Jonathan Dery, Author at Beantown Review

JAM Audio Xterior Max Speaker Review

09/26/2016 By Jonathan Dery

Beat by Beat: JAM Audio Xterior Max Speaker Review

If a heart were augmented to transmit music and amplify the sound throughout two floors, it would be a close neighbor to the Xterior Max Portable Bluetooth Speaker from JAM Audio. From dynamic quality to refreshing sound clarity, JAM Audio has done it again. They stand as an underdog in a competitive field; with their newest device, they now have a beating heart. Let’s take a closer look in this JAM Audio Xterior Max Speaker Review.

If you’re about to make a purchase on a JAM Audio product, what I say next will be music to your ears. Right now, JAM Audio has a 30% off sale sitewide. Enter the code: CYBER during checkout.

Pros:
• Great Sound, Strong Bass
• Water-Resistant Protection
• Battery Life of 12 Hours
• Solid, Rugged Construction and Feel
• Attractive Price ~ $100

Cons:
• Lack of Color Options

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Xterior Max Body: Design and Features

Black and gray are separated on a dense, ergonomic rubber. This material fulfills two functions: dexterity and desire. On one hand, the material sufficiently clings to the fingertips and is drop, dirt, and waterproof. On the other, it is the perfect balance of smooth with the slightest degree of friction, enticing touch, and satisfying fruition. The speaker has an IP67 rating with dimensions of 7.87 x 3.35 x 2.76 inches.

The two wider sides, implanted with holed panels to disperse sound, are zigzagging grids. Not only does this addition enhance the speaker’s grip, but it also causes the aesthetic to be more dynamic, robust, and meticulously finessed. A creative multi-serving installment to not only reinforce the speakers but the consumer’s confidence in their purchase.

On the underside, there’s a screw mount to adapt the speaker to a bicycle rack or something more stationary such as a stand.

There are six buttons on top: Power, Skip Back, Play/Pause, Skip Forward, Decrease Volume, and Increase Volume.

In addition to the top button scheme, there’s an Aux, DC, and battery jack on the left flank, all ergonomically spaced, sized, and labeled. Happening upon a device both simple and versatile is rare. Charging time was approximately an hour.

Jam Xterior Max feels like a standalone device, not a rough stand-in version, built deficiently and disposable, to force consumers into purchasing the newest model the following year. A brave and noble act by a company swamped in a market of greed.

Also, there’s just something about its precise weight, 2.85 lbs to be accurate, that feels… masculating. (⇐ This is a word, just not familiar enough to be marked as one.)

Be careful with the Xterior Max. While it’s built and shaped like a brick, it too will sink like a brick if you drop it into a swimming pool. It’s not a floating speaker.

Read: The New Case Logic Urban Commuter Laptop Backpacks for Men and Women

What’s In The Box?

Xterior Max Speaker
USB Charging Cable
USB Adapter
Manual

The Pulse

JAM Xterior Max calls to your heart, or at least reverberates within your chest.

At the maximum volume setting, JAM Xterior Max confidently straddles the line between gorging and shattering the consumer’s eardrums. However, it may land the user in a bit more trouble if they cannot hear the police knocking at their door. In this writer’s case, the Emerson College Police.

Even at the highest volume setting, coupled with the quaking bass, it is still possible to discern each sound within a song. The power and clarity of JAM Xterior Max transcends sensory ingestion to produce one pure effect: palpability. It vibrates through you. From Kanye West to Beethoven, this speaker is just as versatile as it is powerful.

Playlist

Rap/Hip-Hop: Drake, Frank Ocean, Kayne West.
Indie Rock: Glass Animals, Oh Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel.
Classical: Beethoven and a few German-composed symphonies.

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Overall

Decades ago, avid and casual listeners, alike, would click a record into their record player and listen to sensational songs through the device music deserved. Since then, there has been an apocalyptic decline in this listening format, as well as the quality of current speakers, in comparison. So far, it seems that the JAM Xterior Max portable Bluetooth is a welcome runner-up in this digital age.

Though the sound quality still cannot match that which is produced from record players, the device is compact and attractive, convenient and intuitive, and geared with such crisp, booming quality that it is clearly a formidable contender in the speaker market. JAM Xterior Max is not a generic forearm sized pill with a “b” slapped in the middle, along with a gross overprice. It is cost efficient, security efficient, and sound efficient to a degree far above its towering competition.

