Michael Jackson eat your heart…oh yeah…too soon? Or not soon enough?
(poorly) Written By: Helder Smith
After a long hiatus (and the crumbling of cheesecore.com) I have triumphantly returned to nerdnexus, ready to cram my unwanted opinions down the gullet of the masses (or to the 2-3 folks who may read my “work”).
A “mockumentary” is exactly what you think it is. A work of fiction shot in the style of a traditional documentary, complete with one-on-one camera confessionals and seemingly revealing “real-life” moments. Directors like Christopher Guest have carved entire careers out of the concept (Guest has several amazing examples, I have chosen to include only one, otherwise he might dominate the list). So here they are folks, my five favourite mockumentaries, in no particular order.
*Please keep in mind that this is a list of my favourite mockumentaries, and this is just the opinion of a lowly multi-millionaire who bench presses dangerous animals and lives by his own rules (I’m the James Dean of my generation).*
Trailer Park Boys
Corey. Trevor. Smokes, Let's go!
As a card carrying (and maple syrup chugging) Canadian, this television show is essentially my religion. It follows the exploits of career criminals Ricky, Julian, Bubbles and all of the other miscreants that inhabit Sunnyvale trailer park. Despite the inclusion of heavy drug use, coarse language and drunk male prostitutes, the show has some serious heart and is a must watch for anyone who even has a passing interest in laughing (or even has the ability to chortle).
Waiting for Guffman
Broadway bound?
Christopher Guest has perfected the mockumentary and this story of a small town theatre production is his magnum opus. Equal parts awkward and hilarious, the flick sports a superb ensemble cast, with a great script propped up by improvisational genius.
The Office (UK)
Free love, on the Free-love Free-way
Ricky Gervais was launched into the comedy stratosphere (god that’s a lame phrase) with his portrayal of David Brent, the clueless manager of a middling paper company in Slough, England. No show in the history of television has been as cringe-worthy or soul crushingly awkward and uncomfortable as this comedic gem. The true genius lies in the show’s ability to humanize the otherwise deluded and self –important, David Brent. Any other show would have allowed him to spiral into a cartoonish characterization.
The Office (US)
You should put your mouth on that
The Americanized version of The Office started as a lame recreation of the original, but quickly evolved its own comedic identity (less awkward and soul crushing than its UK father) . Although the show is losing steam, the first few seasons featured sharp writing and an amazing cast including the breakout performance of Steve Carell as manager Michael Scott, who is truly the heart of the show (He recently revealed that he is leaving after the 7th season, this will probably prove to be the show’s death knell).
Fubar
Turn up the good, turn down the suck!
Another Canadian favourite, Fubar is the story of two mulleted hosers who live for drinking and rock music. Mostly improvised, and featuring a relatively unknown cast, Fubar is a great blend of Hilarity and drama (although with the accents, characterizations and speech patterns, even the drama is hilarious). This is the most obscure of my choices, so I won’t reveal plot-points, just go watch it.
As always, if you disagree, or want to pimp your own opinions…just drop me an email or leave a comment.
**BONUS**
So Parker, what do you think of Helder's return? Coolness.