Upside Down Magical Book 1 is a captivating and enchanting novel that takes readers on a thrilling adventure through a world of magic and mystery. Set in a fictional land called Eldoria, the story follows a young protagonist named Lily who stumbles upon an old and dusty book in her grandmother's attic. However, what she doesn't realize is that this is no ordinary book; it is a magical book that has the power to turn her world upside down. As Lily begins flipping through the pages of the book, she is transported to a parallel universe where everything is the opposite of what she knows. The once familiar surroundings of her hometown are now strange and unfamiliar. People who were once her friends are now her enemies, and the laws of physics and logic no longer apply.
It’s also surprisingly serious on set, where, Lynch observes, “Wacky things don’t happen. Chris is a very steady guy, a very serious guy, and that’s the tone of the place.” Guest’s movies are meticulously plotted, but they’re unscripted. The dialogue is improvised in protracted takes, from which Guest conjures comedic magic in the editing room. The word improv may imply off-the-cuff ideation, but preparation is key. “By the time you get to set, it has to be a fully baked characterization so you can play,” says Lynch. “You can’t play if you’re not sure who your character is.” Adds Posey: “It’s different than coming up with a funny line. It’s not a kind of game, it’s not like we’re exercising our funny chops. It’s strong character work.”
Eugene Levy, who co-wrote and starred in the last four Guest movies though he s not involved with Mascots , told TIME earlier this year that there were giggles aplenty on the set of 1997 s Waiting for Guffman , the first documentary-style comedy Guest directed, about a community theater production in small-town Missouri. Posey s attitude toward Cindi mirrors her approach to her uptight Weimaraner owner in Best in Show , who has a hilarious conniption when her dog s favorite toy goes missing.
People who were once her friends are now her enemies, and the laws of physics and logic no longer apply. In this topsy-turvy world, Lily must navigate through twisted landscapes and encounter bizarre creatures in order to find her way back home. Along the way, she discovers that she possesses unique magical abilities that enable her to control the upside-down reality.
Mascots and the Very Serious Business of Making a Christopher Guest Movie
W hen Parker Posey got a call from Christopher Guest offering her a part in his next movie, she already knew the drill. Having appeared in all four of the faux-documentaries Guest had written and directed since 1997, she knew he’d give her the basic character sketch—in this case, Cindi Babineaux, a mascot for a Mississippi women’s college basketball team who’s aging out of her tenure as Alvin the Armadillo—and it would be her job to fill in the details. “The nine-banded armadillo is limited,” she says, recalling her attempts to crack the character. “They’re mainly roadkill.” She pauses. “That’s an interesting angle.”
Finding the interesting angle on idiosyncratic subcultures and the Cindi Babineauxs that comprise them has driven Guest’s work over the past two decades. Movies like Best in Show, about competitive dog breeders and trainers, and A Mighty Wind, about a folk-music reunion concert, have won the onetime Saturday Night Live cast member legions of devoted fans. His particular brand of comedy, which originated with the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, directed by Rob Reiner and co-written by Reiner, Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean, applies the conventions of self-serious documentary filmmaking to unexpected, if not undeserving, fictional subjects.
In Mascots, Guest’s first film in a decade, premiering on Netflix Oct. 13, he and co-writer Jim Piddock turn their gaze—with the help of a flock of returning cast members including Posey, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard and Ed Begley Jr.—toward the men and women who dance in poorly ventilated animal suits to bring smiles to the faces of amateur sports fans.
When Cindi arrives at the World Mascot Association’s Golden Fluffy Awards in Anaheim, she faces stiff competition from the likes of Tommy “The Fist” (Chris O’Dowd), a belligerent hockey mascot and the self-proclaimed “bad boy of sports mascottery”; Phil Mayhew, a.k.a. Jack the Plumber (Christopher Moynihan), a real estate appraiser who deems his day job his “pretend life”; and Owen Golly Jr., a.k.a. Syd the Hedgehog (Tom Bennett), a third-generation mascot and butcher who cheers a British pudding factory’s soccer team.
In a way, the stakes are higher for the mascots than they were for dog handlers or has-been folkies. Their complete anonymity—in both face and name—makes the chance for recognition by their peers all the more meaningful, as proven most poignantly by Jack the Plumber, who hypes a football team with members who don’t know him from Adam. Yet his routine—which involves chasing errant, breakdancing feces around the stage—is met with rapturous applause from the mascot community.
The mascots refer to their passion as a “craft.” They look to forebears so dedicated to their plush alter egos that they chose to be buried inside of them. Judges wear white gloves to handle the trophies, lest they leave a thumbprint, and the master of ceremonies buzzes with nervous excitement at the possibility that the Gluten Free Channel—which airs in “more than two cities nationwide”—might televise future competitions. It’s all extremely serious business for these characters, and much of the humor derives from the often humorless, single-minded fervor with which they devote themselves to their passion. But despite the zaniness of the end result, it’s serious business for the actors who portray them, too.
Posey’s attitude toward Cindi mirrors her approach to her uptight Weimaraner owner in Best in Show, who has a hilarious conniption when her dog’s favorite toy goes missing. But Posey didn’t play that scene for laughs. “Meg asks for a toy that they don’t have at the pet store, and it’s serious. It’s people caring. There’s a lot of heart. It kind of starts at that.” Adds Lynch, who reunites with Guest for a fourth time in Mascots— this time as competition judge Gabby Monkhouse, whose mascoting career as a moose was cut short by a split-induced injury—“It’s wonderful that it ends up being so funny, but it comes from a real place of being grounded in these characters.”
