Merry Christmas, lovelies!

    Hello! And Merry Christmas! I hope it was delightful and full of joy and love! I know mine was.

    Now, I had planned on doing a video critique, but my hair looks awful and makeup is just... Anywho, I decided to keep it for tomorrow, because I will (with any luck) be snowed in and will have nothing else to do! So, if you can just keep that clip I had posted in mind, but pause it for a sec.

    I wanted to talk about some cool stuff and my favorite holiday movies and such. So! With my favorite holiday movies! Well, like a lot, a lot, a lot of people, my all-time-fave is "It's A Wonderful Life!" It's a classic! I hadn't truly appreciated it's lovely brilliance until the last time I saw it; last night. It's just a really a classic and really great. It's about, essentially, about showing how much a world would change without you. The movie shows that each life is precious and important, and of course, "No man is a failure who has friends." Super awesome. Stars the perfect James Stewart and Donna Reed. Truly an awesome flick and is an absolute must see! A true classic!

    Another favorite is probably "A Christmas Story." It's another family classic that takes place in Indiana, but that doesn't matter. It shows the life of one boy in a normal family in the 1940s. The story proves that maybe you should listen to others, but it will never really keep someone from wanting. It's a great family fun flick and if you don't identify with at least one thing in the movie, I question your existence as a human. That's probably why it is such a classic, everyone identifies with one tiny part of it, at least.

    NOW! If you haven't noticed, there are blockbusters after blockbusters coming out as of late. And you know what that means, right? Oscar season is upon us! The truly best time of the year! In fact, the list of Oscar noms for Hair and Makeup have been announced! Read the list here. ALSO! The Golden Globes are coming up soon! Woo! Read the complete list here and don't forget to tune in on January 13th on NBC! Give me your predictions, what you think of the noms, and anything else you like! Have a great holiday, everyone and be safe, stay loving, and keep n keeping on! Woo!

Thanks, lovelies,
MT

Preview!!

As celebration for the not end of the world, here is one of my favorite shorts from the filmmaker I am critiquing soon! New post should be up soon! Woo!

Thanks, lovelies!
MT

Here's My Favorite!

Here is one of Olan Rogers' videos. He has tons others! He is quite a funny man and his videos just get better! Check them out!

Thanks, lovelies,
MT

P.S. Sneak peek at the next post should be coming up soon! Woo!

Olan Rogers! Critique #12

Finally! A new video! Happy December, everyone! Comments, questions, critiques, anything is welcome in the comment section below and via twitter!
Love you guys,
MT

MCT Blog proudly presents: Lincoln (Critique #11)

Here is my critique on the new movie, Lincoln! Check it out and let me know what you think! Have anything to add? Disagree? Let me know! Let me know what movie you want me to critique next!

Thanks, lovelies!
MT

Comments, please?

  Hey, guys! This is something I was considering and I would like your guys' input on it! Comment below, or tweet at me @MaryTaylor_Woo

Thanks, lovelies!
MT

Happy Election Day 2012, Everyone!

  Happy election day, everyone! Hope you go out and vote for your fave. Godspeed to all. I hope this video helps, undecided voters!

Love always,
MT

Supernatural: Written (Critique #10)

 Hello, internet world!

  Mary Taylor here. Here to talk about a series that has been haunting me since I joined Tumblr and year and a half ago: Supernatural (shortened to SPN, by some of the fangirls). I know what you're thinking; probably the same thing I was thinking a month ago anytime someone would mention that title: "cheesy, unrealistic series that I will never get into," right? Yeah, but before you take that leap of judgement, hear me out.

  About a month ago, as I mentioned, I had had the last straw on Tumblr (if you have a Tumblr, you understand what I mean and you're probably subject to the abuse of other fandoms you know nothing about raining down on you and your dash). I'd seen the last gif set to drive me to the edge. So, I finally decided "let's see what the hype is about." I swore up and down, up until that point, that I would never watch it because, first, it seemed super cheesy and unrealistic, and the guys use really low voices and WTF is going on!? And because one of the leading men, Jensen Ackles, played in my enemy of a television series, Days of Our Lives: the soap opera that every girl on my mother's side fanigrls over. I can't stand it. So, to sum it up, a month and a half ago, I would laugh in your face if you told me I will have actually enjoyed watching the series.

