20 Facts About Mockumentaries (From 'Spinal Tap' To Some Really Obscure Ones)
![20 Facts About Mockumentaries (From 'Spinal Tap' To Some Really Obscure Ones)](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/3/862523_320x180.jpg)
Mockumentaries are like the evil twins of reality shows. Or their mirror images. Or their Moebian undersides. Whatever, that sounded much smarter and film-student-y in our heads. The point we’re trying to make is that instead of idiotically selling fakeness for reality, mockumentaries sell fakeness for reality, but, like, smartly. They use all the codes and tropes of reality-based documentaries, yet for overtly fictitious concepts. Thus, when the end result arrives, they can call attention to their underlying concepts, and so say something worthwhile about, erm, society? Yes, we’re sticking to that.
Take This Is Spinal Tap, just to mention one highly influential example. That iconic mockumentary used comedic exaggeration to make fun of the try-hard nature of big-haired bands, and shone a massive, arena-worthy spotlight on the silliness of the genre, while also making kick-ass rock music. Yes, it took the concept of progressive rock and pumped it up to 11, which, come on, you knew was a line that was coming. Besides Spinal Tap, however, the world of mockumentaries is full of other classics and hidden gems. In this Pictofact, then, we bring you some fascinating tidbits about other entries of the genre, some well-known, some forgotten, and others that are just really obscure and deserve some attention. Enjoy.
Borat
![Mockumentaries Borat The Pamela Anderson kidnapping scene was shot twice, because the first time the fans did nothing. The second time they got so rowdy that Anderson ended up losing a tiny piece of jaw bone during the scuffle. The scene also annoyed Kid Rock, who after seeing it asked Anderson for a divorce. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/8/862528.jpg)
Source: Deadline
Tour de Pharmacy
![Mockumentaries BOSSON SPORTIVE ZYKLUS TR Tour de Pharmacy The 1982 Tour de France is the setting for a bunch of drug-fueled cycling shenanigans, partly inspired by Lance Armstrong's notorious fall from grace. In fact, Andy Samberg and his crew did not think they could get the actual Armstrong, but he agreed. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/5/862535.jpg)
Source: Wikipedia
This is Spinal Tap
![Mockumentaries This is Spinal Tap The gold standard for the genre, Rob Reiner's rockumentary got great reviews and became highly influential, but it was a commercial failure. It made less than $5 million in the box office-next to nothing compared to other 1984 comedies. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/8/862538.jpg)
What We Do in the Shadows
![Mockumentaries What We Do in the Shadows Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 cult mockumentary is actually a sequel. The work that started it all was What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires, from 2005. The 25-minute film also features Clement and Waititi, and yes, it can be found on YouTube. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/7/862527.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Full short on YouTube
Zelig
![Mockumentaries Zelig Eleven years before Forrest Gump, Woody Allen inserted himself into early 20th century footage for this mockumentary about an enigmatic man who blends with whoever he's around. Allen and his cinematographer used real old-timey cameras, and scratched film negatives in order to age them. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/3/862543.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, WoodyAllen Pages
The Terrible Truth
![Mockumentaries The Terrible Truth This preachy 1951 short film proclaims weed is a gateway drug to heroin. It even ends by saying, Some say that the Reds are promoting drug traffic in the United States to undermine national morale. Right, The Terrible Truth, we're sure some say that. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/2/862542.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Full short on YouTube
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn
![Mockumentaries An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn Real director Alan Smithee wants his name out of his awful movie, but the industry pseudonym is Alan Smithee, so he snatches the movie to burn it. In real life, the film was so bad that the pseudonym was actually retired by the Directors Guild of America. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/1/862531.jpg)
More: The Movie So Bad It Forced The World's Worst Filmmaker To Retire
Forgotten Silver
![Mockumentaries Forgotten Silver Peter Jackson introduces us to the lost movies of one Colin McKenzie, who apparently came up with the tracking shot, the close-up, sound and color film, and even martial arts fights in cinema. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/4/862534.jpg)
Source: Wikipedia
Punishment Park
