box office and the current economic climate, it’s not a bad time to look for DVDs to rent (and buy) instead of going out for a weekly flick. But what to rent? I’m glad you asked.
During...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Mar 3rd, 2009
Man On Wire
In 1974, after 6 years of careful planning, Frenchman Philippe Petit snuck his way onto the roof of the nearly-complete World Trade Center towers in New York City. Under the cover of night, he and his crew then strung a 450 pound cable between the two towers, approximately 1/4 of a mile above the sidewalks below. Just as day broke, Petit stepped out onto this highwire and successfully walked between the two...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 25th, 2009
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I walked into The Curious Case of Benjamin Button already having an appreciation of both Brad Pitt’s acting and David Fincher’s work as a director. However, I had minimal expectations for this movie partly because I am not really a fan of ‘fantasy’ films and, more specifically, because I was having a hard time figuring out how the director of Se7en, Fight Club, and The Zodiac ended up at the helm of...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 25th, 2009
Let the Right One In
I just had the opportunity to see director Tomas Alfredson’s award-winning Swedish film, Låt Den Rätte Komma In. If you have the privilege of finding it in a theater near you, go see this film. In a cinemascape filled with predictable, rehashed storylines, Let the Right One In is one of the most uniquely original movies I have seen in a long time.
Although the film debuted almost 10 months ago at the Tribeca...
I am a video editor and digital designer who enjoys dialogue about film and design as well as music, travel, and poker.
I own and operate Blinding Light Design, LLC, and I also regularly contribute to the media and product review site, FreshRadar.