The Top Five Sci-Fi Or "Genre" Mockumentaries Ever

This past weekend District 9 swept the box office, surprising even its fans by booting G.I. Joe from the top spot. That's mighty respectable for a socially conscious, Sci-Fi action mockumentary made for only thirty million. In fact, the movie has done so well, it has assuredly opened the door for tomorrow's great genre-bending blockbusters, but, while thinking about what's coming down the line, it's important to remember the bold experiments which paved the way for this beautiful and poignant hybrid masterpiece. Here are the top five "genre" mockumentaries that blazed a trail for Neill Blomkamp's spectacular vision.

American Zombie - This documentary about the struggle for zombie civil rights is damn compelling. Have you ever wondered how zombies feel being treated like monsters at worst and second class citizens at best? In American Zombie you're treated to an unpleasant taste of what it's like to be undead in a country where the rules are made by the living.

Cloverfield - It's on the list because it has to be. Cloverfield detractors complain that they were sickened by the movie's sudden, shaky camera moves or by the film's tremendous over-hype, but District 9 might not have been made were it not for the success of J.J. Abrams' giant monster flick. You've seen Entourage, so you know how Hollywood works. In the pitch meeting Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp more than likely described it as "Cloverfield meets Cry Freedom" and that's what got the film on the silver screen.

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - Everyone has heroes, even serial killers. This movie, part documentary, part horror flick, chronicles the career of Leslie Vernon as he tries to join the ranks of the slasher greats. It's a fantastic watch if for no other reason than Vernon finally explains the tricks of the trade, like how to booby trap a house so that horny teenagers can't escape and how to chase down a potential victim while appearing to move at a snail's pace (just like you've seen in all of those Friday the 13th movies). The film uses a big, deadly sickle to pull back the curtain on the bloodiest occupation of all.

Series 7: The Contenders - Series 7 is a movie that is essentially a long episode of a fictional reality show where contestants compete for a grand prize by violently offing each other. It's got more twists than your average season of The Bachelor and is a lot less ridiculous. What's frightening is that this sleeper from 2001 was supposed to be an over the top satire, yet looking back on it today, it seems plausible and almost identical to the rot that's on the airwaves now. You might just see this become an actual TV series in the not too distant future.

X-Play's Halloween Slasher School - It might not be a movie (sorry, we're shameless self-promoters), but if you edited all of the documentary style sketches together, the resulting product could compete at any short film festival. In fact, why not watch them all now? What's funnier than a fake documentary about would-be slashers in training who can't tell their hineys from a hacksaw? They all just so happen to be embedded below.