When This is Spinal Tap came out back in 1984, it was either the first mocumentary or at least the first mocumentary to be widely recognized. Since then, we’ve seen a multitude of such creations; most notably, The Office.

This begs the question: Has the mockumentary format been overdone? Is it a genre unto itself or a novelty?

Part of the reason I ask is that, as a novelty, it is kitschy and fun. As a genre, it can be potentially confusing. How far can a filmmaker push the limits of mocumentary before it becomes misconstrued as a legitimate documentary?

Documentaries themselves have ventured past merely documenting and into the the realm of propaganda. Impressionable minds who believe documentary filmmakers are unbiased and objective are susceptible to drinking whatever Kool-Aid that is set in front of them.

I guess the question is: What happens when the mockumentary filmmaker turns it up to eleven?