Search - Mondo Cane on DVD

" Enter at your own risk, the world of the forbidden. "

Jason Troy | USA | 01/30/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This planet which many humans believe is theirs, has so many mysterious aspects that when a cinematic camera and lights are turned on it, are illuminated like the elusive creatures of the night. A world traveler may go seeking the strange, the unusual, the bizarre and occasionally the forbidden and often find much more than he bargained for. That is what the film "Mondo Cane" is all about. It is a black collection of the many unusual parts of our strange world. The film travels around the globe seeking out the odd customs of various people and offers them up as interesting fare to the ambivalent traveler, the timidly interested and the curiously morbid. In each country visited, we find that what one nation finds disgusting, another finds tolerable. One nation offers up unusual human sexual practices, which another country often finds offensive, tasteless and guttural. Animals in one country are revered, honored and treated as royalty. Yet in a neighboring nation, these same beasts are prepared as special delicacies fit for consumption. Women, boys and pain seeking parishioners are accepted as sacrificial fodder. Viewers are treated to the world's most primitive customs and often as not we see ourselves at the very depth of depravity and learn it is not polite to stare, which we do anyway. A frightening movie, but one which reveals much about us than we care to know. Still, one cannot turn away without wanting to see 'MORE' which happens to be the Theme Song of this same picture. ****"

Mondo Cane rises again!

Howard S. Gay Jr. | San Diego CA USA | 07/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this film even more now than when it first appeared 46 years ago! And now it has been lovingly repackaged and smartly re-presented with many Special Features on DVD thanks to "Blue Underground". It seems to be made from a master copy or perhaps it has been digitally remastered. I think it's brilliant in every way, humour, satire, direction and is a classic in cinematography! It's also a fun filled romp around the globe with rare footage of tribal ritual. So thrill to the bizzare practices, chill to the savagry. SEE the living dead in the House of Death in Singapore...SEE a real case of Elephantitus on the feet of a villager and men hoaxing their own drowning. Observe Aborigines create a Cult of the Cargo Planes (which come from Heaven)! And real cavemen also add to the anthropoogical value. But there is also much spectacular voyeuristic eye candy and gay festivities and celebrations. And in the long tradition of exploitation films, this was a great leap forward. But it has also been described as "Shockumentary". Mondo Cane refers to a "World gone to the Dogs"! But romantics take heart: the paradox is that although it's a satirical film, the soundtrack is the music/lyrics of a great love song "More" which was recorded by several vocalists such as Della Reese and was nominated for an Oscar. With two years in the making, one is reminded of the struggle in the making of Apocalypse Now! And the tradition has continued with many spin-offs, even the Peckinpah's, the Tarantino's, and grind house kung fu and women's prison movies. Enjoy!"

Dated and Doctored

Roger Hartop | Falls Church, VA | 08/14/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I question how much of a "documentary" this film really is. On track 20 (Japanese Hangover Remedy) the sound track tells us "a nice Japanese custom requires the clients to be naked [but] we have covered them up". In none of the scenes from Papua New Guinea do we see the long prominent penis gourds commonly worn by tribal men (that would have made a good subject on its own). Even the "stone age cave men" have their lower bodies very much covered up. Where did they learn that from, the Catholic missionaries (don't think there were any in the Stone Age) or from the film crew?



By all means buy the DVD if you saw this film like I did back when it was first released and want to see it again. Otherwise I suggest you give it a big miss."

Not a Top

Michael Kerjman | 01/06/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It is not the best among this-style-Italian-created doco-MUN-taries, but good for a mix of blood, bizzare and nudity to escape from surrounding either in the sixties of the last century or in the third millennium."