Patton Oswalt – Film Independent Spirit Awards

By starrymag | March 20, 2014

Q) Let’s say you’re asked to host the Independent Spirit Awards again next year, will you repeat the bird event or will we see something on a much grander scale?  Will you be handing out eagles?

A) I think, if they let me host next year, I’m going to try to work up to mythological flying creatures – pegasi, floating eyes, anything like that.  That’s the kind of grandeur this awards ceremony deserves.

Q) What was it about this awards ceremony, overall, that really drew you to hosting it this year?  Why did you really want to be involved in the ceremony?

A) I think it’s because, for me, being the film buff I am, this awards show digs pretty deep in trying to find movies that took risks and rolled the dice.  How do I put this?  It rewards people that are clearly emerging and are going to be doing great stuff with their careers.  You get to see them early. What I also love is that they keep an eye open for veterans like Robert Redford and Bruce Dern who continue to take risks and seek out challenging, different materials.  I just like the continuation of that process of risk and independence that the ISAs really embrace and try to bring attention to.

Q) I was wondering, you have great comedic timing.  Is it something that’s a natural ability of yours or did you have to work at it?

A) Oh, God, I had to work at that really hard.  I had the desire to do comedy way before I had the skills to do it.

Q) What I was curious about is there are so many wonderful movies that didn’t get enough love at, let’s say, The Oscars that are getting love here.  Which ones do you hope come out of here with a flying bird?

A) Oh, boy.  This year, especially, The Spectacular Now, I thought was fantastic.  Enough Said.  I hope Enough Said wins everything that it gets nominated for.  Gosh.  Hang on.  The documentary, The Act of Killing, I thought it was crucial.  Hard to watch, but crucial.  Then you know, I really hope that Bruce Dern gets wins for Nebraska because I thought he was just amazing.  That guy has had awards coming for a long time in my opinion.  That would be great.

Q) We were wondering how you prepare to host a show like this?  Do you spend the time to watch all the movies?  What do you do?

A) I watch as many movies as I can.  I huddle with all my funny comedian friends and we sit and write jokes.  I try to be very, very aware of who is going to be there.  Then, like when I host other award shows, it comes down to the night of the show.  You really have to watch the show and be aware of what’s going on out there and just bring that out to what you’re doing.  Every time you go back out on the stage, be present, because stuff is happening all around you.  You’ve got to comment on it.

Q) With hosting the Annie Awards a couple years back, I believe back in 2012, was there anything you learned from that, positive or negative, that you’re going to try and apply for this year’s Independent Spirit Awards?

A) I’m going to be very, very aware if somebody reads the wrong card, that’s for sure.  Like that poor guy did; he read the wrong winner.  I’ll try, once again, to try to make a screw up like that be delightful.

Q) I was wondering about the birds.  Is the plan for them to actually keep them?

A) That’s going to be up to the individual winners.  They can keep them.  They can set them free.  Trust me, I know actors.  I knowdirectors.  There are all kinds of things they can do with birds.  Some I’d rather not go into.

Q) Have you been prepping for dealing with live birds?  Have you been spending time with birds, taking birds out to dinner?  Are you ready to work with birds?

A) I feel pretty ready.  I’ve been going down the park a lot chasing them around, yelling at them.  We’ll see.  It’s kind of weird.  I probably shouldn’t say this; I have a paralyzing fear of birds.  I have two weeks to get over this lifelong terror that I have.  I don’t think it’ll affect my performance.  We’ll see.

Q) I was wondering, what is it about IFC that really drew you to really want to be this host?  What is it about this particular awards show?

A) I just love the fact that they really dig deep in finding either film makers that are starting out that are clearly going to do something amazing with their careers that are really strong voices.  Also, rewarding veterans that still believe in the spirit of risk and exploration and finding challenging materials.  For every Andrew Bujalski doing Computer Chess or a Shailene Woodley in The Spectacular Now, you’ve got Robert Redford doing All is Lost or Bruce Dern doingNebraska.

