Mockumentary

Mockumentary (portmanteau of mock documentary. Also, fictional documentary, false documentary) names a film and TV genre, or a single work of the genre. The mockumentary is presented as if it were a documentary, though it is not factual. It is a commonly used medium for parody and satire.

Comedic examples

• All You Need Is Cash (aka The Rutles), Beatles parody telling of the Rutles' story, while also parodying documentary makers themselves. (UK, 1979)
• ', (improvised) award winning mockumentary by director James Wilkes about an obsessed William Shatner fan. (Canada, 2005)
• Best in Show, (improvised) story of some contestants at a national dog show (UK/US, 2000)
• Big Tuna, mockumentary about Max Tuna Schreiber, who was the first candid camera film-maker in Israel. (Israel, 2003)
• Bob Roberts, a Tim Robbins satiric film about a right wing folksinger's crooked election campaign. (US, 1992)
• Brass Eye, an entire series of mockumentaries by Chris Morris (UK, 1997)
• The Bronswick Affair, a mockumentary about a brand of television sets which makes watchers impulsively buy advertised goods in grotesque quantities.
• CB4, a parody rapumentary that follows the story of CB4, a fictional rap group that is loosely based on N.W.A. and 2 Live Crew.
• The Canadian Conspiracy, about a supposed Canadian plan to subvert the United States by taking over its media. (US, 1985)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm, about the bad luck of Larry David.
• Dark Side of the Moon tries to portray the moon landings as a creation in a movie lot by Stanley Kubrick. (France, 2002)
• Drop Dead Gorgeous about a beauty pagaent in Minnesota. The battle between the good and the bad is bound to get ugly. (US, 1999)
• The Earth is Flat, a short comedy about the sole member of the Seattle International Flat Earth Society, and his exploits.
• Fear of a Black Hat follows the fictional rap group, "NWH", as it evolves with the genre from its popular origins to the advent of gangsta rap. (US, 1994)
• Forgotten Silver by Costa Botes and Peter Jackson, parody of a historical documentary about a "forgotten" filmmaker. (New Zealand, 1995)
• ' by Michael Dowse, a mockumentary that has acheived high cult status about head-banger subculture, especially within Canada. (Canada, 2002)
• The Games, an Australian TV comedy that follows the mayhem and bureaucratical snafu faced by the organisers of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (Australia, 1998 and 2000)
• Get Ready to be Boyzvoiced, a film following fictional Norwegian boy band Boyzvoice (Norway, 2000)
• G-SALE by Randy Nargi, scripted mockumentary about garage sale fanatics in the style of Christopher Guest. (US, 2003)
• Hard Core Logo, following in the tradition of This Is Spinal Tap, this film traces the final tour of an overaged punk band, and serves as a model for the death of "true" punk rock. The film's associated album, A Tribute to Hard Core Logo, has several notable bands performing cover versions of Hard Core Logo songs, and is packaged as if Hard Core Logo were a real band. (Canada, 1996)
• Incident at Loch Ness the tale of all hell breaking loose as famous filmmaker Werner Herzog attempts to make a documentary about the nessie myth while a documentary about his life is being filmed and a pigheaded producer (Zak Penn) tries his damndest to make Herzog's film a mindless high-grossing blockbuster. (US, 2004)
• Jimmy MacDonald's Canada which are lost episodes of a mid-1960s public affairs show hosted by Jimmy MacDonald who was played by Richard Waugh. The show combined new segments with authentic news and human interest archive footage. (Canada, 2005)
• ', HBO Special about the making of an HBO Special
• LolliLove, a story about a husband and wife team, played by James Gunn and Jenna Fischer, who form a charity to give each homeless person a lollipop with a cheery slogan on the wrapper, but who are really only serving themselves. (USA, 2004)
• Man Bites Dog, black comedy/satire in which a film crew follows a serial killer documenting his crimes. (Belgium, 1992)
• A Mighty Wind, (improvised) story about a group of folk musicians who reunite to pay tribute to their producer. (US, 2003)
• ', is a satirical comedy in documentary style following the fortunes of a lacklustre England football manager in the World Cup (UK, 2001)
• The National Scream, about the investigation of the disappearance of the official beaver, the national symbol of Canada.
• The Office, a British TV comedy about an everyday office with a horrible manager, David Brent. (UK, 2001 to 2003)
• The Office, an American remake of the British show, also about an office place. (USA, 2005)
• The Old Negro Space Program, a short film that lampoons far-reaching racial segregation in the United States.
• On Edge, a mocumentary about figure skating (US, 2001)
• Operation Good Guys, a British TV comedy focusing on a group of Undercover Policemen. (UK, 1997)
• Otaku no Video, an anime film by GAINAX featuring live-action news segments of events past the film's 1985 release date. (Japan, 1985)
• People Like Us, a British radio and TV comedy, featuring an inept interviewer (played by Chris Langham), who interviews people in various jobs. (UK, radio from 1995 to 1997, and television series 1999 to 2000.)
• Real Life, Albert Brooks directs a documentary about a year in the life of an average American family (headed by Charles Grodin). (US, 1979)
• Rock-U-Mockumentary, The Really Spontaneous Theatre Company creates a live theater show which is a spoof of VH1's popular show Behind the Music. (US, 2005)
• Reno 911! improvised Comedy Central parody of COPS about a very inept police force in Reno, Nevada.
• Run Ronnie Run! a humorous look following a redneck Ronnie on his rise to public fame through his arrests, by the folks who created Mr. Show. (US, 2002)
• Sweet and Lowdown, Woody Allen faux documentary about a jazz guitarist. (US, 1999)
• Take the Money and Run, Woody Allen film chronicling the mis-adventures of a bankrobber. (US, 1969)
• The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (2003)
• This Is Spinal Tap, follows a British rock band on tour long past their salad days. (UK, 1984)
• Trailer Park Boys, a Canadian TV comedy focusing on the misadventures of ex-cons living in a trailer park near Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Canada, 2001 to 2005)
• Waiting for Guffman, (improvised) story of a small Missouri town's celebration of its sesquicentennial. (US, 1996)
• We Can Be Heroes, an Australian TV mockumentary about five fictitious candidates nominated for the prestigious Australian of the Year Award. All five protagonists are played by the actor and show's creator, Chris Lilley. (Australia, 2005)
• Where Are They Now? - A Delta Alumni Update, a John Landis-directed follow-up to his "documentary about one semester in the life of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity at Faber College, Pennsylvania", released on the Double Secret Probation Edition DVD of National Lampoon's Animal House, (US, 2003)
• Zelig, Woody Allen movie telling of a chameleon-like individual who blended in wherever he went. (US, 1983)