This is Spinal Tap Vs Hard Core Logo.
Many of the genre characteristics of the documentary, whether intentionally or not, serve to reassure the viewer that the people and actions depicted are true and sincere. When a documentary strays from certain conventions, viewers question the actuality of the content. Such is the case in Godboutís The Fate of America, where the heavy staging and scripting cause the viewer to question the validity of the filmmakerís ëchanceí meeting of RenÈ Dubois. However, when a fiction film adopts the genre conventions of a documentary, the reverse occurs. Whereas the viewer of a documentary may question whether the supposed non-fiction is actually fiction, the viewer of a mocumentary is presented with the possibility that fiction is actually true.
The mocumentary is a fiction film which presents its content in the form of a documentary. Many mocumentaries adopt the form of the documentary in order to present a fictional person or incidence in a humorous way. In This is Spinal Tap, the band is ridiculed by offering ludicrous answers to simple questions asked by the ëdocumentarianí. Although many mocumentaries, such as This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and Burn Hollywood, Burn, adopt the conventions of the documentary in order to parody their content, other mocumentaries, such as Man Bites Dog and Hard Core Logo, take this form in an attempt to convince the viewer that what he is watching is true. These mock documentaries mock, as in imitate, the form of the documentary, while attempting to establish the actuality of their fictional content. Whereas humorous mocumentaries rely on elements of fiction, such as humor and exaggeration, in order to indicate the sarcastic nature of the film, any deterrence from realism in the real mocumentary pulls the viewer away from entertaining the possibility of actuality.
Both This is Spinal Tap (1984) and...
More Film & TV Studies
essays:
This is a film review on "This Is Spinal Tap", directed by Rob Reiner, which is a cult favourite around the world.
... , the fights, the miscommunications, and the uncouthness of band members. The documentary seemed as if it was documenting a real-life band because of the ... is just that. This "mockumentary" of a fictitious rock band has kept viewers laughing for nineteen tears, and is still going strong. Going so ...
Analyzing non- fiction films.
... a documentary style in order to deceive the viewer into believing that the band Spinal Tap actually exists ... or stray from, the conventions of other films within the same genre. By remaining within the context of a genre, yet ...
This is a speech directed to the audience of the 2003 Academy Awards arguing that feature films are made for money, rather than entertainment.
... and philosophies at regular intervals has been transformed into a less than conventional homosexual couple. "Sure, "American Beauty" makes us think. I guess that means ... still not convinced, answer me this: how can we have an entire genre of film that relies on big special effects and weak plots, yet ...
Seperate But Equal. This is a review for the movie "Seperate but Equal." It analyses the good and bad points of the movie, and suggests areas for improvement throughout the film.
... . Overall, the melodramatics were forgivable, as the movie was not a documentary, but rather was a Hollywood production, where melodramatic scenes are to be expected. Thus, the movie was actually very good. Despite its few weaknesses, it orchestrated a good mix ...
This is an essay comparing and contrasting a sci-fi, 2001 A Space Odyssey, and a western, The Way West.
... synthesized foods stocked in their enormous "Space Wagon". You may think that these two situations have no differences, but they actually have many similarities. Both the settlers and the astronauts were trailblazers of a sort. The pioneers were the very first ...
Robert Rodriguez Film Once Upon a Time in Mexico This is a structural review.
... shooting the scenes he storyboards some of them in a cartoon fashion, then shoots them on video before filming the actual scenes. He implements the most up-to-date technology in his films. In Once Upon a Time in Mexico, he ... very electrifying and emotional scene. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me feel I was actually there, which is the effect I believe that Robert Rodriguez was going for. This was the best action movie I ...
Fiddler On the Roof This is a musical paper on the movie
... me pay more attention when he was doing a scene. It was good to see a movie were a character actually thought things out and look at both sides to everything. Most films the character is one sided. This film had ...
This is a film review of the Movie "Sin City" which I wrote for my college newspaper.
... are more props than characters, but Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba make strong impressions. The film is overwhelming at times, intentionally keeping viewers off-kilter by combining grand heroics, stunning beauty, hideous grotesquery, outrageous butchery, toughness and innocence, tragedy and comedy ...