It’s also surprisingly serious on set, where, Lynch observes, “Wacky things don’t happen. Chris is a very steady guy, a very serious guy, and that’s the tone of the place.” Guest’s movies are meticulously plotted, but they’re unscripted. The dialogue is improvised in protracted takes, from which Guest conjures comedic magic in the editing room. The word improv may imply off-the-cuff ideation, but preparation is key. “By the time you get to set, it has to be a fully baked characterization so you can play,” says Lynch. “You can’t play if you’re not sure who your character is.” Adds Posey: “It’s different than coming up with a funny line. It’s not a kind of game, it’s not like we’re exercising our funny chops. It’s strong character work.”
It wasn’t always so businesslike on set. Eugene Levy, who co-wrote and starred in the last four Guest movies (though he’s not involved with Mascots), told TIME earlier this year that there were giggles aplenty on the set of 1997’s Waiting for Guffman, the first documentary-style comedy Guest directed, about a community theater production in small-town Missouri. “There were so many things in shooting that movie that made me laugh on camera. There were scenes where I actually had to work my way to the back of the group and get down on my hands and knees and crawl off the set so I wouldn’t stop the scene,” he recalls. “But we learned quickly that if you keep laughing in these scenes and you ruin takes, you’re ruining something you can never get back. So we learned to be more professional as we went along.”
Though Mascots and its predecessors are largely apolitical, it’s hard to talk about sports symbolism without mentioning the conversation about offensive characters that continue to represent some teams. In one scene, Cindi is nearly disqualified because of a rule forbidding competitors whose teams are associated with anything offensive based on race, creed, gender or sexual orientation, and Alvin the Armadillo’s predecessor, per an anonymous complainant, was the Leaping Squaw. The judges’ deliberation skewers discussions about real-life controversial mascots, with most of the all-white panel not seeing what’s so bad about the word squaw, anyway. (“Frankly,” says Gabby, “I’m more offended by the word leaping.”)
Guest’s films are commonly referred to as mockumentaries, but the filmmaker has distanced himself from the term because his intent is not to mock. “It’s not a mean laughter,” says Lynch. “It comes from deep inside our own fears of the ordinary. We laugh watching these people because ultimately, they’re really just ordinary people who wish they were extraordinary, and they’re not,” she says. “We’re laughing at ourselves even if we don’t know it.”
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Write to Eliza Berman at [email protected].
Though Mascots and its predecessors are largely apolitical, it’s hard to talk about sports symbolism without mentioning the conversation about offensive characters that continue to represent some teams. In one scene, Cindi is nearly disqualified because of a rule forbidding competitors whose teams are associated with anything offensive based on race, creed, gender or sexual orientation, and Alvin the Armadillo’s predecessor, per an anonymous complainant, was the Leaping Squaw. The judges’ deliberation skewers discussions about real-life controversial mascots, with most of the all-white panel not seeing what’s so bad about the word squaw, anyway. (“Frankly,” says Gabby, “I’m more offended by the word leaping.”)
With the help of a quirky group of misfit friends she meets along the way, Lily embarks on an epic quest to locate the Book of Reversal, the only object with the power to restore the world to its proper state. Throughout the novel, the main theme of the power of perception and the ability to overcome adversity is highlighted. Lily must learn to trust her instincts and think creatively in order to navigate the challenges she faces in the upside-down world. As she evolves as a character, she learns the importance of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. The author's vivid and imaginative descriptions bring the upside-down world of Eldoria to life, captivating readers with its whimsical and fantastical elements. The pacing of the story is fast-paced, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the mysteries of this magical realm. Overall, Upside Down Magical Book 1 is a captivating and enchanting story that will appeal to readers of all ages. With its rich world-building, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes, this novel is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure..
Reviews for "The Fantastical World of Upside Down Book 1"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Upside Down Magical Book 1" after hearing so many positive reviews, but I was utterly disappointed. The story felt disjointed, with confusing plotlines that were never fully explored or resolved. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard to form any kind of emotional connection with them. The writing style was also unengaging, leaving me bored and uninterested throughout the book. Overall, I found "Upside Down Magical Book 1" to be a major letdown and I would not recommend it to others.
2. Liam - 1 star - "Upside Down Magical Book 1" was a complete waste of time. The story seemed promising at first, but it quickly became apparent that the author had no clear direction or focus. The world building was lackluster, with vague descriptions that left me struggling to picture anything in my mind. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard to believe in the interactions between the characters. The pacing was also incredibly slow, with unnecessary scenes that added nothing to the overall plot. I regret picking up this book and would advise others to steer clear.
3. Sarah - 3 stars - While "Upside Down Magical Book 1" had a few interesting ideas, it fell short in execution. The plot had potential, but it lacked cohesion and felt rushed at times. The characters had moments of brilliance, but their development was sporadic, leaving me disconnected from their journey. The writing style was decent, but there were moments of unnecessary description that slowed down the pace. Overall, it wasn't the worst book I've read, but I can't say I enjoyed it either. I would recommend it only to those who are really drawn to the premise and are willing to overlook its flaws.
4. Jason - 2 stars - I struggled to get through "Upside Down Magical Book 1". The story was convoluted and confusing, with multiple plotlines that never seemed to come together. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fates. The writing style felt amateurish, with clunky dialogue and repetitive phrases that became tiresome quickly. Ultimately, "Upside Down Magical Book 1" left me unsatisfied and disappointed. I would not recommend it to others.