to react to the scenario they were presented with. Another way the director of a mockumentary is able to add to the convincing appearance of the film is by shying away from the recognizable faces of Hollywood. The movie credits list Heather Donahue, Michael S. Williams, and Joshua Leonard as the three actors in the film, blatantly recognizing the falsehood of the documentary style film. Historically factual events are often referred to, or actual places are depicted in Blair Witch and countless other faux documentaries. Presenting a controversial subject in a matter-of-fact style that allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions after being presented with "objectively presented" evidence is characteristic of the "verite" style. A lesser known film from Belgium, C'est Arrive Pres de Chez Vous, which translates roughly to "You Could Be Next," later re-titled Man Bites Dog, confuses the strict boundary between fact and fiction. The premise of this film involves a documentary crew, which has chosen to follow a notorious serial killer as he goes about his murderous rampage. The film the viewer is presented with is supposedly, the film documented by that crew. Just as in Blair Witch, Man Bites Dog opens up announcing that what we are watching has been made by Benoit Poelvoodre, Remy Belvaux, and Andre Bonzel; consequently, these are the names of the principal characters. Benoit is the killer, Remy is the director, and Andre is the cameraman. As the film progresses, the crewmembers undergo a drastic change in their attitude of Benoit and his profession. At first, they are taken aback by Benoit's disregard for human life and his attitude toward the victims. However, this does not discourage them from continuing their documentary. Their desire to gain this valuable footage drives them on past their moral objections to this morbid account of life. As they probe further into Benoit's life they are fascinated and in his grasp. Un...
