“Alternative” stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt, one of the foursome
on last year’s “Comedians of Comedy” tour, gets a much-deserved showcase with his own DVD, “No Reason
to Complain.”
Like an aside Oswalt said in the miniseries generated by that tour -- that
the Internet allows your mind to ping pong from one topic to another -- so does Oswalt’s stand-up. But Oswalt works
on the top-tier of observational humor comedians.
In the main program on the DVD, Oswalt skillfully jumps from great bits
that are more stories than jokes, like his tale of an open mike night where a wacko non-professional sleeps through a portion
of his own act. Oswalt’s material truly is unlike anything anyone else is doing.
The DVD is also truly loaded more extras than one has a right to expect,
including a series of short vignettes with Oswalt as a clerk in a surreal grocery store. Oswalt’s skill is also evident
because the DVD includes another complete, but shorter, special that contains a totally different set material, including
what ought to be remembered as a classic bit about hiding from the admission ticket taker for … the Anne Frank house.
You basically cannot go wrong with this DVD, with its wealth of good material
by a talented and clever comedian who should eventually reach higher rungs on the comedy ladder.