Mondo Cane

Pros: A few interesting scenes, music score by the great Riz Ortolani
Cons: Simulated and staged scenes; a ridiculous, manipulative narration and soundtrack

MONDO CANE, which boasts that it "shows things how they really are," was the first true shock film, being a collection of the most shocking and obscure scenes ever assembled for a motion picture. Italian exploiteers Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco...

Pros: There are some interesting scenes here and there, plus the theme is great.
Cons: Most of the movie drags on, and the the running time is too long.

The term Mondo Cane translates to A Dog's Life or Life of a Dog. I'm not sure how well that relates to the film "Mondo Cane," aside from an opening sequence of a dog being led on a chain down a row of cages containing barking angry dogs. Maybe the term ...

Pros: Vivid color, mostly interesting anecdotes about the bizarre and strange.
Cons: Many scenes obviously staged; narration very biased and needlessly sarcastic.

I've stated before that I'm no fan of Michael Moore. While I think he's a supremely crafted film maker, I think he's equally crafty, and manipulates the truth to illustrate his own viewpoints, whether or not he's justified in doing so. I ...

Pros: Classic Theme Song
Cons: Gruesome, often unbelievable, can be hard to watch

Believe it or not, this unforgettable film was required viewing for my ninth grade class (circa 1972)--it grossed us out for months afterward, a kind of weird rite of passage. At the time of its release, the theme song ("More") became so...

Pros: Cinematography, occasional humor
Cons: Some stupid stories, disappointing score, everything else

Seeing that the composer of this movie (Riz Ortolani) also did the wonderful music for CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, I decided to check this out. It didn't hurt that one of the songs in this very film was nominated for an Oscar ("MORE" is the name of...