  Despite that, I actually really enjoyed the series so far! And actually, the thing that got me, was how nice the fandom seemed. I know that sounds weird, but the SPN fandom always seemed really nice and kind on Tumblr. So, I thought it couldn't be that bad! Of course, like everything in life, though, it has it's flaws. It's not a perfect show, but it doesn't try to be, either. It is very aware of what it is: verging on a cult following series. What am I talking about? It has a definite cult following. Just like Doctor Who, Community, Big Bang Theory, all that stuff. If I were to compare it to any of those based on how the ratings are though, I'd go for Community. A show that is very good, yet people fail to see the beauty in it and forget to watch it. However, Community is... okay, another topic for another post entirely.

  "Mary, stop rambling and tell us what the show is even about!" Oh, yes! Well, essentially, the story is about these two brothers who have a grudge against pretty much all mythological monsters. Any and all you can think of, practically. And the occasional one you've never heard of before in your life. So, the brothers were brought up in this life: hunting, and one brother, Sam Winchester, continues to rebel against it while the other, Dean Winchester, reminds him of why he's stayed with it for so long. Along the way, we meet more hunters, new and old, and we meet demons that help, angles that hurt, and many surprises on the way.

  So, let's start with the flaws. Yeah, you can't get into this show without realizing the flaws and being okay with them. First, and the most predominant in my opinion: the repetition. I mean, no matter what the brothers are doing, sam always insists on bugging Dean to talk about his feelings on that season's "theme," if you will. Also, What does a guy have to do to stay dead in this town? Not to give anything away. I mean, I'm glad they bring them to life, but I hope it is explained better later on. Most of the writing I really like, but there are times where I'm like "that seems kind of unrealistic, that dialogue." However, I've yet to find inconsistency, which is a lot more than I can say for tons of shows that are doing a thousand times better than this show. Anywho! Back on track.

  Though there are flaws, the show has a lot of bright spots. The effects, for instance, are super cool, especially for a television show. Further, the comedy. Don't get me wrong, this is a drama, but there are one-liners thrown in there and I've yet to not laugh out loud at them. Also, the evolution of the plot and the characters is beautiful. To me, at least. I mean, you have shows that are so choppy and inconsistent with development that it's like "wait, just last week, they were... what!?" But with this, it is rather smooth throughout the seasons and the characters are always great. Like I said, the Sam bugging Dean (and sometimes vice versa) gets annoying, but for some strange reason, I still love them. My favorite characters are the like "special guest stars," though. Castiel is my all-time favorite of the show. If you know the show, you'll know that that is very common. Castiel is one fo those characters that is probably the funniest on the show, but doesn't know he's funny, which makes it funnier. You see that a lot less often than what you'd think. Another favorite is Lucifer. Just hear me out, he's hilarious, is he not? Okay. And he justifies everything he does and ever has done and why he's considered bad and I just can't hate the guy. Anywho, I see I'll have to do like a whole separate post just on the humor in this show, because it is top-notch, I assure you.

  All in all, this show is underrated completely. It is much smarter than one might think. The writers are clever, the story is fluid, the characters evolve realistically, and it is very consistent. Given the unrealistic plot, it is easy to get into and the Supernatural takes you on the journey, so you feel like you're going through what the characters are. Supernatural is a great show for anyone who enjoys fantasy, drama, pop culture, comedy, folklore, and special effects. For such a small show, it has a very big presence. Go check it out. Wednesday on the CW at 9:00/8:00c. Or check out the official site here.

Thanks, lovelies!
Love always,
MT

P.S. Let me know what you want to see me critique next. Tell me how I might improve my critiques and blog! I love hearing from you guys, even if it's only once in a while (although, I'd love if it was more than once, but whatevs). Have a great Election Day, everyone!

