TaylorMadeMarketing’s Days are Numbered…

Hello all,

I wanted to thank you for the support you’ve given me over the past 8 years. This blog ignited my passion for writing and has been a perfect outlet for me to share my feelings and connect with others. However, in an effort to further hone my craft and add consistency to my ramblings, I’ve decided to retire this blog and dedicate my time to another passion of mine: Movie Reviews.

TaylorMadeMarketing will remain up as long as there’s still traffic, but I will no longer be posting here. If you’re interested in keeping up with me through this transition, please follow my new blog at www.tmansmoviereviews.com. Thank you again for all your support. Here’s to new beginnings, new stories and limitless possibilities!
-Taylor

Happy New Year! 2018

I have a feeling that 2018 will be a most productive year! I haven’t seriously considered any resolutions, but I would like to read at least 5 books this year. It’s not much, but I’d actually like to achieve my goals. I’d also like to watch more movies in 2018 than in 2017. I found a new passion in movies last year and would like to continue down that path. So far I’m averaging 1 movie per day of this new year! Whether each movie gets it’s own post is another story. I will keep up with my blog as often as possible, but I’m not going to let life pass me by! New years bring new challenges, but also new opportunities. I’m blessed to have left 2017 on a high note, so I may continue that positive momentum into the new year. I wish you all the best in 2018 and hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am! Happy New Year! 

Destiny 2

I don’t normally review video games, but after several late nights since it’s release date, it’s safe to say that this game has made an impression on me. If you played D1 then you’ll notice right away that you are able to use your old characters to play through the new story mode. A nice feature that is appreciated by many, myself included. Destiny 2, or Xbox I should say, has made LFG (looking for group) simple and easily accessible to everyone which opens up the multiplayer game in more ways than one! Find groups for PVP (player vs. player) and Strikes, and run through the opposition! If you’re more of a loner when it comes to your online gaming, Destiny 2 will put you into matchmaking and then find a group for you for the Crucible (PVP) and regular Strikes. However, Xbox’s LFG option is extremely helpful for players who want to get the most out of their gameplay. You can find dozens of folks on LFG all trying to accomplish the same events/missions as you. LFG is a must for players who wish to accomplish Nightfall (difficult strike), Leviathan (the raid), and Trials of the Nine (high intensity PVP). Once you have played around and found people you enjoy playing with, don’t be shy! Send them a friend request and keep playing! Chances are they’ll be back at it again the next day/week. 

All in all, this game is a blast. 9/10 stars from me. Now that Bungie has fixed some of the glitches in the raid and elsewhere, I would feel comfortable giving this game a perfect score. If you enjoy first person shooters and MMORPG’s, this game is for you! Did I mention that Destiny has the same creators as Halo? What are you waiting for? This game is an experience that begs to be experienced. Indulge it.

American Vandal

This mockumentary tv show was hilariously aware of itself and the result is pure entertainment! I don’t think this is for everyone, but I found myself laughing at more than a few situations. The kid making the documentary is not my favorite lead, but Jimmy Tatro is as hilarious and engaging as ever. This show is obviously not taking itself serious, so neither should you! If you don’t enjoy the first episode, I wouldn’t keep watching. The rest of the series is more of the same, but if you do like it, have fun! Happy watching.

Gangs of New York 2002

It’s clear to see the talent behind the camera in this film. Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for the first time, and the result is exactly as good as it sounds. Daniel Day-Lewis’ character is terrifying, but extremely watchable. Solid acting and directing makes Gangs of New York an achievement of a film. It’s a long movie, grab a popcorn. Happy watching.