With appeal and quality like this, JAM Xterior Max just hit the perfect note, and hopefully, for its competitors, struck the wrong chord. It’s difficult not to get behind such an earnest heart.

The JAM Xterior Max speaker can be purchased directly from the JAM Audio website for $119.99, or from Amazon (see below) for $99.99.

What do you think of the Xterior Max portable speaker? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Feel free to follow JAM Wireless Audio on Twitter and Facebook as well as this very blog on Twitter and Facebook.

FTC Disclosure: JAM Audio Inc. provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Xterior Max Bluetooth speaker sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

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JAM Audio Transit Micro Wireless Earbuds Review

06/08/2016 By Jonathan Dery

Versatility Running Through Your Ears: JAM Audio Transit Micro Wireless Earbuds Review

The main ubiquitous problem with sport headphones mirrors one of the main reasons for refusing to go to the gym: they’re a hassle. The short, knotty wiring, the prone-to-dislodging earbuds, the limited functions available on the mid-strip remote (if there even is one); these culminating irritations nearly persuade users to forego their headphones when heading out to the gym, or worse, make staying home and further indenting their couch cushions sound much more appealing. JAM Audio’s new sport earbuds seek to alleviate all these discouraging irritations, as well as providing functions that are designed for exercise. The question remains, do the JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Wireless Earbuds rise above and beyond the couch of their mediocre peers, or do they make a bag of chips sound more appealing than the music they play? Let’s take a look in this JAM Audio Transit Micro Wireless Earbuds Review.

Aesthetic

Right from the start, the user will be delighted to see that they don’t need to use their aggressive hands, teeth, a pair of scissors, nor the sharpest steak knife to access these headphones. JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds reside intricately coiled inside a standard BPA-free sport water bottle showcasing both the 3-dimensional look of the headphones, as well as the secondary intent of this particular JAM Wireless Audio product: fitness.

Further than the exercise purpose of these headphones, the look embodies the qualities of fitness. Sleek, compact, modifiable, adaptable; it is obvious this product was designed to accommodate every user and any terrain. There are two ear grip accessories with small, medium, and large sizes for each. One that fits in the inner ear canal as well as another that rounds the rim of the whole ear.[Tweet “Sleek, compact, modifiable, adaptable; it is obvious this product was designed to accommodate every user and any terrain. @JamSpeaker”]

Additionally, these earbuds are practically wireless; the only wire is a one-foot long reflective chord, coiled around a small curved plastic plate in the middle, that connects the two earbuds to each other. This wiring is ultimately extremely useful. The length provided enough space to add an attached basic remote: two volume buttons and a play-pause button, and be just long enough that in the case of the headphones dislodging from the user’s ears, they should hang around the back of the user’s neck. This feature can be a life-savor, especially when using JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Earbuds during exercise.

However, the short length of the wiring can make it difficult for the user to move their head freely without the headphones falling out. This short length is most likely the secondary reason for the addition of the multiple ear-grip styles and sizes, though the standard small-medium-large format will require the user to try each size and style to ultimately determine which suits them best. This requirement can be both an inconvenient expense of the user’s time and result in the user still ending up unsatisfied with their most compatible headphone accessory arrangement. The amount of trial and error necessary to construct a viable set up not only detracts from the headphone’s appeal but is ultimately indicative of the design error on Jam’s side.

These sport earbuds are available in 3 color patterns. If the blue/black combination doesn’t suit you, there are a green/black and pink/black color combos as well.

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Wireless Functionality

Despite the few nonessential design errors, the JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds are the Swiss army knife of consumer-centered functions.

The Bluetooth functionality is exceptionally competent and stable. It only takes a second to link a device to the headphones, and the connection rarely disrupts or disconnects. However, the connection disrupts most frequently when the user moves at faster speeds.

The Bluetooth is activated by holding the play-pause button on the mid-wire remote panel. On the remote panel are the increase and decrease volume buttons as well. JAM Audio elevates the functionality of these buttons by engineering them to be multi-functional. While playing music, if the increase volume button is held, the playlist will skip to the next song; if the decrease volume button is held, the playlist will skip back one song. If the headphones are connected to a phone, the play-pause button can be pressed to answer an incoming call or held to reject the call. Despite these implementations seeming like common sense and rudimentary additions, they are rarely included, though welcome add-ons. Especially considering how the aim for these headphones is to be used during exercise, these buttons are incredibly convenient and useful.