Mockingbird Lane (Critique #9)

Happy Halloween Eve, everyone! Here's a critique on the new NBC series, Mockingbird Lane. A great reboot of the old classic, The Munsters. Check out the first episode here! Hope you guys have a great Halloween and look out for a written critique on the series Supernatural tomorrow!!

 Love always,
MT

Halloweentown (Critique #8)

There were no trailers for Halloweentown, so the IMDb page is in the description of here. Hope you guys enjoy it! Have anything to add? Want a different movie next time? Love or hate the blog? Give me constructive criticism and let me know how to make it a better blog! Comment or ask questions below! Or you can tweet at me @MaryTaylor_Woo
Thanks, guys!
Love always,
MT

OCTOBER!

    So, tomorrow marks the first of October. I know, pretty exciting. Personally, Halloween is my favorite holiday. What with all of the awesome movies that go along with it like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, etc. SO! This month I'm going to try to do one to two posts every week. It's going to be tough, but I think I can do it! Every critique this month will be over a fall-feely kind of movie.
  Want to request a certain movie? Tell me what your favorite fall-y kind of movie either in a comment below, or shoot me a tweet! I love hearing from my audience! Tell me what you would like to see from this blog and how I can improve! You guys rock!

October! Get excited!!

Love,
MT

Picture brought to you by http://huecraft.blogspot.com/

Double Whammy! (Critiques #6 & 7)

Finally, after an inexcusably long absence, here is a video of critiques, and love of the late Michael Clarke Duncan. Let me know what you guys think and how you want to see improvements in the blog. New and exciting stuff coming up, so be on look out! I'll post a video promoting the new and improved blog. Leave comments, questions, whatever you like. Tweet at me @MaryTaylor_Woo

Love you guys!
MT

New Stuff Coming On!

Hey, guys!!
As some of you may know, I've been working on making this blog an even better experience for all. In that, I've been working on different pages for the blog; different pages like "101 Films You Must See," which is a list of films I believe everyone who loves movies should see (and maybe those who don't adore films, as well). Also, I've started working on a page that is my ultimate guide to Disney films, a page about Comedy and its history, a page about people in Hollywood you should recognize, and so on. So, some exciting stuff happening and coming up! If you want a page about something in particular, let me know via comment, tweet, or whatever takes your fancy! I'd love to hear it!! Tweet at me @MaryTaylor_Woo!

Thanks, lovelies!

Love always,
MT

Summer in Reviews!

Finally! After a ridiculously long absence, here is the Summer summary in movie reviews!! Included is some info on a few new things coming up this year! Enjoy. Let me know what movies you saw and what you thought of them. Let me know what you want to see next!
Thanks, lovelies!
MT

Under Construction

Hello, Internet World!
    I've been noticing my audience getting more and more diverse, coming from other sources other than Facebook. Woo! So, to you all, I apologize for my long, huge absence! While "away," I thought up new ideas for the blog. Since school is starting soon and it's a change for everything, I thought I could change this up a little bit. With that said, the website will be going under construction, in a way. Trying to find new ways to improve the videos, posts, etc.

    While I'm at it, let me know what you want to see in the new and improved Mary's Critical Times blog.

Thank you guys so much! You rock!

Love always,
MT

 

London 2012 Opening (While We Wait Once Again)

  Hello, Internet World!
Mary Taylor here. So sorry for my long periods without posts! Just finished an unusually good run of Hairspray. We did not think it would go as well as it did, but it went really well. ANYWHO!

