Mr. Mike's Mondo Video may very well have been the catalyst for mockumentaries and shock-TV. The movie opens with a gun-toting Mr. Mike (Michael O'Donoghue basically playing a caricature of himself) sitting cross-legged on the floor in what appears to be a vacant house. Seemingly oblivious to the numerous rabbits that surround him, Mr. Mike casually asks viewers to join him in a world he describes as "an odyssey of aggressive weirdness." Truer words were never spoken. Viewers are given a bird's-eye view of Mr. Mike's "world" via Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. The movie is a hodgepodge of celebrity cameos (Debbie Harry), phony interviews and footage of a rare physical abnormality that anchor increasingly bizarre skits and commercials. Those of you who are familiar with sketch comedy and disco-era Saturday Night Live (e.g., the late Gilda Radner) will immediately get the intentional absurdity of this movie. The rest of you will either find yourselves cringing or laughing out loud because there is no gray area with Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. You will either love it or hate it.moreless
