Mondo Fredo/Mondo Bizarro — Mondo Fredo/Mondo Bizarro( Blu Ray/ DVD)
By the release menu, first up is Mondo Bizarro- this is was the second Mondo film that Frost & Cresse created, and was put out in 1966. The film comes in around the one-hour twenty-minute mark- from the outset, it’s clear how sleazy proceedings are going to be here- as we get a seven-minute credit reel- that features supposably secret recordings of a lingerie shop changing room- as we get one woman after another undressing & trying on bras. As we move through we get behind the scenes footage from an oriental massage pallor- that turns funny instead of the expectedly sleazed. Inside LA’s biggest lingerie mail order company- with prolong footage of various face-less women trying on peep hole, blow up, and near cupless bras. It’s not all female flesh bound- as we do get apparent undercover filming of Homosexual prostitutes in LA, a big nappy wearing man who lies on beds on nails, a glass eater , and a Nazi theatre production with a woman stripped to the waist. The film ends with lengthy footage of supposedly middle eastern slave trading- with naked people been taken out of crates, and sold to rich Arabs- but apparently like much of Mondo Bizarro this was fake, and this footage was actually filmed in LA’s Bronson Cannon. As Mondo films go, Mondo Bizarro is a breezy ‘n’ sleazy ride- there’s no real nasty stuff here, just blatant sexism & flippant female degradement - really it’s down to what offends you.
Next, we have Mondo Fredo- this was the first all-out American Mondo film, after the pair had imported & edited early foreign Mondo films. It’s also from 1966 and rolls in at around one hour & fifteen-minute mark. It starts off a bit slowly & shaky, and you can imagine the brown raincoat crowd getting very twitch in the grindhouses- as we get seven or so minutes of bland beach footage, and detail descriptions of the type of camera used. From here on we move onto nighttime male & female encounters on a beach, and fumbling/ blurred footage of breasts. We get full striptease in London ‘members’ clubs, amusing interviews with lesbian prostitutes again in London. As the film goes on we get a truckload of stripper footage, from supposable different places around the globe. Going onto Tijuana squalor, and soon to be prostitutes stripping in the street, onto a painter who puts paint on nude women then pressers then canvas. Going onto black witchers performing semi voodoo rituals in a New York attic apartment- with large breasted dancing, bloody pig heads, and virgins spluttered with clearly red paint. Onto female nude whippings & torture in meant to a Japanese dinner club. Of the films two this feels less eventful, flowing, and enjoyable- sure there are effective/ amusing moments here- it just feels a little samey.
Moving onto this new reissue- and I’m reviewing the Blu Ray version of the release. The new print looks acceptable on both films, though it doesn't look like much has been cleaned up/ adjusted- but I guess this adds to the grimy authenticity of the films. We get commentary tracks on both films by Johnny Legend & Eric Caidin- each find the pair offering a decidedly chatty & at times rambling track- they go on from trying to figure out where each clip was shot, chat about Lee Frost and Bob Cresse career in general, other exploitation films of the time, etc- neither tracks are the most factual of tracks, but if you looking for amusing observations, exploitation film talk, and general amusing banter- you’ll get something from these tracks. Next we have twenty eight minute featurette- this finds exploitation expert & author Chris Poggiali discussing both Bob Creese & Lee Frost- and how they developed & grew American Mondo craze- this was most informative & interesting, and Poggiali points on moments of clear fakery in the films, and the appearance of both Creese & Frost in each film. Lastly, we have trailers for both films.
All told this is another worthy double-headed Mondo release- I’d say you’ll need to be looking for more sleaze 'n' cheese with your Mondo, then shock & upset- as both of these film very much focus more towards the female flesh side of things. If you're after more balanced & at times shocking Mondo pictures, I’d advise picking up the first Severin Mondo double-header which took in the early Ecco and The Forbidden.