To comedy aficionados, Michael O'Donoghue, who died in 1994, ranks as one of the key voices of the “Going Too Far” school of comedy, exemplified by his work for National Lampoon magazine and the original Saturday Night Live. But to the general public, O'Donoghue is best remembered as his sinister recurring SNL character Mr. Mike, who regaled audiences with his malevolent “Least-Loved Bedtime Stories.” Mr. Mike's finest (well, only) hour as a headliner came in this 1979 comedy special—slated for broadcast during one of SNL's hiatuses, but ultimately rejected for its outrageous content by NBC—that received a brief theatrical release. Mr. Mike's Mondo Video takes its cue from such infamous shockumentaries as Mondo Cane, which purported to chronicle the world's most grotesque practices. In a world where “the bizarre is commonplace, and the commonplace bizarre,” Mr. Mike takes us to an Amsterdam cat swimming school, a French restaurant that abuses American patrons, and a church where Jack Lord is worshipped. The production values are abysmal and the sketches are hit and miss, but such bits as “American Gals Love Creeps” (“When I reach down and feel a firm colostomy bag, I know I'm with a real man”) are vintage O'Donoghue. Guest stars include Dan Aykroyd (proudly showing off his webbed feet), Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Bill Murray. DVD extras include three “Least-Loved Bedtime Tales” (including “The Little Train That Died,” as told to a young Jodie Foster), and a clip of a visibly shaken Murray announcing O'Donoghue's death on SNL. Mr. Mike's Mondo Video remains potent stuff even 30 years later, although it's still not ready for primetime. A strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
Shout! Factory, 80 min., R, DVD: $19.99 Volume 24, Issue 2
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
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