One of the greatest mockumentaries of all time is “This Is Spinal Tap,” and while filmmaker Christopher Guest didn’t direct it (that was Rob Reiner), he did co-write it with his co-stars Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Reiner. Soon after, Guest took that formula and ran with it, creating several other classic mockumentary comedies, including “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration,” and the last one, “Mascots” in 2016 for Netflix. When is Guest making his next mockumentary?
Well, it may never come, according to Eugene Levy, who told The Guardian in a recent interview, he thinks the formula is played out, and that Guest is no longer interested in it.
“Our last one was ‘For Your Consideration’ back in 2006,” Levy told the outlet, forgetting about “Mascot” maybe because no one really saw it and it never reached the acclaim of the others. “Our fake documentaries — Chris [Guest] always hated the term ‘mockumentary’ because we’re not mocking, it’s more affectionate than that — but they were getting a little cookie-cutter in terms of story. Everything was kind of the same, except we just changed the subject. At a certain point, that becomes predictable. In the interim, so many television shows have picked up that form and just destroyed it.”
That’s a bummer to hear, but arguably not a surprise. One of the best episodes of TV last year was “What We Do In The Shadows,” which did a brilliant job of mocking a “Home & Gardening” TV renovation show and while it was slightly different and extra meta, one does understand what Levy is trying to say: the model is played and maybe needs a break. Or, is it even done in terms of Christopher Guest’s perspective (it’s s shame we never had a chance to pitch Guest an idea because “Ultrasuede: In Search Of Halston” is just sitting there, just ripe and ready to be remade into one of their hilarious mockumentaries).
Levy also said he was relieved he now gets noticed more “Schitt’s Creek” than he does “American Pie.”
“All over the world. People came up and talked about the show in pretty much any location we visited,” he said about the film series. “The American Pie thing got a bit tedious. People would bring me apple pie every time I went into a restaurant or to a wedding. Which is kind of funny, but it did happen a lot.”
As for Christopher Guest, well, he’s got to try and at least direct something new, right? Well, don’t forget a new “Spinal Tap” sequel is actually on the way.