TOP 5 MOCKUMENTARIES

One of my favorite genres is the mockumentary, where it all looks so real, but the whole thing clearly isn't. Bruno brings us the latest incarnation of this often hilarious subgenre. So, I've decided to compile a list of top notch entertainment for you to check out if Bruno's got you in the mood (for watching mockumentaries...not the other thing):

5. Borat - This one is quite the enigma. The character of Borat isn't real, but the situations he finds himself in are certainly very real. It's genius the way Sasha Baron Cohen was able to focus on America's xenophobia while at the same time making us guffaw like jabbering foreign idiots who need to stay out of my country (poor attempt at satire here. Cohen much better at it.) The movie makes the uncomfortable hilarious, and it features the funniest balls out nude fight scene in the history of cinema. Bonus points as the movie that got Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock to split up. Now, if only the National Guard would stop asking him to do music videos, we could be rid of him once and for all. Memorable line: "You telling me the man who try to put a rubber fist in my anus was a homosexual?"

4. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - If you are a fan of horror, then you have to check this one out. Go rent it right now. It's a unique horror comedy mockumentary that will actually have moments to scare you. The film is about a documentary crew following around Leslie Vernon, a fun loving serial killer who is trying to set up the night he'll be famous as a group of teenagers are set to spend the night at an abandoned house. The first hour tears down the conventions of slasher films with sly comedy and consistent winks to the comedy. Then, the documentary turns into a straight up horror film with tons of scares as the crew tries to save the teens. It's too bad that this one didn't make it in theaters, because a lot of people missed out on something truly different. Memorable line: "What kind of a survivor girl passes out in a pinch?" "Passes out? What kind of survivor girl hops on the nerdy kid's johnson like it's a pogo stick? "

3. Zelig - Woody Allen's hilarious mockumentary centers around a man who is known as the human chameleon. He takes the form of whoever he's around and can slip into just about any situation. It is a poignant study into what is human identity with the great Allen humor that you saw in Sleeper and Bananas. Also, Allen wanted to get the look of old film so much that he took his footage and through it into a bathtub where his crew would stomp on the film to give it that old look. That's dedication to art. Memorable Line: "My deepest apology goes to the Trochman family in Detroit. I...I never delivered a baby before in my life, and I... I just thought that ice tongs was the way to do it."

2. Best in Show - My mother was embarrassed when we saw this in theaters together, because I couldn't stop laughing. When I fell into the aisle after Fred Willard, as a clueless announcer who knew nothing about dog shows, delivered a line, I felt like she was going to walk out. This is exactly what makes a great mockumentary. There is a story hidden within the funny improvisation that makes you care about the characters while milk shoots out your nose (Word of warning: Do not drink milk while watching). This is my favorite of the Christopher Guest improv style movies. Memorable line: Anything said by Fred Willard. Here's a sampling: "And to think that in some countries these dogs are eaten."

1. This is Spinal Tap - The granddaddy of them all, and still the king of comedy. The exploits of an over the hill metal band trying to return to greatness never gets old. Musicians still watch this film and are amazed at how accurate the film hits the problem of touring. The film has so many memorable scenes (Harry Shearer with the cucumber down his pants, Christopher Guest showing off his amp that goes to 11, getting lost while trying to find the stage, etc.). It's clear to see where the style came from and how today's mockumentaries are still heavily influenced by this one. If you haven't seen it and want to still be called an American, then check this one out. Memorable line: (a line I still live by) "It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever."