Report Card: "Mascots"

The DVDs are not coming as fast as I'd like them to, so I'm exploring Netflix to do Report Cards.
"Mascots" is  another Chris Guest bashing of bad show business in the tradition of "Best In Show"
"A Mighty Wind"and "Waiting For Guffman" 
I loved those.
Whatever you felt about those, you'll probably feel about "Mascots"

On to the scoring:

Is it entertaining?

Almost always.
A.

Is it controversial?

Not really.
B.

Is it a story worth telling?

It sure is imaginative.  I don't know if there really is a Mascots competition, but if there is, they really captured the best of what it would be like, while satirizing it at the same time.
A+

Is it good storytelling?

Totally.
A+.

Is it well written?

Very.
A+.

Is it well cast?  Well played?

The usual Chris Guest stock company is on hand: Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch, Ed Begley, Chris Guest himself, Fred Willard, and a whole bunch of other wonderfully cast people.
A+.

Well shot?

Very.
A+

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

It smells like every Chris Guest movie.  I mean that in a good way.
A+.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

Immediately.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

Just about right.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Guest makes it believable.  And he makes you care about these pathetic creatures.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

I didn't see anything coming, and there are many surprises.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Only about how I felt I had already seen this movie with "Guffman" "A Mighty Wind", and "Best In Show".
It is rather formulaic.  But he's found a very good formula.
B.

Is it funny?

Extremely.
A+.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Not really.
C+.

Is it impressive?

Very.
A.

Overall grade: A-.

Glad I saw it, but felt like it was nothing new.

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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