A thoughtful bonus innovation is the music cancellation button found on the left earbud. In any case, the user would like to hear their environment clearly while still listening to music (i.e. running on a road), they can press this button and stop the music in their left ear while it resumes in their right. Small extra, substantial increase in potential safety.

The one nearly detrimental caveat is that the user must recharge the headphones. The JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Earbuds have a 10-hour battery life. Understandably, this is the one way the headphones can be wireless, however, if the user is working out in the gym, running in open terrain, or too far from their home without the charger, they are hopeless. Even if the user did carry the charger and had outlets at their disposal, they would still need to remove the headphones and let them charge for at least thirty minutes. This inconvenience can be the deciding factor between purchasing these headphones or going with a wired or more expensive wireless pair of headphones.

Read: Review: Audio-Technica ATH-SPORT1iS Headphones

Wireless Sound Quality

These earbuds are designed for exercise use and multi-functionality. While the list price of these buds is $79.99, the Amazon selling price is closer to $50. Though being the fundamental purpose of headphones, the sound quality must be evaluated respectively. Wrong. Correct, yes, yet unnecessary with the JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds. The sound quality on these headphones not only match that of SkullCandy’s Smokin Buds 2 (which are designed primarily for sound quality) but ultimately surpass them pertaining to particular elements. Both the heaviness of the bass and the distinction between sounds are superior on the JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds. This statement holds true across genres. From the elaborate Hip Hop/R&B hit “Monster” by Kanye West to the elegantly robust concertos of Felix Mendelssohn, the earbuds’ fidelity and power are unwavering.

It would take months to truly test this or any other comparison, however, after an adequate number of trials, it is clear that this product does not just stack up to the competition; it is above the rest. Ultimately, the Jam Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds are a top contender; it wasn’t until I heard new lyrics and sounds from songs I have heard numerous times that I discovered the earbuds’ exceptional heights. The same outcome was found with my fellow evaluators, as well.

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Verdict

Though these headphones may not be qualified to compete against the sound quality of Dr. Dre’s Beats and the likes, they provide an exceptional plethora of convenient functions and dominate top selling headphone brands designed purely for outstanding sound. It would be a mistake not to purchase these headphones built for any consumer in practically any terrain (though, I recommend having a spare wired set of headphones if the juice runs out). JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds don’t just emerge from their couched competitors; they exceed so far until the rest might as well fall by the wayside. They even provide a water bottle – how refreshing.

JAM Audio Transit Micro Sport Buds kick it up a few notches for each feature. They have established themselves as a formidable competitor.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We’d be eager to hear your thoughts.

FTC Disclosure: JAM Audio Inc. provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Transit Micro Sport Buds sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC 2016.

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A Bleak Inheritance: Netflix Original Bloodline Season 2 Review

06/06/2016 By Jonathan Dery

Netflix Bloodline Season 2 – Episodes 1-3 Review

The Netflix Original Bloodline began in critical condition. The first season elicited skepticism and waning curiosity over genuine emotional investment. Through the viewers’ eyes, they cast their finger on the show’s pulse and felt its erratic behavior. It would accelerate, then taper, and, at its worst points, flat-line. The only solid reason to continue watching the show was to unlock the mysteries of the story’s repressed past and grim future. Now all previous questions have been answered, and from these answers arose new questions. However, there is only one vital mystery that remains: does Bloodline Season 2 resurrect the show and improve it? The answers may not be so promising.

The Imagery

Everything beyond the camera is exceptional. The lighting and color are superb. Both seem practical and look professional. However, the content and the visual design are rarely complemented by the camera work.

It’s almost as if the cinematographer and camera operator slapped a long lens on the camera, framed each shot, disregarded appropriateness to content, put the camera in a box, and shook it throughout each scene. Sure, the circumstances of the story and the state of the characters are immediate, imperative, and unstable. However, these qualities do not hold true in every scene. Ultimately, the consistent close-ups and shakiness dilute the effect; in many scenes, both seem employed as a crutch to compensate for poor framing.

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The Content

Superficial. The narrative and plot have a shell of thrilling drama though Bloodline frequently feels hollow. The writers and filmmakers (Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman) seem to have followed a drama instruction manual and assumed all the thrills would land. Sometimes they do. Only sometimes. More often than not, Bloodline appears to possess all the key actions and scenarios that reap intense drama, though they are difficult to believe and harder to care about. The recipe was followed tremendously; the product just didn’t rise.