  The big topic of the summer that simply cannot be ignored: London Olympics! Let's start with the opening ceremony (and end there, because that's all I really have to talk about in this post).
A great, great, great way to start things off, I believe. Starting with an appropriate theme of The Tempest, and only getting greater and greater. Starting with that really set the mood for the kind of show, and warned tha audience what, really, they will be witnessing from that moment on. Danny Boyle was the best choice to direct that opening. He is notorious for never making small choices, and he flaunted that aspect of his directing quite well in the opening. The whole opening was quite beautiful, and took us beautifully through the history of Britain. He wanted the opening to be "loud and thumpy," and he did more than fulfill that want. Musically, it helped everything transition and made what seemed to be random scenes thrown (I use that term as lightly as I possibly can) together seem very flowy. Music was a major aspect to the whole opening; it helped the audience understand what was going on, bringing us, loudly, to the Industrial Revolution, which Britain is famous for leading. Pausing for a moment of silence, while the "Britain Through the Ages," was poignant as it was where The Great War was in the tribute.

  Moving to the tribute to Great Britain's literary excellence was amazing. There was a great tribute to GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital), which J. M. Berrie gave generously to throughout his life. My personal favorite was the dance the nurses and children did that represented what it was like trying to put children to bed at night. Moving into the dream sequence, the children dreamed of the great literary villains, including the 10 foot tall Voldemort.

  Made almost entirely of volunteers, you can tell the opening ceremonies took months upon months of planning and rehearsing!

  Lighting the torch was BEAUTIFUL! The NBC's camera shot from underneath was brilliant, and the luscious soprano singing as it was being raises. Gah! Amazing. From then, the best part of the evening, the world singing as one with Sir Paul McCartney in Hey, Jude.
  Of course, though, the great huge event of the evening is the Queen's James Bond entrance. She let down her hair for the event and cheered wildly.
  Overall, amazing.

  I have to say, the NBC newscasters spoke far too much and gave too much commentary when there didn't need to be any. Of course, little tidbits about the history why they are doing certain things, sure, but a lot could have been easily cut out. Further, NBC cut a dance tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack in Britain and put a rather pointless interview with Michael Phelps in its place. Truly, I think it is rude of NBC. It was another moment the host country had to show what it had to offer and what they had spent months preparing, and we put a two minute interview with Michael Phelps in. I understand the importance of Michael Phelps, but that is disrespectful to the host country and to the victims of the attack.

So! The opening ceremonies were, indeed, loud and thumpy, and simply cannot be missed! It told a story as opposed to parading around. Musically, gorgeous. The Queen, excited and proud. NBC, think before you act.

Thanks, lovelies!!

Love always,
MT


Set fire to the rain! London 2012 Opening

Ted: Official Trailer

Here is the trailer for this week's critique: Ted. Enjoy!
MT

Ted: The Critique (Critique #4)

  Here is my critique on the new comedy movie, Ted. Let me know what you guys think and what you guys think I should do next!
Thanks,
MT

While We Wait... Again.

Hello, Internet Lovelies!

  First, let me apologize for my inexcusable absence! I know all the both of you are so crushed (Mom and Dad), but while we wait for my next film critique video, I'll write something on television! So, on to it.

  PBS is a magnificent, fantastic, lovely television privilege. At the very least, 50% of our DVR list per week is PBS. Such things like Great Performances, in which they show different concerts. The awesomeness doesn't end there! That's right! They hold different television specials, I know, boring, BUT! In those, they have tons and tons of clips. For instance, Victor Borge (which was my fav). Furthermore, they have a magnificent, lovely series called Masterpiece Theater.
 
  Masterpiece Theater is basically the British miniseries, and sometimes films, that American television does not show on BBC America. Masterpiece consists of three different areas: Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Contemporary, and Masterpiece Mystery; Masterpiece Mystery being the most popular in our home. It is always important, in my opinion, to see things from other countries, even if it is just across the pond. The style is completely different and quite interesting. 

  The particular series of Masterpiece I will be talking about is a series called Sherlock on Masterpiece Mystery, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (actor info here) as Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman (actor info here) as Dr. John Watson. Sherlock is a modernized look at the classic stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and created by Steven Moffat (info here) and Mark Gatiss (info here). Some of you Whovians may jump at those names. Steven Moffat, for those who may not watch the British hit television show, Doctor Who, is a writer for the sci-fi series. Mark Gatiss also writes for Doctor Who, and has actually acted in an episode. In fact, Mark Gatiss not only writes for Sherlock, but also plays Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft Holmes.

