Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Michael O'Donoghue

Writers:

Mitch Glazer (writer)
Michael O'Donoghue (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The TV show that can't be shown on TV!

Plot:

Mike O'Donoghue's parody of "Mondo Cane" showcases curious performers, strange musicians, celebrity mutations and unusual short films...

Plot Keywords:

Elephant | Mondo | Saturday Night Live | Directed By Star | Spoof

Cast

Michael O'Donoghue	...	Mr. Mike
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dan Aykroyd	...	Jack Lord priest / Himself
Edie Baskin	...	Herself
Judith Belushi-Pisano	...	Herself (as Judy Jacklin)
Robert Delford Brown	...	JoJo The Human Hot Plate
Jane Curtin	...	Herself
Carrie Fisher	...	Herself
Susan Forristal	...	Herself
Teri Garr	...	Herself
Mitch Glazer		(as Mitchell Glazer)
Merwin Goldsmith
Joan Hackett	...	Herself
Deborah Harry	...	Herself
Sarah Holcomb	...	Herself
Teri Keane	...	Herself
Margot Kidder	...	Herself
Julius LaRosa
Marii Mak	...	Herself
Wendie Malick	...	Herself
Brian McConnachie	...	LaserBra 2000 scientist
Bill Murray	...	Man on the street
Laraine Newman	...	Herself
Klaus Nomi	...	Opera Singer
Patty Oja	...	Herself
Robert Perry	...	Laserbra 2000 Narrator (voice)
Emily Prager	...	Woman in film room
Gilda Radner	...	Herself
Helen Robison	...	Teen daughter
Paul Shaffer	...	Jack Lord organist
Mitchell Sugarman
Clarence Thomas
Loretta Tupper	...	Herself
Sid Vicious	...	Himself
Dirk Wittenborn	...	Cat Swimming School instructor

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

PKO Television

Trivia:

In the theatrical release there is a film clip of punk rocker and former Sex Pistol Sid Vicious doing his version of "My Way," the song made famous of course by Frank Sinatra. Unfortunately, there is no music accompanying the video as the song's writer refused to grant permission for its usage in the movie as he did not approve of Sid's version of the song, believing that the punk rock movement in music itself was a blight on the industry.

Quotes:

Jane Curtin: When my date blows his nose in his handkerchief and then looks at it, I can't say no.

Movie Connections:

References "Hawaii Five-O" (1968)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

Not to be neglected by fans of black comedy

"Mr. Mike's Mondo Video" was created under the auspices of NBC-TV as a proposed network special. NBC's motivation for doing so was largely supported by O'Donoghue's strength as a writer and performer for Saturday Night Live, then one of NBC's few genuine hit shows. When NBC censors saw the finished product, they were horrified; much as they had been when Richard Pryor's earlier comedy specials were first reviewed. But unlike the situation had been with Pryor, NBC rejected "Mr. Mike", which sent O'Donoghue packing from the network, Saturday Night Live and all. 'Twas a pity; after all, his unpredictable, twisted sense of humor had helped to make SNL distinctive, and his departure was the first indicator of the gradual decline of SNL into the mediocrity it eventually became. Somehow M O'D retained the rights to the finished product, and it was released as a theatrical film in 1980; the author was one of perhaps a half dozen souls who braved it in first release at my particular theater. Few films have been such a poor draw, and it was pulled from distribution very quickly. NBC's main objection to the show was the inclusion of a clip of ex-Sex Pistol and suspected murderer Sid Vicious singing Paul Anka's song "My Way" and firing a pistol at the camera. It's arguably the weakest segment in the film, but for some reason M O'D refused to part with it. When "Mr. Mike's Mondo Video" was issued on VHS in 1985 the audiotrack to this segment was expunged from the release, as Anka's publishing company refused to grant a license for the song. Ironically, the same segment, in a somewhat different visual form, appears in Julien Temple's Sex Pistols film "The Great Rock and Roll Swindle", and no such censorship is imposed in the video release. I am commenting as I am surprised by the low viewer rating for this title on the imdb. Some of the segments here are quite honestly among the funniest, darkest, most irreverent comedy ever committed to film. Fans of offbeat humor really shouldn't miss this one; much of it is still cutting edge two decades on, and certain segments are even now enough to reduce me to helpless hysterics, tears rolling down my cheeks with laughter. Mr. Mike, your "Mondo Video" is so funny, it hurts.