tavm Review of Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video is both shocking and funny in that order

[8/10 · 29 July 2013]

Continuing to review the early works of "SNL"ers in movies and TV, we're now at 1979 with the release of Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. Michael O'Donoghue had just left "SNL" and did this thing after doing so. It was supposed to run on NBC but it was judged as too risky so it ended up running in movie theatres. One look at the content and you can see why: the first sequence has someone throwing cats in a swimming pool to demonstrate their ability in the water. Good thing they actually can swim here. Dan Aykroyd proves he's a mutant when he takes a Phillips screwdriver and puts it between the webs in his toes. Aykroyd also appears in a hilarious sketch called "The House of Jack Lord" with him preaching to an audience of Lord worshipers. Also appearing in that one is Rhonda Coullet who sings a spiritual with Lord's name inserted in. Loved her in both this and National Lampoon's Lemmings from a week or so ago. Bill Murray also appears as one of his "SNL" characters as a man on the street. Then there's Jane Curtin, Lorraine Newman, and Gilda Radner as three of several women praising the bad habits of men (also appearing among them are Judy Jacklin-John Belushi's wife, Susan Forristal-Lorne Michaels' about-to-be then-wife, and Edie Baskin-"SNL"s then photographer). The version I saw showed the performance of Sid Vicious performing "My Way" but the audio was cut with the disclaimer of supposedly Paul Anka not wanting it there. Oh, and "SNL" musician Paul Shaffer was also in the Jack Lord segment. Overall, Mr. Mike's Mondo Video had plenty of weird images that I mostly laughed at. So on that note, that's a definite recommendation.