The dialogue is intense, though often redundant. The flashbacks are informative, though often stall the narrative. The set-up is dynamic, though often falls flat. Nearly every element has its hamartia. The potential is so clear that its failed fruition is agonizing. In Bloodline, Danny is the problem child. He can ruin everyone and everything. It seems the fabric of the show has its own Danny. And he must be mad.

The Rayburn Family

Speaking of Danny, his prominence as the best character and performance remains resolute. For the actor behind the character, Ben Mendelsohn, this is great news. For the second season of Bloodline, now that he only appears in flashbacks or to haunt John Rayburn, not so much.

All other factors aside, this is where the catastrophe lies. Bloodline is built off its characters and their dynamic. They are the pillars and the motivation. They are what keep viewers watching and what constitute the show. They are everything, and yet, they are liquid. Rather than having a solid integrity, they take the form most suitable to the show’s circumstances and contrived progression. Each character contradicts how they felt and who they are in an instant. It is almost as if each character is a false alibi told by a child; there is no consistency, and the narrative is fundamentally broken. Either the writers knew where to start and where they wanted to end, then made it up as they went along, or they are delusional. None of the characters are people. Nor are they characters. Nor are they caricatures. Each is simply a mishmash of contradictory traits assigned a name. The result is vital to the shows failings and fatal to its success: the characters are unconvincing. Therefore, it is impossible to care. For any production, that’s bad. For one centered on the emotional turmoil of an intimate family, it’s unforgivable.

Ironically enough, Danny was the shining example despite being the most wicked character. He was the show’s redemption. Now killed off, his reappearances seem like desperate attempts to raise quality and acquire care from the audience. Or rather, vain attempts.

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End of the Line

Bloodline is a step. The first step for Netflix in the drama category and another to be tread over in the general genre.

Maybe the show will return and attempt to make amends. Or maybe it will fall back into the same self-destructive cycle of its past.

Bloodline Season 2 is better than its predecessor, though still has a long way to go. If it does not fill its characters and story with substance and integrity, then it will drown with the family members that have and the reputation of the Rayburn name.

Danny stood out because of his mediocrity. Hopefully, the show will not continue in his image.

Perhaps the show can be better. Who knows; the Rayburn’s are never quite what they seem.

Our Rating: 6/10

Have you watched Bloodline Season 2? What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Let us know on social media on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

All photographs are the courtesy and copyrighted property of Netflix.

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The New Netflix Unoriginal Series Chelsea Episodes 1-3 Review

05/15/2016 By Jonathan Dery

Chelsea Handler’s Return to TV, well sort of, it’s Netflix.

Chelsea Handler went from E’s Chelsea Lately to Chelsea Does to the current, Chelsea. With each installment, Chelsea Handler has further stripped herself of network regulations ultimately revealing her naked self. Considering her reputation and persona have been built through her long ride on the talk show bull, it is understandable why Netflix would trust Chelsea Handler to tame her wildest beast yet.

Handler’s television chronology is a degeneration of civility and program conventions. On Netflix, she has reached her pinnacle; or in this case, her rudiment. There is no title more fitting than Chelsea. However, creative freedom does not equate to quality. Perhaps her previous supervision is what steered her chaos to conquest.

Setting the Stage

Before Chelsea Handler even delivers her first offhanded comment, the lighting, and focal lengths invoke a feeling of unease. An artificial, sharp white light bathes Chelsea and her guests while they are framed either slightly too close-up or with a slightly off angle. The look is not essential to this form of content, though it is imperative for the viewer to feel comfortable. Handler’s quips and demeanor can be cringe-worthy enough; the aesthetic should not follow suit.

The arrangement and duration of shots are also problematic. The pacing falls stagnant at points, while the shots, more than occasionally, seem random. Considering Chelsea is a talk show, there are not many shot options. However, the placement and length of shots must be executed purposely and efficiently. Otherwise, in Chelsea’s case, the show can seem like a lucky sequence of clips.

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Off The Cuff

In true Chelsea Handler fashion, censorship is less a requirement and more a topic of mockery. On Netflix, not only is her content unrestricted, so is her behavior and courtesy. “Nothing is off limits” is a well-known mantra of comedy. Regardless, there is a difference between blatant insolence and irreverence. This division is a fine line Handler has drunkenly walked on since the onset of her career. Perhaps she has consumed a few too many to keep straight.

