Silver Screen Fiend

Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film

By: Patton Oswalt

Narrated by: Patton Oswalt

Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author, comedian, and actor Patton Oswalt shares his entertaining memoir about coming of age as a performer and writer in the late '90s while obsessively watching classic films at the legendary New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

Between 1995 and 1999, Patton Oswalt lived with an unshakeable addiction. It wasn't drugs, alcohol, or sex. It was film. After moving to L.A., Oswalt became a huge film buff, absorbing classics and new releases at least three nights a week at the New Beverly Cinema. Silver screen celluloid became Patton's life schoolbook, informing his notions of acting, writing, comedy, and relationships. Set in the nascent days of the alternative comedy scene, Oswalt's memoir chronicles his journey from fledgling stand-up comedian to self-assured sitcom actor, with the colorful New Beverly collective supporting him all along the way.

Ideally timed for awards season, when everyone's mind is on Hollywood, Silver Screen Fiend follows up on the terrific reception of Oswalt's New York Times best-selling debut, Zombie Spaceship Wasteland. Already a beloved fixture on the comedy stage, on television, and in film - not to mention his 1.1 million Twitter followers - Oswalt announces, with this second book, that he's also here to stay on the page.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2015 Dagonet, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

devoured this. long drive, spent well.

Well done, Mr. Oswalt, sir. Thank you.

If you care, at all... Listen to this.

Entertaining

While not as inspired as his earlier zombie, spaceship, wasteland, this second autobiographical book is worth listening to. Knowledge of classic and cult films is optional, but it is a plus.

Good book but much more in depth than his standup if you're looking for a simple read.

If you are an absolute movie fiend, especially focusing on older films you will love this book. I am a film fan but I still did not recognize the vast majority of movies he was referring to. Overall the book is very insightful and interesting but just can at times be hard to follow

Birth of the Comedy

If you could sum up Silver Screen Fiend in three words, what would they be?

Addictive, Funny, Poignant

What other book might you compare Silver Screen Fiend to and why?

This may be Oswalt's version of Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.

I love Patton Oswald But...

I bought this because I love Patton Oswald. The description made it pretty clear what the book was about and I knew that I wasn't super interested in that, but was interested in his life and his struggles and any bits that talked about being a struggling comic. The book is ok, but it was heavy on the silver screen and Patton wasn't quite enough to save it from that. I took some enjoyment out of learning more about a person I really liked but I really can't recommend this to anybody who isn't a huge Patton fan or somebody who can relate to obsessive compulsive behavior or is a huge silver screen fan.

It did have a huge redeeming factor though in that it was narrated by one of my favorite voices, Mr. Patton Oswald.

ok

I'm glad I listened to it, if for no other reason than to get a view into the life of an interesting comedian.

A wonderful view Into his mind

For fans of the Author, this bkoks provides a unique look into what shaped this brilliant comedic mind.

'My Dinner with Andre' Meets 'A Season in Hell'

Using an impressive confessionatory style, Patton Oswalt talks about his love of film and the dangers of overindulgence in your passion to the exclusion of all else. And he talks about film: brilliantly, passionately and critically. It's also, strangely, a love-song to Los Angeles' Cinema Revival Houses and the act of going to the movies.

I devoured it compulsively. I recommend you do the same.

Wow what a great memoir!

This memoir was truly inspiring and a great story of the struggles of life with any addiction. But being a "sprocket fiend" is one of the greatest to read about. It's truly a treasure to have someone as talented and entertaining as Patton Oswalt write and read his own work and I look forward to all he has to offer in the future

a fun reminisce of 90s LA and SF

really enjoyed Patton's take on movies fame and the passion of a sprocket freak in mid 90s LA. This isn't just a see how clever I am comedian looking for attention kind of book. But an interesting examination about how we hide from life and eventually evolve