ledavidmalo Reviews

Comedians of the World (2019– )

If you like stand-up comedy in general, you'll certainly find something you like here

[8/10 · 2 January 2019]

Look, I'll make it simple enough for you. You like stand-up comedy? Try watching some "Comedians of the World" episodes, you'll enjoy it.

Right out of the bat, it's pretty clear that this is all about comedy and diversity, and it does a great job at both of those things. Here you have 47 different comedians, all doing a 30-min routine, coming from the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, UK, France, the Middle East, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, Germany and India. There's men, there's women, there's fat people, skinny people, gay people, straight people, people speaking different languages, and all of them are funny in their own right.

You're probably not going to like all of them, but there's enough stuff here for all to enjoy. If you have watched all episodes that you think you might like, why not put some subtitles and try something new?

Where Dreams Go to Die (2017)

A heart-wrenching adventure about completing the most insane ultramarathon

[9/10 · 13 March 2018]

Where Dreams Go To Die follows ultrarunner Gary Robbins on a 2-year adventure to complete the Barkley Marathon, one of the toughest, and weirdest, race there is.

For those who don't know about this race, here is a quick summary: It's a 100+ miles races through forests, briars, mountains and valleys in which you have to complete 5 alternating "loops", while collecting pages of books scattered around the the track (or lack thereof). No modern technology is allowed (no phone or gps), and there is a 60h limit to complete the full 5 loops.

In 2016 and 2017, Gary Robbins, an already accomplished ultrarunner, took part in what would be his toughest challenge to date. This documentary is very well-produced and gives us an honest look at what it takes to complete this race. It also helps that Gary is just a lovable guy and you really want hiim to succeed. The training, the preparation, the family, the friends, the running, the resting, the highs, the lows, it's all there. Most of us will probably never attempt a race like the Barkley, but the documentary is very relatable and it's easy to transpose those kinds of challenges to another hardship you might be having in your own life.

If I had one small complaint to add, is that due to the secrecy of the course, there is not as much footage of the actual marathon outside of the starting area as I would've liked.

PLG: At the Top of the Ramp (2017)

Cool little laid-back documentary about what it's like growing up as a skater

[8/10 · 4 January 2018]

This was a very enjoyable documentary about all the ups and downs of the then aspiring, and now established (yet underrated) pro skater Pier-Luc Gagnon (PLG).

I seems a bit more aimed towards the "average" documentary consumer than let's say a skate fanatic wishing to have a real in-depth look at what a vert skater's life is, and that is totally fine. This way, I feel a larger group of people could enjoy it, since it touches on very relatable subjects like growing up, family, setbacks and life goals.

This documentary also isn't very long, which makes for a short yet very enjoyable time watching it.