Earlier today I was lucky enough to be able to ask one of my personal favourite comedians a few questions.

Patton Oswalt has been headlining in comedy clubs from New York to LA since 1996. Since then he has filmed numerous specials for Comedy Central and HBO including Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner, credited in Blade Trinity, Man on the Moon and Run Ronnie Run (One of the funniest movies of all time).

He has recurring roles on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The King of Queens and has done voice over work for Static Shock, Batman Beyond and Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as Mike Mignola's The Amazing Screw-On Head.



Luckily for me Patton is a comic book fan and was nice enough to answer my 10 questions.

1. What title got you into comic books?

SPIDER-MAN as a kid; DARK KNIGHT as a teenager and beyond.

2. What is your current favourite title?

Tie: Meltzer's JLA and Ellis' FELL.

3. Who is your favourite artist?

Guy Davis.

4. Who is your favourite writer?

Brian K. Vaughn

5. DC, Marvel or other?

Anything that's good -- publishers mean nothing, ultimately.

6. What comic book would you like to see turned in a film?

SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATER

7. How did you get your start in comedy?

See my MySpace page

8. If you weren't a comedian what would you be doing?

Managing a Blockbuster somewhere in Northern Virginia, being hated by my employees

9. What tips do you have for budding comedians?

Go onstage. A lot.

10. Autobots or Decepticons?

They’re both lame.


A massive thanks goes to Patton for taking the time to answer my questions. I recommend anyone reading to check out Patton's MySpace page or website. One of the Comedians of Comedy and a damn nice guy!

 

Pricey is the first thing to kick in when looking at the tickets for Puppet Up! Uncensored from afar. And no joke, the rate is high. And with no-name brand puppets behind the Jim Henson Company's banner fronting the programme and cast, it's a hard sell to take in.

After all, where's the filthy cussing Kermit, the cantankerous Waldorf and Statdler. The racial epitaph spewing Swedish Chef?

Not part of this crew. That's Disney's lot now.

But, the stars are not the puppets, but the puppeteers and improv artists that have their hands stuck up the rears of the varied felt cast on stage. Hosted by Patrick Bristow, it's a veritable swag of comedic talent that is just a gut ripping experience to watch.



Cutting up the suggestions from the audience for each skit, with one almost goer in a scene in a comic shop, it's a quick and clean affair. Scene after scene of absolute laughter break in the 90 minute show with a speed that's leaves a question on time travel and beckoning for more.

Jokes are naturally born from the situations and the skill of the performers and artists. Inevitable cussing and lowest common denominator options fly from the seats in the dark and it's a quality of dismissing them for the more challenging that really leaves a lot to admire from the troupe.

Hard not to laugh out loud and long. Tears well and form with the option of having the ribs break out and split from the side of the body. Pricey for sure, but entirely worth it.

 

Bleary fusion of Sunday night crossing over and into the state that appears after chewing on disgust. However, anything in a state of wondrous angst finds a way out after watching a good Bollywood movie.

And when it's Main Hoon Na as part of the "Hooray For Bollywood" season at SBS, it's just a glorious mix of action, comedy, drama, romance, dance and song that picks the brain right up from the slumber.

The Matrix and Mission: Impossible 2 are featured as heavy riffs with the style of action—and even the not so really action packed scenes—picking up and wringing everything they can from these two films in terms of dirty faced style. Nobody hides this fact of overt homage either, referenced right in the dialogue.

Extended uses of bullet-time get bawdier with each play and the fact that it looks so serious is obscenely fantastic. Watching it, there's the thought that it can't possibly better itself. And then they throw in a song and dance number and that suspicion is dragged knuckle deep through a bed of nails.

Final fight scene features the villain, who looks a lot like Dominic Purcell, catching the first of Major Ram in his neck. Now, if that isn't some kind of skill in arm-to-arm combat worth admiring, what is?

Hilarious and heart-felt with all sorts of issues, watching clean subtitles as they swear their heads off only adds to the charm.

Clearly the best Bollywood movie ever in existence.