Chelsea Handler’s coarse presentation is tolerable even for her opposition. However, there is a larger problem. The jokes. The heart of the content’s receptivity lies in its likability. The subject matters can be dull, though the quality of the humor must not waver. Dependent and independent of content quality, the jokes, more often than not, fall flat and leave an awkward fallout. It can be uncomfortable enough with Chelsea’s bombastic personality; regardless, the jokes must land.

“No I don’t want to get a facelift, I don’t have enough time for that.” – Chelsea to Paltrow

The majority of her content and segments are just plain disinteresting. They either lack meaning and substance, or relatability to anyone under the upper-class. From Gwyneth Paltrow’s “goop products” to Chelsea taking a basic academic quiz, the content is not dry; it disinteresting. Few and far between, there are provocative and substantial topics. However, Handler still either obnoxiously interferes or demeans the discussion altogether. If the majority of the content alienates, irritates, and, worse, bores viewers, then they will do as Chelsea asserts: refuse to care.

“It must feel fucking kickass after you go to Washington and do something like that, doesn’t it” – in reference to Tony Hale and Gwyneth Paltrow telling their government lobbying stories. Chelsea disregarded the substantial topics, which subsequently diverted the dialogue to reductive, petty self-pride.

A Crude, Crass, and Uninhibited Chelsea

From discussing her former sidekick Chuy Bravo to conversing with the head of TED Talks, her crass approach does not relent.

“I don’t give a fuck about Chuy!” – Chelsea remarked after lying about her former sidekick’s death as a joke.

“Oh, what a funny accent” – Chelsea inserted, interrupting a thought-provoking explanation by TED Talks Chris Anderson.

Though this behavior is precisely what makes Chelsea, now she is uninhibited. She never had boundaries; now she has no limits. No regulations nor censorship. Therefore, she is afforded the rare opportunity of real freedom. It is evident that she exploits this desired capability like a mad tyrant. Ultimately, the likability of Chelsea’s behavior depends on viewer taste. Or rather, their degree of tastelessness.

“Okay, break it down quickly for people that are really stupid.” – demanded to Chris Anderson, head of TED Talks, after asking the audience, both in-house and through cameras, if they knew what TED Talks were.

Chelsea will always be Chelsea, except now she has a throne in the nirvana of modern media and a rusty loudspeaker. Chelsea demands a particular acquired taste to enjoy. Without it, the viewer must be tolerant or a masochist.

In a time of political correctness and hypersensitivity, Chelsea is a refreshing voice from a recent era. A voice reviled on the surface where new conventions rule, and echoes underground, receiving applause from society’s not-so-soft underbelly.

Either way, Chelsea is best served with an empty stomach and your cheapest boxed wine.

Our rating: 5/10

How do you feel about Chelsea Handler on Netflix? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? We’d love to know your thoughts on our Facebook and Twitter pages, or in the comments section below.

All quotes and photos are the courtesy and property of Netflix.

The Complete Demolition Movie Review

04/09/2016 By Jonathan Dery

Demolition Movie Review

Fox Searchlight’s Demolition is the story of a man numbed by monotony until he is thrust into disorder, provided a hammer, and told the only way to understand is to deduce by destruction. “If you want to fix something, you have to take it all apart and figure out what’s important.” Demolition is worth the effort. Welcome to our Demolition movie review.

The Look

There is nothing steady nor clean about Demolition, but that’s where the precision lies. A precision not so much targeted on the polish and caliber of the cinematography, but on the subjective state of the protagonist Davis Mitchell, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. He is uncertain, unstable, and unpolished. Due to his existential crisis, the death of his wife which he witnessed, every event, experience, circumstance, and relationship occupies his immediate proximity. Thus, the camera work emulates his state with a constant subtle tremble and a short range of spatial intimacy to Davis. Though I was initially skeptical of this film’s shaky style, I soon understood how compatible it was content-wise.

Davis’ self-unawareness and maddening incomprehension of himself yearn to escape from its tomb. The camera’s stubborn shake could not represent his interior any better. The downside of this stubborn shake is that opportunities for remarkable shots are sacrificed. However, they are sacrificed for the exact representation of Davis’ current state. It is plenty justified.