![Mockumentaries Punishment Park In Nixon's fascistic America, left-wing groups are marched 53 miles through the California desert while being chased by the National Guard. Mockumentary expert Peter Watkins allowed for full improvisation, so a scene features real bullets and real panic. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/9/862529.jpg)
Source: Wikipedia
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
![Mockumentaries Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping This mockumentary by The Lonely Island follows music genius (and absolute idiot) Conner4Real. But we never get Conner's last name, right? We do! Conner's mom (played by the always awesome Joan Cusack) is called Tilly Friel. Get it? Friel, 4Real? CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/2/862532.jpg)
Source: Film School Rejects
The Nona Tapes
![Mockumentaries The Nona Tapes Alice in Chains did their own mockumentary to promote their third album. Columbia Records was pissed, and took their revenge by selling the short against the band's wishes when it became a cult hit. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/6/862536.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Alice in Chains/YouTube
Incident at Loch Ness
![Mockumentaries Incident at Loch Ness Werner Herzog wants to shoot a meditative study on Nessie, while his producer Zak Penn wants to make a blockbuster. The three-layered sandwich leads to an actual encounter with the creature, but hidden DVD Easter eggs show it was all a ruse by Penn. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/7/862537.jpg)
Source: Wikipedia
Ghostwatch
![Mockumentaries Ghostwatch The creepy-ass mockumentary got too intense for its Halloween audience, and ended up causing PTSD cases in children. An 18-year-old with learning difficulties got obsessed with the show and committed suicide five days later, believing knocking pipes to be linked to ghosts. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/0/862530.jpg)
More: That Time The BBC Gave Kids PTSD On Halloween
Source: Wikipedia
Man Bites Dog
![Mockumentaries N Man Bites Dog This Belgian mockumentary about a serial killer won the International Critics' Prize at Cannes. It also has the coolest poster ever, which had to be softened overseas by replacing the pacifier with a set of dentures. (No babies die in the movie.) CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/6/862526.jpg)
Sources: The Criterion Collection, Wikipedia
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
![Mockumentaries C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America The film shows historical events from an alternate timeline where the Confederacy won the Civil War, like JFK being shot for trying to abolish slavery. It also features racist products from that alternate universe - which are actually real. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/0/862540.jpg)
All You Need is Cas
![Mockumentaries All You Need is Cash Before Spinal Tap, there was The Rutles. This mockumentary followingthe British band boasts cameos by Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, and George Harrison. Plus, it fused sMonty Python and Saturday Night Live, featuring Eric Idle and Michael Palin along with Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/3/862533.jpg)
Source: Wikipedia
Best in Show
![Mockumentaries - 2 180 Best in Show ChristopherGuest's comedy mockumentary about a dog show had real-life consequences. NBC Sports' Jon Miller found the entire concept and setting hilarious, and started broadcasting the National Dog Show every Thanksgiving since 2002. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/1/862541.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Philadelphia Magazine
Alternative 3
![Mockumentaries Alternative 3 This British mockumentary about a secret mission to colonize Mars and the Moon featured somewhat known actors, but people still fell for it. The reason: it came out in June 1977, when it was originally supposed to air on April Fool's Day. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/2/5/862525.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Movieclips/YouTube, MovieClips/YouTube
Bob Roberts
![Mockumentaries Bob Roberts In this prescient 1992 political mockumentary, Tim Robbins plays a narcissistic musician as he runs for senator, singing against lazy people, and even creating a Wall Street Rap. The movie has an insane all-star cast (including Jack Black in his film debut). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/4/4/862544.jpg)
Sources: Wikipedia, Movieclips/YouTube, MovieClips/YouTube
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
![Mockumentaries Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Sacha Baron Cohen retired Borat in 2007- then Donald Trump's presidency happened. Cohen considered the insanity of electing and supporting Trump only graspable with the help of Borat. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/3/9/862539.jpg)
More: 'Borat' Came Back 'Because of Trumpism,' Director says