Book Log 2015 #12 : Silver Screen Fiend by Patton Oswalt

This short but hugely entertaining memoir recounts Oswalt's early days in Hollywood, when he developed a self-described addiction to classic films, seeing as many as possible between comedy gigs. The plan, ostensibly, was to use this compulsion for film as an autodidactic film school leading toward directing. That never quite panned out, but it did help him add writing and performing skills to his comedic skills. Beyond the movies, this book also gives us a look at the alternative comedy scene in LA in the 1990s, as well as insight into Oswalt's progression into TV and film.

I'm mostly familiar with Oswalt through his Twitter account and appearances on talk shows, so this gave me a much better appreciation of how he got to where he is now. I also appreciated the appendices where Oswalt created a month-long festivals of films that never were for the deceased owner of his favorite theater and a complete listing of the films Oswalt saw during the time of the book. It's a quick and entertaining read, very much recommended.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: a memoir, a funny book, a book with a color in the title. It could also be a book you can finish in a day, but where I've already used it I'll stick with the triple.)