The cinematography is grounded in Davis’ subjectivity; it could not be anything but rumbling from Davis, in a straightjacket, ramming the walls of his emotional confinement.

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The Charm

This film could have been titled Demolition: As a Matter of Fact.

There is a dark, dry humor that so provides comic relief and remembrance of the films tragic basis. Each laugh cuts through a preceding tear. It’s impossible to resist loving Demolition’s mild degree of facetiousness.

Contemptuous humor, however, is only a minor chunk of Demolition’s personality. The majority is occupied by Davis’ childlike disregard for the severity of the circumstances and emotional unintelligence. The result is an absurd, unavoidable fondness for the temperament of the film and Davis as a pretend adult.

Demolition handles the material’s mucky severity with Davis running through his pristine house, wearing filthy shoes, leaving muddy footprints. You hope he’ll clean them up though you can’t be sure. You can’t help but lower your face into your palm, chuckle, and peer through the slits between your fingers to see what mess will come next.

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The Characters are the Content

Let’s get to Davis.

Davis is not only the protagonist of this film, he is the vanguard. Every event and consequence that occurs is either a direct or indirect result of his initial action. Davis does and all else react. This is a welcome contradiction for both Davis and the viewer. It’s clear from the onset that Davis subdued all his notions, personal aspirations, and pivotal emotions throughout his entire life. He did so because “it was easy.” He would go through the motions of his routine, do and see everything without ever paying attention. Attention to his surroundings, his circumstances, and ultimately, his dissatisfaction. Thus, he was never much of an influence or catalyst to anyone or anything, including himself.

For once in his life, Davis radically deviates from his detrimental numbing habits, and finally has a say in his behavior and his life. For once in his life, he is exposed, and he matters. All as a result of an immediate tragedy that shatters the lock on his dull cushioned cell, and frees him into a sensational reality. He can no longer silence his suppressed demand to feel. And feel, he does; as you do with him.

Davis is so unaware and disconnected from himself. Ironically, it’s logical how he can only divulge to some anonymous customer service worker, played by Naomi Watts. After all, she couldn’t be a danger to him, nor would her judgment towards him matter so heavily. Also, at the least, she is an obligated ear to vent to. This woman ends up being much more than just an ear. Avoiding spoilers, Karen, is a mirror of Davis’ true state: frantic, disorganized, and full of childlike charisma. Her radical, yet contemporarily normal son, Chris, played by Judah Lewis, fits their dynamic all the same. Karen and her son are both unexpected perfect matches for Davis’ disoriented search for understanding.

Along the way, Davis gradually exchanges everything and everyone. As he jackhammers deeper into his true self, he inevitably strays from the false. He slowly discards his ostensibly disapproving father-in-law, Phil, played by Chris Cooper, for his liberation and Karen’s lifestyle. Phil is the asshole Davis would have become if he stuck to his monotonous path. Yet, Phil is not entirely bad. He’s only aggressive and hurtful because the emptiness left by his one irreplaceable love was filled with a disrespectful, unloving son-in-law.

You can’t blame him. He is Davis at the end of the wrong path. One of his two joys wasted her life on an inattentive man. And now, he’s left where he’s without that integral worth to his life. To top it off, the man that devastated that joy is either absent or laughing from across the room with a giddy smirk. It’s more difficult not to side with him at times.

Demolition’s characters are people. They all have a distinct personality, past, depth, and crushing hamartia. The plot does not progress in spite of them, it thrives because of them.

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In Closing

Demolition is just that. It discreetly bashes at your sentimentality until your sympathy is impossible to subdue. Stellar actors who play complex characters deserving the title of Real People. Does Demolition have a lasting effect? Not so much. Yes, this film is subtly powerful and perfectly composed for the content it presents. However, the content is neither new nor outstanding.

Most will connect with the characters and enjoy the film as a whole. Will it be re-watched more than once or chiseled into the pillars and stones of film history? No. Demolition provides a meaningful experience that is well worth the emotional toll and withdrawal from your wallet. It’s unnecessary to tear Demolition apart to recognize its particular importance.

Rating: 7.5/10

Did you agree or disagree with our Demolition movie review? How do you feel about this film? Let us know your opinion(s) on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments section below. And don’t forget to use the Hashtag #DemolitionMovie.

All photos are the courtesy and property of FOX Searchlight Pictures.