  For those who have no clue of what I am talking about when I say "Sherlock Holmes," allow me to give you some background information, even though it is not necessary to know in order to watch the series, or anything Sherlock Holmes, for that matter. Anywho! Sherlock Holmes is a consulting detective (only one in the world), and when the police are completely out of their element and have not the slightest clue as to how to solve the case, they go to Sherlock. To put his gift simply, Sherlock Holmes is one of the quickest observers and thinkers in the UK. By one look, he can deduce nearly every detail about you; some details you may not even know about yourself. So, as he should, he put those skills to good use. Sherlock is a high-functioning sociopath, and gets bored very easily.

  Now, I must go on with the critique.

   I am certain I will critique individual episodes in the near future, but for now, let me speak of the series as a whole. Sherlock is a brilliant show that really brings Sherlock Holmes to the 21st century in a more deliberate, if I may, way than Fox TVs House did. There are six, one hour and thirty minute episodes of this series, and two seasons (three episodes per season). The series is magnificently cast with a tall, lengthy Sherlock Holmes, and a home-y, slightly average looking Doctor John Watson. Martin Freeman actually won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for his interpretation of John Hamish Watson in the first season. One character, however, who held the attention of the whole audience, yet has so little camera time is Andrew Scott playing the arch nemesis, if I may, of Sherlock Holmes, James Moriarty (or "Jim" in the 21st century).

  When it comes to performance, Benedict Cumberbatch is absolutely fantastic as Sherlock Holmes. Andrew Scott (who also won a BAFTA for his interpretation of Moriarty this year) takes risks and makes huge choices not to be missed by anyone. Martin Freeman was hilarious in The Office and Love Actually, but shows his amazing talent as a doctor who thought he'd seen just about everything. Laura Pulver, who plays The Woman, or Irene Adler, is absolutely stunning and played Irene with the class that made me want to bring a country to its knees. Pretty much what I'm saying is there are no weak performances.

  The thing I really, really, REALLY love about this series is the fact that absolutely everyone makes big choices. Acting choices, directing choices, you name it. Another big thing with this show that everyone seems to love is the fact that text shows up on the screen as a character is, for instance, reading a text, typing on the computer, etc. It is quite interesting and has never been done like this before.

  Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and the other writer, Steve Thompson do a wonderful job at keeping all choices up to date while being true to canon. Obviously, liberties have been taken; the episodes are "based" on certain stories, and sometimes more than one. However, the series is sure to be loved by classic Sherlock Holmes fans.

  In conclusion, Sherlock is a brilliant series brought to America by Masterpiece Mystery on the Public Broadcasting Stations. Sherlock can be enjoyed by lovers of the stories and new comers alike. I could not recommend it more, however not fit for younger children, really. They'd find it boring and there are some more mature themes. I hope you've not only learned about an awesome new series, but also all of the awesomeness that is PBS!

Any questions or comments, comment below, or tweet at me! Always free. 

Thanks, lovelies!
MT

(image brought to you by this)

Brave (trailer)

Here is the trailer to go along with my critique!

The Brave Critique (Critique #3)

Here lies my critique of Disney Pixar's Brave! Enjoy! Let me know what you think and how I can improve with comments. Let me know of any questions you might have. Love you guys!!
Love,
MT

The Great Gatsby Trailer!

The trailer for The Great Gatsby! Coming to theaters this Christmas! Woo! IMDb page here.
Love always,
MT

The Roomy Critique

Woo! New Critique! And the movie is from a viewer. Okay, it's from my roommate. But STILL! Let me know what you want me to critique next. Let me know what you think, and give me some hints on how I can make this better. You guys rock.
Thank you and love to all!
MT

Critique of Ages (Critique #1)!

First Critique video! Woo! Let me know what you think. Leave me comments. Tweet at me @MaryTaylor_Woo.

