It has been a decade since pioneering mockumentary filmmaker Christopher Guest delivered his last feature length work, the unfortunately underwhelming “For Your Consideration.” And in that time, Guest has seen the comedic format he perfected nearly from the start catch on like wildfire. It’s hard to imagine the oeuvre of Sacha Baron Cohen or shows like both the U.K. and U.S. versions of “The Office,” “Parks & Recreation,” and “Modern Family” without Guest laying the groundwork.

Continue reading Christopher Guest Delivers Minor Key Laughs With ‘Mascots’ [Review] at The Playlist.

It has been a decade since pioneering mockumentary filmmaker Christopher Guest delivered his last feature length work, the unfortunately underwhelming “For Your Consideration.” And in that time, Guest has seen the comedic format he perfected nearly from the start catch on like wildfire. It’s hard to imagine the oeuvre of Sacha Baron Cohen or shows like both the U.K. and U.S. versions of “The Office,” “Parks & Recreation,” and “Modern Family” without Guest laying the groundwork.

Continue reading Christopher Guest Gives Fans Another Reason To Cheer With ‘Mascots’ [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Coming into a season brimming with prestige pictures, Oscar contenders, and Very Important Movies, it’s advisable to cleanse your palate with a film that doesn’t want to do anything more than simply entertain. And Christopher Guest‘s “Mascots,” which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival will serve that function admirably and hilariously.

READ MORE: The 30 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival

Having once again rounded up a roster of tremendously talented and funny players —Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr., Christopher Moynihan, Don Lake, Brad Williams, Zach Woods, Chris O’Dowd, Matt Griesser, Susan Yeagley, Sarah Baker, Tom Bennett, Kerry Godliman, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Hitchcock, Maria Blasucci, John Michael Higgins and Jim Piddock — Guest’s latest looks like it has a similar vibe to “Best In Show,” but this time, he’s taking audiences into the world of professional mascots.

Continue reading New Trailer For Christopher Guest’s ‘Mascots’ Finds Parker Posey, Chris O’Dowd, Jane Lynch And More Going For Gold at The Playlist.

So far, 2016 has been one of most disappointing years for movies we can remember, and the fall film-festival season couldn’t come fast enough. And already, Venice opener “La La Land,” has made the cinematic landscape seem much rosier (read Jess’s rave review here if you haven’t already). The premieres will come thick and fast over the next few days, with Telluride getting in the mix on Friday, but we’re still a week away from one of the biggest events of them all, the Toronto International Film Festival.

Continue reading The 30 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival at The Playlist.

The organizers of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival announced its initial slate of Gala and Special Presentation films coming to Toronto this fall, and the slate spans blockbusters to auteur cinema.

READ MORE: 50 Films We Hope To See At The 2016 Fall Film Festivals 

The most exciting thing about any festival is discovering something new, and there are any number of titles in Toronto that could end up being something special.

Continue reading TIFF 2016 First Looks: ‘The Secret Scripture’ With Rooney Mara, ‘Planetarium’ With Natalie Portman, Christopher Guest’s ‘Mascots,’ More at The Playlist.

It’s six weeks away from the start of the Toronto International Film Festival, and the launch of the awards season. It surely will amount to a bounty of offerings for cinephiles, as Hollywood puts a troubling summer in the rear view and gets ready to show off prestige pictures. This morning, organizers at TIFF raised the curtain on the first wave of Gala and Special Presentation pictures.

Among the highlights of the films coming to Toronto this year in the Special Presentation slate are: Marc Forster‘s “All I See Is You” starring Blake Lively, Andrea Arnold‘s “American Honey,” Ewan McGregor‘s “American Pastoral,” Nate Parker‘s Sundance sensation “Birth Of A Nation,” Miles Teller‘s boxing flick “Bleed For This,” western “Brimstone” starring Guy Pearce, Rachel Weisz‘s “Denial,” Paul Verhoeven‘s controversial “Elle,” Park Chan-Wook‘s “The Handmaiden,” musical “La La Land” starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Kenneth Lonergan‘s “Manchester By The Sea,” Christopher Guest‘s “Mascot,” Pablo Larrain‘s “Neruda,” Tom Ford‘s “Nocturnal Animals,” Jim Jarmusch‘s “Paterson,” Asghar Farhadi‘s “The Salesman,” Werner Herzog‘s “Salt And Fire,” “Toni Erdmann,” “Trespass Against Us” starring Michael Fassbender and “Una” starring Ben Mendelsohn and Rooney Mara.

Continue reading TIFF 2016 Brings ‘Nocturnal Animals,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ ‘La La Land,’ ‘Arrival,’ ‘Deepwater Horizon’ & More To Toronto at The Playlist.

Christopher Guest Goes To Netflix With New Film 'Mascots'

Continue reading Christopher Guest Goes To Netflix With New Film ‘Mascots’ at The Playlist.