You have a lot of options for entertainment these days, so when Demolition Derby Plus (www.DemolitionDerbyPlus.xyz) shows up to the party tosses down a hat and starts busking it better be able to play fire. While the shows behind the paywall approach lit, the smashing and crashing is never enough to grab a pillow and smother the little voice in my head that says,
"Another streaming service?" and "Couldn't you just go down to the broken streetlight and watch some crashes for free?" The answer to both is clearly, 'Yes.'
The shows are well produced. 'Crashing with Kaley' seems like the kind of high profile show you make to announce with a splash that you're open for business and your business is hot tubs. Whether it will resonate with an audience is less clear and Ms. Cuoco's involvement with the project seems more paycheck focused than reveling in some of the terrific demolition derbies that take place around the world and the scenic dirt lots they take place in.
'Bus-ted' is a crowd pleaser if your crowd is a bunch of drunk teenage boys too impatient to google the word "boobs."
It features a number of school buses from across the US, though if you're from Fakahatchee you cant help but recognize some of the vehicles that were very recently taking your child to school. It's a reminder that 'high-octane' entertainment comes at a cost to someone and that someone in this case is Fakahatchee's tax payers.
The celebrity curated lists are undoubtedly the most interesting of the bunch as, presumably well compensated, celebrities work to establish their bonafides in this arena. Some highlights include:
'4 Big Wheels 10 Big Smashes with Chris Jericho'
'My Favorite Bonestocks with Natalie Portman'
'Alan Dershowitz's Top Ten Seat Belt Failures'
'7 Sweet Jumps with French Stewart'
'Man Mashing with Sir Ian Mckellen'
There's something charming about watching celebrities the likes of Sir Ian McKellen reckon with a man being burned alive in an old modified car after being smashed by another that is practically indescribable. But I'll do my best. Splendiferous. It is the gift I didn't know I needed.
The menu and UI however is absolutely harrowing. If this is the future of entertainment it paints an America with a dark brush, imagining a locked-off ecosystem of highly specific unorganized niche focused content. I think this will lead to a generic homogenization of the country where the most popular things will remain free resulting in a weirdo tax on people with specific or outside the norm interests. While I have no doubt people will enjoy this I find much of the endeavor lacking, except for Sir Ian Mckellan. He is, as always, a terrific talent.
Overall rating: C-
Reader Note: Demolition Derby Plus is a Fakahatchee Gazette advertiser though no monetary consideration was exchanged for this review.