Titanic (1997)

I wouldn’t normally describe any movie as “perfect”, but after my most recent viewing of James Cameron’s Titanic, I’ll have to change that rule. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have the sort of chemistry that other on-screen couples can only dream of achieving. That’s impressive by itself, but the rest of the movie is shot so beautifully, you might forget this movie is 3 hours long! The only VHS I can remember that needed 2 separate tapes! It’s ironic, because what I found particularly interesting on this repeat viewing was the fact that you could look at Titanic as 2 completely separate movies. The first half is a romantic drama, telling the age-old story of forbidden love. The second half, however, is an action thriller. Once the Titanic hits the iceberg and the ship begins to sink, the movie becomes about survival. And because of the blossoming love we witnessed in the first half of the film, the gravity of the situation is only heightened. I’ve seen the movie at least 10 times, and even thought I know how it ends, it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the film. The journey that James Cameron takes us on is beautifully inspired and I can’t recommend this movie enough. I’m not crying, you’re crying! Happy watching.

“I’m the king of the world!”

Dead Poets Society 1989

If you haven’t seen this movie before, you might think it’s overrated, but I can assure you it is not. This “coming of age” movie pulled me in right away and was a blast to watch! Robin Williams teaching poetry and mentoring a small group of boys doesn’t necessarily sound like a movie you “have” to see, but this film is executed so beautifully that it is. There is a hint of nostalgia I get from some of the classroom scenes, although this was years before my time. I could have swore I was watching young children at the beginning of this movie, but along the way it’s clear to see that these boys are actually young adults. And Robin Williams is there to guide them and us through their journey. There is a fantastic scene where Ethan Hawke adlibs a poem in front of the classroom with the support of Robin Williams and it’s tearjerkingly satisfying. I honestly can’t say enough great things about this movie. I’m surprised it’s only rated 8/10 stars on IMDb. This is a must see. Happy Watching.

“O Captain! My Captain!”

The Void 2016

I got slightly more gore than I had predicted with this sci-fi horror flick, but it was hard to stop watching! I wasn’t sure what to expect and the writers/directors kept me guessing throughout. Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski are both credited for writing and directing this film and they both have an extensive background in filmography. Most recently, they worked on Suicide Squad in the Art and Makeup Department, respectively. Unlike Suicide Squad, I can actually find something good to say about this movie. Although the gore was a bit over the top, the monsters in this movie were truly terrifying. And they don’t shy away from showing you every gross imperfection. It’s plain to see how each of the director’s backgrounds contributed toward this horror movie. Definitely not for the faint of heart! Happy Watching.

“Statistically you’re more likely to die in a hospital than anywhere else.”

Little Evil 2017

This dark comedy is just what the doctor ordered! At this point, I’ll give any Netflix original I try and Little Evil doesn’t disappoint. It has it’s lulls, but it makes up for it with well timed jokes or scares. Adam Scott is always a pleasure to watch and I think that’s partly due to his characters being super relatable and engaging. He’s easy to root for and, in this movie, he needs all the help he can get. it’s your typical step-father film, but the twist is that his step-son may or may not be the anti-Christ. And the hilarity ensues from there.

Opening line: “I.. Want.. A divorce!”

Lost in Space 1998

Regrettably, I’ve never seen the tv show Lost in Space was based on, but don’t hold that against me. I’m reviewing the movie here, not the show. I was 6 when this movie came out and probably at the perfect age to really get sucked into this story. Almost 20 years later and I still have a good time watching it. It’s like a space, road trip, adventure movie which are all positive things in my book! In fact, I foresee myself reviewing a lot more sci-fi movies in the future. There’s something about being in space that makes even the lowest budget flicks seem grand and expansive. Anyways, Lost in Space banks on that love for space by having the Robinson family continually hurdle over space related obstacles, only to find more hardships (pun intended). I could list several things that I like about this movie, but I’d rather list the one thing that I don’t: the ending. Aside from the fact that the movie gives itself at least 3 acceptable opportunities to end, but gets dragged out, somebody decided it would be a good idea to add a time travel element to this space, road trip, adventure move. See, that’s when those positive things I mentioned earlier become too much. If there’s going to be time travel in your movie, please warn me right away and don’t try to sneak it in during the last scene. I’m no time travel expert, but I guarantee you that the people who made this movie weren’t either. Did I mention that Gary Oldman turns into a spider-crab monster? Because they also throw that in there at the end. Happy Watching.

“Danger, Will Robinson, danger!”