Fakers! Mockumentaries & Pseudo-documentaries

[Smilla]

By mockumentaries, I mean films that mock "serious" documentaries about the same subject (This Is Spinal Tap) or mock specific movies (the way Medusa: Dare to be Truthful was a mockumentary of Madonna: Truth or Dare) and are shot in fake documentary style. To me, pseudo-documentaries are dramas or thrillers shot in documentary format that "chronicle" fictitious events (Kids; The Blair Witch Project).

My favorite mockumentary is actually Medusa: Dare to be Truthful, even though it was pretty silly. I think I like it so much because I hated Madonna's persona during that period.

[eclair]

My favorite is Incident at Loch Ness by Werner Herzog. It's such a quirky little film. But I just love crazy Werner Herzog. I haven't seen the Truth or Dare mocumentary, I'll have to check it out.

[ijustworkhere]

I've been living in Canada for the past year, and this past weekend was made to watch FUBAR, which I will admit was damn funny, even more so if you're Canadian or have spent a lot of time in Canada.

[divasahm]

This Is Spinal Tap owns this thread. And I didn't even realize just how deep the parody went when it first came out--it's taken early footage and anecdotes about Jeff Beck, Metallica, Anvil, and other bands to appreciate just how nuanced and based-on-truth Spinal Tap is.

Of course, it also happens to be one of the funniest and most quotable movies I've ever seen.

[Babycakes]

Waiting for Guffman. Actually, probably anything with Christopher Guest. (True confession: I still haven't seen A Mighty Wind, or Best in Show.)

[Smilla]

I freaking love Best in Show, which I actually own. Hysterical, and very on the mark re: dog show culture.

[chiqui]

I thought Best in Show was a little mean-spirited in the way it treated its characters, especially the two-left-feet guy; A Mighty Wind, while more esoteric, seemed to have more of a love for its subject and characters.

[divasahm]

Sept 21, 2010 0:10:37 GMT -4 chiqui said:

I thought Best in Show was a little mean-spirited in the way it treated its characters, especially the two-left-feet guy; A Mighty Wind, while more esoteric, seemed to have more of a love for its subject and characters.

You just identified my problem with BiS--although I will forever love it for introducing me to Jane Lynch.

[badtzmaru]

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a mocumentary. It holds a special place in my heart for the "Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club"

[millie77]

Sept 21, 2010 0:10:37 GMT -4 chiqui said:

I thought Best in Show was a little mean-spirited in the way it treated its characters, especially the two-left-feet guy; A Mighty Wind, while more esoteric, seemed to have more of a love for its subject and characters.

I actually thought Guffman was the meanest of the three. I still think it's hilarious, but it also kind of hurts -- particularly the end. For laughs, BiS wins for me, but AMW is probably my favorite -- for a funny movie, it just has so much heart and that's not easy to pull off. "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" gets me every time.