Rob Siegel, former editor in chief at The Onion, hit both the highest highs and the lowest lows since transitioning to Hollywood screenwriting. First he saw his The Onion Movie get shelved for year and barely appear on DVD; then last year’s The Wrestler appealed to audiences and critics alike as an unexpected comeback vehicle for Mickey Rourke. This year, he’s directed his first feature called Big Fan, with Patton Oswalt, and rather than the comedy you’d probably expect from Siegel and Oswalt, it’s a dark look at sports fandom and people who aren’t content to settle for “normal” lives. Read on for the full interview where Siegel talks about The Wrestler, directing his first feature, and why writing is much harder than directing.
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Patton Oswalt’s starring role in Big Fan is a huge departure from what his fans will expect. It’s not a comedic role, but rather a dark turn as a fan so deeply obsessed with his beloved New York Giants that he exists solely to serve the team. Even when presented with the opportunity to change his life forever, he holds on to his bottom-rung job as a toll-booth attendant and continues down the same path he’s on at the start of the film.
We caught up with Oswalt at Sundance and he spoke about Dungeons & Dragons, how he’s over the fad of improvising, and why Crank is equal to Rachel Getting Married.
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Oh my. The whole wide internet is now talking about David Cross’ blog post in defense of his decision to cash in on Alvin and the Chipmunks. Cross was apparently moved to write the post, at least in part, by “a snide comment” made by fellow comedian Patton Oswalt on his own blog. Oswalt, who acknowledges the irony that he’s somehow managed to maintain some modicum of credibility even after playing “the fat sidekick from King Of Queens” for something like three decades, had originally claimed that “[B]oth Brian Posehn and I were offered the part [in Alvin]. We both threw the script across the room in disgust. David Cross caught it.”
Now, in a letter ostensibly addressed to Cross, published by The A.V. Club, Oswalt says said snide comment was actually an inside joke which Cross just didn’t get. Oswalt says he ran into Cross after attending the premiere of Failure to Launch, in which Oswalt had “a tiny, three-line part in the movie, and I used it as a way to scam Paramount into flying me to Manhattan for a few days.” And then…
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The annual nerd bachanal that is Comic-con begins today in San Diego. Here’s a look at some of the chatter going into the comic/horror/sci-fi/fantasy fan’s biggest weekend of the year.
- David Poland got an email from a friend who has a friend who is a director who was told by someone at Comic-con that he won’t be allowed to show “adult” material at his Con presentation this year. Poland’s friend confirms that this was the main reason for Fox’s last minute pull-out. And Poland says they’re actually going to be there anyway–in lieu of the big panel presentation, there will be something involving Wolverine director Gavin Hood, as well as a breakfast screening of footage from Death Sentence.
- If you, like me, are not making it down to San Diego yourself but don’t want to miss a beat, you can follow Alex Billington’s updates on Twitter. Meanwhile, San Diego Dreaming is compiling a Fest Mob-esque ticker tape of Con updates. If you are on the ground and want to participate, the info’s at the link. Both of those tidbits come to us courtesy of The Beat.
- John Campea has posted his schedule at The Movie Blog, in case anyone wants to “take a minute and say ‘hi’.”
- Patton Oswalt won’t be in San Diego, but he’s posted a scavenger hunt for anyone who is. One of the ten items he implores you to find: “Two of the following 7 “variations” on a Star Wars stormtrooper: Elvis, slutty, NASCAR, steampunk, KISS Army, pimp, western.” And yes, I found the above picture by doing a Google Image search for “stormtrooper NASCAR.”
