Patton Oswalt: No Reason to Complain Comedy Central $19.99 Grade: B
In the late '90s there was a comic boom that made many stand up comics household names. After the burnout of this craze, very few comics stayed around because they felt there was no need to. No money was to be made off the craze anymore, and the commercialization of stand-up comedy had gone the way of the buffalo.
Patton Oswalt is one of the few comedians that decided to stick around and it comes through in his DVD, "No Reason to Complain," as he addresses his audience with, "There are very few people who are still in it for the sake of comedy and I'm glad you all are."
Patton Oswalt is your typical geek comedian who has an obsession with comic books and the quirky things in life. His sets usually deal with a range of issues, from mundane subjects to the quirky/geeky subjects that send his core audience into laugh fits while first timers just laugh at how nerdy he is. From the very beginning of his set, he starts off with a bit about midgets and pornography, two things that when connected are admittedly hilarious, even if no one wants to say so.
One of the highlights of his sets is when he touches on the subject of '80s metal videos, exclaiming, "Apparently if you liked metal in the '80s, you're gay, you're [really] gay." The best part of this scene is when the camera pans to notable '80s metal rock star Scott Ian of Anthrax in stitches as Oswalt speaks about the pure nonsense and impossible things that happen in '80s metal rock videos.
The best part of his set is when he talks about his stories on the road. Oswalt discusses how he hosted an open mike night and how a comic by the name of Dr. Pepper, who in reality was a homeless heroin addict, was able to leave the crowd in stitches. The best part of this story comes when Oswalt actually does an imitation of Dr. Pepper's set complete with nonsensical banter and the stuff that one would expect of a drug addict when he is placed in front of a lot of people.
Patton Oswalt is a funny man, but he is not invincible when it comes to the almighty awkward silence. For many comedians, instances such as awkward silence or a bad joke could be great improv moments. For Oswalt, this is where he struggles. There are a couple of awkward moments during his set and he does nothing to try and get himself out of them. On the contrary, from great counterparts like Zack Galafanakis or Brian Posehn, whose comedy thrives and almost depends on those situations, he is one of those comedians that just rides the awkward moment out until it's gone. Lucky for him, that he doesn't have to do that often.
"No Reason to Complain" is a great comedy DVD and the only real complaint would have to be that it is too short. While there are humorous deleted scenes, it would have been funnier if more of that had been included. It is always great to see the real comedian at work.
For a great stand up set though, "No Reason to Complain" delivers all the laughs that one would want in a stand up set and it is a way better alternative on a late than watching some hack comedian on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend"
