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Patton Oswalt

Film

Exclusive: Patton Oswalt on Acting, Stand-Up, and Evolving

By Jason Bailey on

AUSTIN, TX: Randy Stevens, the Boy Scoutmaster played by Patton Oswalt in the new comedy Nature Calls (which premiered this weekend at South by Southwest), is a funny character with a sadness about him; beaten down by the disinterest of the boys in his troop, living in the shadow of his successful brother (Johnny Knoxville), with little in his life but his love of Scouting — yet tirelessly dedicated to his self-appointed mission of bringing nature into the lives of his young charges.

Though Oswalt’s most high-profile acting roles to date have been in an intense, low-budget indie (Big Fan) and an acid-tongued, big-studio comedy/drama (Young Adult), the leading role in this dark comedy isn’t too far removed from those seemingly disparate turns. “He’s very much a true believer in what he loves, even though he might not have the most amount of skill to realize its execution,” Oswalt told me in a phone interview last week. “So I think there’s a lot in common with some of the other characters that I’ve played: they’re sort of dreamers, they’re almost lethally optimistic about their chances in life.” … Read More

Film

Trailer Park: Of Spies and Spider-Men

By Jason Bailey on

Welcome to “Trailer Park,” our regular Friday feature where we collect the week’s new trailers all in one place and do a little “judging a book by its cover,” ranking them from worst to best and taking our best guess at what they may be hiding. We’ve got eight new trailers for your Friday viewing enjoyment; check ‘em all out after the jump. … Read More

Film

The Year in Film: 2011′s Best Movie Characters

By Jason Bailey on

Earlier in the month, we spotlighted some of our favorite performances of the year, and we’re not quite sure exactly where the line falls between loving a performance and loving a character. But the people (and non-people) on this list were real and memorable not just because the actors involved played them so well (though they did). Here, the combination of masterful acting, great writing, and sensitive direction gave us a sense that these were real people on the screen. What’s more, they were real people whom we wish we knew — even though, by the end of their films, in many ways we did know them. Our favorites are after the jump; add yours in the comments. … Read More

Film

Patton Oswalt and Jason Reitman Parody Anti-Texting PSA

By Caroline Stanley on

For film geeks like us, one of the most exciting new releases of the past year wasn’t a movie at all — it was a wonderful anti-texting PSA created by the fine folks at the Alamo Drafthouse back in June in response to some really annoying behavior from one of their patrons. For some reason, Patton Oswalt and his Young Adult director Jason Reitman have decided to do their own version of the viral clip, with Oswalt taking on the juicy role of the Angry Texter. Put on some headphones (there’s quite a bit of swearing) and click through to check out their version now; be sure to let us know in the comments how you think it stacks up against the original. … Read More

Film

Our Favorite Film Fans' Favorite Criterion Films

By Jason Bailey on

In retrospect, last week’s gift guide for movie geeks was seriously lacking in one important element: it needs more Criterion. The Criterion Collection, as you presumably well know, is the preeminent home video label for film nerds, lavishing their second-to-none skills of restoration and supplementation on titles both well-known and obscure. So yes, a week-late addendum: if you’re shopping for cinephiles, a title or two from the Criterion Collection should do the trick.

Alas, which titles? At 600+ films (and growing monthly), sifting through the collection is a daunting task. Thankfully, the label is more than happy to help out; one of the most enjoyable time-killers on their site is their section of Top 10s, in which film fans from across the spectrum — directors, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers, comedians, critics, etc. — select their ten favorite Criterion titles, often with concise mini-reviews for each. After the jump, in a bit of meta list construction, we’ve picked out ten of our favorite folks from that page, and a few of their recommendations as well. … Read More

Comedy

10 Hilarious Speeches by Pop Culture Icons

By Alison Nastasi on

Last night, Will Ferrell was the 14th funny person to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor award. He follows in the footsteps of giants like George Carlin, Tina Fey, and Steve Martin. Audiences enjoyed a retrospective of his career, as well as tributes from a comedian all-star cast, but it was Ferrell’s acceptance speech that won everyone over with his trademark deadpan style. When the Anchorman actor thanked his wife Viveca Paulin for her support, he of course added, “We have a wonderful life together but I do have to say … sometimes you get a little lippy. You’ve got a big mouth and you like to run it.” Who else brought the funny during speech time? Click through for a look back at ten hilarious speeches. … Read More

Television

Footnotes to ‘Bored to Death’: Season 3, Episode 2

By Judy Berman on

Although we enjoy Bored to Death’s hilarious story lines and overarching themes, we get at least as much pleasure out of its details — the literary references, the in-jokes, the real, New York City locations. So, this season, we’re publishing a weekly series of Bored to Death footnotes. Follow along with us after the jump as we go minute by minute through episode two, shouting out places we recognize and explaining some of the show’s oddball allusions. Feel free to point out anything we may have missed in the comments. … Read More

Film

Jason Reitman to Direct a Celebrity Reading of ‘The Breakfast Club’

By Alison Nastasi on

This Thursday Film Independent and LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) launches their new Film Independent at LACMA series, which brings together filmmakers, artists, and more for a series of special guest-curated programs — ” … presenting cinema in an artistic and historical context.” The latest program will host Jason Reitman who will direct a live reading of John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club. The Juno director recently announced on Twitter that Patton Oswalt would be taking on the role of Brian Johnson, Anthony Michael Hall’s character who had a penchant for flare guns. The Office’s Mindy Kaling takes on the curiously quiet Allison, while Spider-Man 2 star J.K. Simmons will read the part of school janitor (and blackmailer) Carl. Reitman is expected to announce other cast members this week, but for now the rest remain a mystery. The event will be a really cool opportunity to see Hughes’ beloved 1985 classic in a new light and performed more spontaneously. Visit the official event site for further details, and click through to head back to high school detention. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we were obsessed with the YA fiction-inspired poster for Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman’s latest film collaboration, Young Adult. We wished that we could be as popular on Facebook as Jesus is. We lost ourselves in New York Magazine’s “Encyclopedia of 9/11.” We wondered what Shepard… Read More

Celebrity

Joss Whedon’s Advice for Surviving High School

By Caroline Stanley on

Yesterday we told you about the launch of Rookie, a new website for teenage girls from fashion blogger/child prodigy Tavi Gevinson. While we liked the sound of what she was promising to give her audience, we were curious as to whether she would be able to deliver the goods. Consider us pleasantly surprised. In “Higher Learning,” Rookie has collected advice from some of their “favorite grownups” on how to navigate the murky waters of high school. Plenty of it, like the snippet below from Joss Whedon, the man behind cult-hit TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, easily applies to those of us who are more than twice the age of Tavi’s target demographic. … Read More