More and more films premiere on Video on Demand — if they don’t simply bypass a theatrical release altogether. Because VOD reviews are often scarce and hard to find, Criticwire created VODetails, a recurring column to help you figure out whether a new VOD release is worth your hard-earned dollar. This time we’re looking at “Dying to Do Letterman,” a documentary about a stand-up comic with cancer — not a tawdry horror film about a slasher stalking the members of a high school varsity football team.
Directors: Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina
Cast: Steve Mazan, Jim Gaffigan, Ray Romano
Official Synopsis: “‘Dying to do Letterman’ is a hilarious, heart-felt, award-winning feature-length documentary that proves one thing: dreams matter. When 35 year old stand-up comedian Steve Mazan learned he had cancer, and might only have five years to live, he dedicated his life living his dream: performing comedy on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman.’ This documentary chronicles his five-year journey, as he races his own ticking clock to achieve a nearly impossible goal. Hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspirational, Steve’s journey brings a brand-new perspective to living with cancer. This is a story that proves it’s not how much time you have, it’s what you do with it. As Steve says, ‘If you stop chasing your dreams, you’re already dead.'”
Trailer:
Reviews:
Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects:
“Steve Mazan is actually pretty damn funny.”
“Mazan gradually evolves, before our eyes, from a self-pitying clown into a fully mature, three-dimensional individual.”
“Fascinating but upsetting.”
“Tonally upbeat, sometimes to a fault, ‘Dying’ will live, like Mazan, on the smallscreen.”
“The film has a lot of heart. Unfortunately the warmth filmmakers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina have produced feels a bit manufactured.”
“Dying to Do Letterman” is now available on VOD.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