Q) You’re a part of social networking; are you looking forward to the immediate reaction you’ll get after the awards show?

A) I think after the awards show I’m going to be so drained, I’m going to just be in my sweatpants watching The Oscars.  I’m going to take a couple days and then I’ll go back and read everything.

Q) I was wondering, if we can get back to the birds for a second, are you anticipating any possible blow back, or criticism, from animal welfare groups about giving out birds as a trophy?

A) Each bird is given its own individual suite at Shutters on the Beach and its own personal limo driver.  We’ve set them up with their own Instagram and Twitter accounts, so they’re being treated very, very well.

Q) Can I ask where they come from?  Are they rescues or have they been groomed for this for some time?

A) Little known fact, they were personally bred by Robert Redford.  He breeds award birds

Q) what are some of your favorites amongst this year’s nominees and how many bird-themed puns should we expect?

A) My favorites were definitelyThe Spectacular Now, Enough Said, Computer Chess, The Act of Killing, Nebraska, Short Term 12, Dallas Buyers Club.  This was an amazing year.  The crop of films they sent me was pretty stunning.  As far as bird-themed puns, I don’t really know how many I can sustain with that.  Probably a few at the beginning and then I’ll move along.

Q) Just a flock of them, right?

A) Yes, exactly.  There you go.

Q) I have a question about the birds.  Are these baby birds or adults?  Are they going to be handled by the presenters or actual bird handlers?

A) These are adult birds.  They’ll be handled by both the presenter and then given to the winners.

Q) Will there be any kind of different birds for different awards?

A) That I’m not sure of.  That’s a good question.  I’ll probably find out the week of.

Q) So you didn’t really have any say for the birds to maybe have them match the category?

A) Yes, birds are not my department, man.  I’m going to leave that up to the awards show.

Q) I saw on Twitter how much you love True Detective.  I was wondering, are you surprised by the rise of Spirit Award nominee, Mathew McConaughey?

A) No, not at all.  He just kicked his career into this turbo level the past couple of years, if you watchKiller Joe and Mud, and then this year, especially with Dallas Buyers Club.  He steals a three-hour movie with one scene for God’s sake. He’s amazing.  I don’t know what to say. I’ll be honest.  I didn’t see it coming, but now that it’s happening, he’s like the most vital, best actor working.  It’s kind of incredible and he’s doing it now on all fronts.  The only thing I can think of that he would do next is a play somewhere.  I wouldn’t put that beyond his abilities at this point.

Q) Is there any chance that you’ll be singing or making up a song like what you’ve done for Nerd Poker?

A) Oh, God.  I would never inflict that on the audience.  No.  There’ll be no singing for me.  I value the people in the room too much to sing to them.

Q) Cages or no cages?

A) Cage-free. Yes, I can summon birds.

Q) Say in the next year, or the next couple of months or so, if the birds die, do you have some sort of a contingency plan over there at IFC?  Do these trophies have a warranty?

A) Anyone whose bird dies will be given a baby cougar. I think it’s good.  I think it will work out great.

Q) Earlier you were mentioning about how after the ceremony you’re just going to watch The Academy Awards and relax after hosting these awards.  Do you feel that, overall, the Independent Spirit Awards is really an important predictor of who is going to win the Oscars?

A) I think it goes beyond that.  I think that the Independent Spirit Awards are an important predictor of who you’re going to be rooting for in The Oscars, like ten years down the road.  That’s what makes it so exciting for me is that this is like giving an award to MartinScorsese in 1971 for Who’s That Knocking on My Door?  You’re seeing people at the beginning of their – I hate to use the word “journey,” but this really is. These are the future masters that you’re watching when they’re young.  It makes it that much more crucial and stressful for me.  I really want to do well by these guys because these are the people that are going to be making the movies down the road that we’re going to be fighting over at The Oscars.  Again, it’s a bigger predictor than the next day; it’s more about the next ten years.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*