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July 7, 2009

Patton Oswalt's Big Fan Looks Big Great!

Big Fan trailer, you guys:

There's a lot of defensiveness among Professional Entertainers about being "kept in a box." These guys are always complaining about it. "It's so hard to do something different." "Everyone wants to keep you within the limited confines of your pre-determined media image." "Just because I made Duets doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed to have a lifestyles newsletter called Goop.com dedicated towards a self-satisfied life of bourgeois satisfaction!" And cetra. But all of that whining is missing the point. People aren't derisive of these Entertainers just because they're doing something new. They're derisive of these Entertainers because they're doing something new badly. It's not that it's just too weird to see a basketball player rapping so much as it's that you cannot rap, Shaquille O'Neal.

The point is that it's really easy to do something different if you do it well. Comedians, just as a totally random example picked for no reason at all, can take on serious dramatic roles if they are good in them. It's when you indulge yourself in some weird wish fulfillment that outclasses your actual talent that things become a failure pile in a sadness bowl. (Thanks for the tip, JCA.)

Posted by Gabe at 12:00 PM in
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17 Comments

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Posted by: justthecrust at 07/07/09 12:19 PM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down
Bubbles

Looks awesome. Can't wait.

Posted by: Bubbles profile link at 07/07/09 12:23 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Patton Oswalt played a heartbreaking character in an ep of "Dollhouse", as well as a stint as a schlub in "The United States of Tara" (from the mind of Diamanda Colby!) so his dramatic range is pretty established. This looks great.

Posted by: turingcub at 07/07/09 12:35 PM | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

so basically Patton's character from "King of Queens" gets involved in the Plaxico Burress scandal?

I love Patton, but this looks meh..

Posted by: bearface profile link at 07/07/09 12:39 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

From the writer of The Wrestler, eh? And isn't he wearing the same flannel as Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler? The one that let's you know he's blue collar?

"From the flannel that brought you 'The Wrestler'..."

Posted by: uh huh at 07/07/09 12:40 PM | Reply
Score = 15 Vote up Vote down
dude

This is pretty much what Patton would be like if he ever met and got beat up by Stan Lee. So its not that much of a stretch.

Posted by: dude profile link at 07/07/09 1:01 PM | Reply
Score = 7 Vote up Vote down
Beardzoid

I can't wait for the sequel when Patton goes back in time and kills George Lucas.

Posted by: Beardzoid profile link at 07/07/09 1:14 PM | Reply
Score = 7 Vote up Vote down
fatmanj

why is da huckabee da reporter copmanj?

Posted by: fatmanj profile link at 07/07/09 1:19 PM | Reply
Score = -19 Vote up Vote down

Eh, my cynicism is taking a break for the day: I think this looks awesome and I love Patton Oswald. OK back to regularly scheduled negativity...i mean being realistic.

Posted by: Santa at 07/07/09 1:21 PM | Reply
Score = 3 Vote up Vote down
audrey

I've already seen this (yes, it's good), and I'd say it's less of a drama and more of a reaaaaaallllly dark comedy.

Posted by: audrey profile link at 07/07/09 1:35 PM | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

Hooray for Patton Oswalt! Flex that acting muscle. Ratatouille is the still the best.

Posted by: zach at 07/07/09 1:38 PM | Reply
Score = 5 Vote up Vote down

can't wait.

Posted by: practicallyinformation at 07/07/09 3:49 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The difference between doing a comedy bit about a man child football fan and a serious drama about said man child is not in the acting so much as the editing and cinematography

Posted by: mcfuzz at 07/07/09 4:55 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down
Elliot

"This one's a keeper" -Peter Travers.

Posted by: Elliot profile link at 07/07/09 6:11 PM | Reply
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Billy Wilder's Fortune Cookie. Big Fan is like the downer remake.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060424/

Posted by: Marcus at 07/07/09 6:16 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

no lie, this trailer gave me the chills. it looks awesome, what an original idea for a film.

Posted by: monica at 07/07/09 9:56 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

can't wait for this film and i'm sure everyone involved knocks it out (and turincub is right, Oswalt was superb in Dollhouse) but this trailer feels rushed. the editing is all over the place. and the music. wow. they couldn't get Nickelback to score the thing? too conventional and vanilla, which i'm sure the film isn't.

Posted by: alull profile link at 07/08/09 9:32 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

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