Correction

Thank you to the anonymous commenter from my last blog post, I realized I made a huge mistake! I meant Audra McDonald, not Audrey. I forgot that is just her little nickname for her. She calls my Marian. It's all really cute.
Thanks again, anon!
Love always,
MT

While We Wait

Hello, everyone!
I realize that my video making is not exactly frequent (or existent at the moment). We ran into some small tech issues that we will be sorting out over the week to ensure we make this blog as epic as possible. Just because there is no video up yet does not mean we can't have fun, right? Right!
  So, while we wait for the issues to be sorted out, let me just go ahead and talk about a major event that happened on Sunday. The biggest Sunday of the year for theater lovers and goers. The TONYs! Woo!
I was extremely happy with this year's Tony Awards, especially considering that the past few years the sound and mics were wonky a lot of the time. This year they seemed to have sorted that out (finally). Most categories were predictable. Not to toot my own horn, but I predicted all but three correctly. Just saying. Anywho!
  All of the performances were pretty outstanding. Opening with The Book of Mormon was fantastic (bu dum ching), and as always, Neil Patrick Harris was great. He seemed to have toned it down a lot from the last couple of times he's hosted. However, he's still NPH and still awesome. I loved loved LOVED the performance of One Man, Two Guvnors. His energy was the highlight of the night and his Tony is very, very much deserved.
  Let's talk about how much I am DYING to see Peter and the Star Catcher. This season's plays were all so outstanding! Finally they seemed just as important as the musicals. I always walked away from the Tonys remembering the musicals more than the plays, but this year I am definitely remembering those plays.
  The best musical performance is SO hard to choose. They were all very good and tight. The only one that was forgettable was Leap of Faith. Most memorable ones definitely included the energetic Follies with the fabulous Danny Bernstein (love him so much)! Of course, we can't forget Seize the Day from Newsies; that performance was perfection. I loved it. I'm obsessed with how classy Kelli O'Hara is all the time. The performance of Nice Work was great. The best one of the night, though, was probably Once. It was just adorable. In second place, though, is definitely my love, Danny Bernstein.

(Before we go on about the Tonys, let's talk about the huge surprise that happened in the middle of the Tonys) I'm not talking about the adorable part where Hugh Jackman's wife surprises her husband with a Tony. No, I'm talking about the reason Hugh was in America. THE LES MISERABLE TRAILER!!! Guys. Guys. GUYS!! Okay, so here's the deal. I love the music and the show itself (who doesn't), but I've started losing hope in movie musicals. But that trailer totally restored the hope. If it is half as good as what it looks like, GAH! It will be great. Not going to lie to you, lovelies. I teared up a little bit. I am beyond excited. If the only thing I get for Christmas is a ticket to go see that movie, I will be a very happy camper!
(all right, back to the Tonys)

  Let's face it, Once winning best musical is no surprise. Out of all of the strong shows this year, that had to be the strongest. Audra (thank you, anon) McDonald is like Broadway's Meryl Streep. Mandy Patinkin is adorable with a beard. Patti LuPone is perfection. NPH needs to host the Tonys all the time.
  Finally, this year I'm thrilled with the Tonys. They were infinitely cleaner than years past. They were classy. They outlined the best of Broadway perfectly.

Video will be up soon!!
Thanks, guys!
MT

ONCE: the Tony Award winning musical at the Tonys

Hello!

Hello, awesome people of the Internet!
  This is a blog of critiques on different entertainment. Especially movies and local theater. I shall give my honest opinion on things I've seen. Now, it won't always be new movies. I'll analyzes old movies, theater productions I remember seeing, comedy acts, whatever. Admittedly, I may sometimes promote certain productions and projects I'm involved in, but only when I feel it is worthy.
  I will be posting (mostly) on Wednesdays, unless technical difficulties ensue. This is not a blog of "oh, today my day was blah." This is a critic blog sharing my opinion on cool stuff. The blog will be videos and text posts.
  Thanks for taking this journey with me, friends! You are all awesome! Woo!
Love always,
MT

Look at this awesome picture!