Hey, Viktor!
Amateur Cree filmmaker Cody Lightning shoots for the sky with Hey, Viktor!, an unexpected mockumentary that pulls its influences from the most unlikeliest of places.
Mockumentary
Theater Camp
Theater Camp is less of a satire on community theatre nor is it a snide comedy towards theatre dorks. In fact, Theater Camp is actually quite sincere with its representation of people who are very enthusiastic about the performing arts – kids and adults alike. Through that sincerity, there are still self-aware moments that will make this moviegoing demographic laugh at themselves but, still, Theater Camp is all in good fun.
Tijuana Jackson: Purpose Over Prison
By: Jessica Goddard It’s an intriguing premise: a crude ex-convict will stop at nothing to build a motivational speaking empire. Tijuana Jackson is unrefined, unreliable, and painfully pompous; but for better or for worse, he is motivated.
The Other Side of the Wind
You’ve heard of a movie “spinning its wheels”, but have you seen a movie that is simply “spinning”? That’s what Orson Welles’ recently recovered The Other Side of the Wind makes its audience feel like – it’s an evening on a sociable, abrasive lazy suzy with Hollywood elites admiring each other just as often as they’re jumping at another’s throat.
Strawberry Flavored Plastic
Strawberry Flavored Plastic combines elements of found-footage horror and mockumentary to create a story about two documentarians (Nicholas Urda, Andreas Montejo) making a movie about a serial killer, Noel Rose (Aidan Bristow). With testimonials, first-person video, and video conferencing, the audience learns how this “film” slips out from underneath its makers and how it goes awry.
Population Zero
Over-saturation has certainly helped Julian T. Pinder and Adam Levins’ faux-doc Population Zero. Horror thrillers have overplayed the mockumentary/found footage sub-genre, which is why this serious dramatization of an elaborate conspiracy theory is a breath of fresh air right out of the gate.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
The trailer for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping implies that the mockumentary is out to be a modern day This Is Spinal Tap. Given that the film has been produced by the musically inclined clever comedy trio The Lonely Island, the chances of the film hitting its targets is high.
No Men Beyond This Point
No Men Beyond This Point is a Canadian comedy that isn’t constantly funny as it is consistently clever.
Toronah
When I had an interest in reviewing Toronah, filmmaker and Wild Wing founder Rick Smiciklas insisted I watch a season of his reality TV show Wingmen before jumping into his feature film debut. I agreed, and watched the first season on iTunes (which I liked despite its forgetful narrative).
What We Do in the Shadows
By: Addison Wylie Vampires and the mockumentary genre have both been exhausted thanks to current fads, and spoofing these horrific bloodsuckers has also been done before. Yet, What We Do in the Shadow is one of the funniest films of the year. How so? Filmmaker Taika Waititi and comedic actor Jemaine Clement use inventive intelligence to ingeniously breathe life into these seemingly overplayed areas. There are various forms of comedy, but it’s always helpful when…