Bobcat Goldthwait: Stand-Up Comedy Keeps Me Off Reality Shows

Comedian, actor and director Bobcat Goldthwait has a new movie "Willow Creek" currently playing at film festivals, and is performing at Magooby’s Joke House in Timonium on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30.   

On Friday, Goldthwait spoke with Patch about being on the road, making movies and keeping the dumbest person in the room occupied.

I’m contractually obligated to ask you this because I’m a local journalist, but you’re coming to Baltimore [area] to do a couple shows in a few days now, do you like to do anything while you’re in town?

I used to like to go to the Dime Museum before it closed down.  I guess I’ll have to find something new to do. I’ve actually been there a bunch because of the Maryland Film Festival. 

Do you still enjoy being on the road and working in clubs? Did you ever actually enjoy that? 

Well, I guess no. But I’m glad I can do stand-up and play clubs because it keeps me off of reality shows.

You’ve also directed a few films ["God Bless America," "World’s Greatest Dad"] Do you enjoy making films more than stand up? 

At this point I really do like making movies a lot, even though the first one I made was about 20 years ago. You know, I’ve made like five in the last 10 years, and I’m excited about that. Stand up I started when I was 15, and I got on [The David Letterman Show] when I was 20. So making movies I’m a little more excited about.

This may seem really obvious, but what are the differences in writing funny for stand-up and writing funny for a movie? 

Well, when you’re doing stand-up you have to keep the dumbest person in the room occupied. When you’re writing a movie they just go to the Adam Sandler movie or something, so it’s a little easier.

Is that frustrating to put out movies, and then you see some of the [dreck] people go to, and then you feel like "Hey, I put out something quality here. Why aren’t more people interested?"

No because I don’t view it that way. I really do just feel pretty lucky that I can continue making movies on my own terms… I’m just making these movies for myself first, and then if they find an audience that’s nice. …I really don’t find it too frustrating that they don’t have mass appeal.

"Willow Creek," I believe I read that you self financed [the movie]. What was that process like? 

Well, it’s the much dreaded found footage movie. So it wasn’t like I had to, you know, hock my guitar or something. And it’s funny, because I’m not am actual found footage fan because I always wonder: "Who found this footage? Who said, 'Well I’m sorry your family got raped and murdered, but if I re-cut it I really think there’s a tremendous movie in it.'"

So with [these upcoming shows] are you working out new material, or are you just doing some tried and true [material at] club dates? What’s the story behind your heading out?

It’s always like a mixture of new material and old material, and you know, just to keep it interesting for myself.