Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest, known professionally as Christopher Guest, is an American-British screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy films shot in mockumentary style. The series of films began with This Is Spinal Tap and continued with Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots.
A mockumentary is one type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary which in itself is a subset of a faux-documentary style of film-making.
This Is Spinal Tap is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner. The film stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, who are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands". Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows them on their American tour. The film satirizes the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the perceived hagiographic tendencies of rock documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), and follows the similar All You Need Is Cash (1978) by the Rutles. Most of its dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed.
Frederic Charles Willard was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his work with Christopher Guest in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), and Mascots (2016), and for playing Ed Harken in the Anchorman films. He also appeared in films like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), American Wedding (2003) and WALL-E (2008). He received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for playing Frank Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family.
Catherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her comedy work on Second City Television (1976–84) and Schitt's Creek (2015–2020) and in films such as After Hours (1985), Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and the first two installments of the Home Alone franchise (1990–1992). Her other film appearances include the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest: Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
A Mighty Wind is a 2003 American mockumentary comedy film about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. Co-written, directed, and composed by Christopher Guest, the film is widely acknowledged to reference folk music producer Harold Leventhal as the inspiration for the character of Irving Steinbloom and more broadly parodies the American folk music revival of the early 1960s and its personalities.
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She was labeled "Queen of the Indies" for starring in a succession of independent productions throughout the 1990s, such as Party Girl, The Doom Generation, Kicking and Screaming, The Daytrippers (1996), The House of Yes and Clockwatchers. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination, and two Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Best in Show is a 2000 American mockumentary comedy film co-written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest. The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show as they travel to and compete at the show. Much of the dialogue was improvised. Many of the comic actors were also involved in Guest's other films, including Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. The film's score was composed by C. J. Vanston.
Waiting for Guffman is a 1996 American mockumentary comedy film and cult classic written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, and directed by Guest. The film's ensemble cast includes Guest, Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, and Parker Posey.
Robert Elmer Balaban is an American actor, author, comedian, director and producer. He was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for Gosford Park (2001), in which he also appeared.
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress. A character actress with performances across screen and television, primarily in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2023, Coolidge was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recognition for her roles in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films: Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
For Your Consideration is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Christopher Guest. It was co-written by Guest and Eugene Levy, and both also star in the film. The film's title is a phrase used in trade advertisements to promote films for honors such as the Academy Awards. The plot revolves around a group of three actors who learn that their performances in the fictional film they have not even completed yet, Home for Purim, a drama set in the mid-1940s American South, are supposedly generating a great deal of award-season buzz.
Jim Piddock is an English actor, producer and writer who began his career on the stage in the United Kingdom before emigrating to the United States in 1981.
Up for Grabs is a 2004 comedic documentary about two men who fought over custody of a baseball. It is based on a real-life incident surrounding a record-setting Barry Bonds home run, where the ball was contested in the property law case of Popov v. Hayashi. It was directed and produced by Michael Wranovics.
Michael Hitchcock is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and television producer.
Family Tree is a documentary-style television comedy created by Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock. The series premiered on 12 May 2013, on the American pay television network HBO, and appeared on the British channel BBC Two in July 2013. Guest, Piddock, Karen Murphy, Deborah Oppenheimer, and Mario Stylianides serve as the show's executive producers.
Hitchcock/Truffaut is a 2015 French-American documentary film directed by Kent Jones.
Lost in Space is an American science fiction streaming television series following the adventures of a family of space colonists whose ship veers off course. The series is a reimagining of the 1965 series of the same name, inspired by the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson and the 1962 Gold Key comic book Space Family Robinson, created by Del Connell and artist Dan Spiegle.
The Incredible Jessica James is a 2017 American romantic comedy film written and directed by James C. Strouse and starring Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël Wells, Lakeith Stanfield, Megan Ketch and Zabryna Guevara. It was released on Netflix on July 28, 2017.
