The Online Acreage of Zach McFarlen
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 26th, 2009
Elizabeth Gilbert: A New Way to Think about Creativity
“Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person ‘being’ a genius, all of us ‘have’ a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.” - http://www.ted.com
If you are a creative type or love someone who is, you should absolutely watch this video. While...
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
The Bourne Conspiracy
Let me preface this recommendation with this disclaimer: I am not a hardcore gamer. I’ve never owned an XBox or XBox 360. I do not play Halo.
What I do own is a Playstation 3 and what I do enjoy is fairly casual gaming. I enjoy buying games I can playthrough with some difficulty but within a reasonable amount of time. I enjoy good storylines and I am a sucker for good graphics. The Bourne Conspiracy, developed...
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...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 25th, 2009
Paulson Noir Poker Chips
It’s no secret that companies and manufacturers of all kinds of products are constantly introducing newer, shinier, faster toys for guys to spend their entertainment dollars on. From high-tech golf clubs to next-generation gaming consoles, we are constantly bombarded by the ‘next big things.’ In the midst of these ever-increasing ways to spend our time and money, it is somewhat surprising to see a rebirth...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 25th, 2009
Appropriating Originality: Roland Barthes and Barbara Kruger
I recently wrote this essay for my graduate Art History course.
Postmodernism was born out of a reaction against the doctrine of Modernism. Most specifically, Postmodern artists rejected the Modernist obsession with the aesthetic and began by questioning the formal qualities tied to this aesthetic. As the Postmodern movement progressed, this critique intensified and moved beyond merely formal concerns; artists...
Posted by zmcfarlen | Feb 25th, 2009
Completing the Break from Modernism: Kiefer and Prince
I recently wrote this essay for my graduate Art History course.
The transition from Modernism to Postmodernism was not a clean, singular moment in time; rather, Postmodernism confronted and superseded Modernism over a period of two to three decades. Postmodernism had completely come to the forefront by the late 1970s and early 1980s. The defining work in this period heralded a return to representational image...
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.