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Hardcore Henry: The Ultimate First-Person Shooter Movie Review

04/07/2016 By Jonathan Dery

First-Person Shooter: A New Genre of Film?

Take one of the most profitable game genres and project it across the silver screen. What do you get? Hardcore Henry. Let’s break this down in this Hardcore Henry movie review.

In our current point in time, vicarious observation dominates actual playing of the most profitable games. It was inevitable for a first-person movie to come out. The recent trend in gaming has been a sweeping transition from pure gameplay to a more narrative driven experience. It seems that Hardcore Henry could be the start of the opposite trend for filmmaking. Is this first-person shooter style of film backward compatible? Let’s see.

Hardcore Henry Movie Review — Off The Bat

Even before the first frame of footage is projected on the screen, you know you’re in for a bloody, visceral time. Never before has a film’s opening credits scene so accurately foreshadowed its proceeding content. Guns, knives, bats, bottles, fists all softly illuminated through the darkness in red. They strike oh so methodically, oh so poetically, and oh so close up in slow motion. If there is one element of Hardcore Henry that cannot be missed, even with closed eyes, it would be the gruesome combat. It is clear how diligently the creators ensured you witnessed every moment and detail of the brutality.

[Tweet “it is impossible to reject the deceptive sensation of viewing the film’s events in first-person.”]

The Look

Hectic is one word to describe the pace. Consider for a moment that approximately 99% of Hardcore Henry is shot with a fish-eye GoPro lens attached to a stuntman’s head. The darting action scenes are bound to jar the audience. Some may feel nausea. Yet, this disorienting affect both suits the stylized content as well as renders the impact of slow motion even more powerful.

Once the viewer adapts to the initial jarring effect, the first-person method shines. After a short period of time, it is impossible to reject the deceptive sensation of viewing the film’s events in first-person. With the camera in the point of view of the protagonist and the sound amplifying around the audience, the viewer has no choice but to succumb. And it is thrilling. You may even find yourself feeling flickers of stimulus from other senses. The point of the film is to convince the viewer they are the protagonist, or at the very least, watching through his eyes. It is difficult not to feel pity for the pulverized antagonists and sore around your own body.

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The Humanity

Here comes the bionic man with a human mind and an augmented heart. Is there any heart at all? Yes, but more to pump the story along than hydrate any waterworks; like the protagonist, the film’s heart is more machine than man. But that’s not such a bad thing. Viewers should predispose themselves to perceive the film in its appropriate context: purely light, raunchy, and naked fun.

Hardcore Henry is all mouth and no tears which ultimately keeps its pulse extreme yet steady. Like most first-person shooter games, the protagonist does not have a voice as to not impose one on the user. In this case, the charm is assumed by the film’s escort: Jimmy, played by Sharlto Copley. This often present tour guide/joke man does not relent, and you love his character for it.

Jimmy’s particular personality bleeds into the rest of the film’s humor. I refrain from disclosing any specific examples as to not spoil these jaw-dropping, gut busting, nut p___, I’ll leave it there. Just ensure to keep your head on straight and maybe wear a helmet. And a cup.

The Meat

Adrenaline fueled and action packed at its core; what else could be expected?

Meaningful? No. Visceral? Yes. And that is clearly the goal of the film. The film was initially implanted with a lick of sentimentality, which then quickly dissolves into juvenile, vulgar charisma. However, this is all but a bad thing. In fact, this may be the film’s strong suit.

Presuming that the viewer enters the theater with the mind that they must disarm theirs to endure or, ideally, enjoy Hardcore Henry, they will undoubtedly have a blast. There is no Oscar to be won, nor are there tears to be shed; Hardcore Henry is not meant to triumph, it is meant to thrill. To replace the glasses from your eyes and intellectual from your mind with a dual-shock controller and a cheesy-fingered, Mountain Dew energized kid at the helm. Hardcore Henry may be rated R for adults though it is sure as hell not appropriate for them.

To like Hardcore Henry, the viewer must peel back their maturity to reveal their inner child. Fidgeting at the hilt of their seat, marveling up at the screen, rather than a jaded adult looking down on it. For those who choose to sit in the booster seat, have a blast. For those who cannot sacrifice their adult refinement for their inner kid, go read a book. Hardcore Henry is a bloody good time.

Rating: 7/10

What’s your opinion on Hardcore Henry? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Maybe you’re somewhere in between? Let us know what you think in the comments or via Facebook / Twitter.

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