Mondo New York
The 1980s are generally remembered as a slick, glossy era, at least when it comes to entertainment. It’s easy to forget that the decade also had an edge of danger. Punk rock was thriving, and the underground scene had comedians, musicians, and performance artists who continually pushed the envelope in terms of edgy style and content. Released in 1988, the documentary Mondo New York brought viewers an inside look at what was taking place in the Big Apple’s clubs, warehouses, and off-the-beaten path theaters. It now comes to Blu-ray in an extras-laden edition as part of the MVD Rewind Collection.
This loosely organized film is held together by the presence of a young woman (Shannah Laumeister) wandering around the city and venturing into interesting places she passes. Each one features some form of cutting-edge art. A man bites the heads off two live mice, then ignites fireworks strapped to his chest. Musician Phoebe Legere sings a song about Marilyn Monroe while fondling herself. Two street comedians, Rick Aviles and Charlie Barnett, do routines about race and sexuality that would get them cancelled today. Karen Finley smears her naked body with egg yolks and glitter before launching into a bizarre, politically charged spoken word performance. Two women have sex with a wheelchair-bound paraplegic.
Perhaps most interesting is a pre-fame appearance from actress Ann Magnuson, who recites a poem and symbolically beats a dead horse. Or maybe it’s the singer with two backup dancers gyrating against a giant penis that achieves orgasm during the song’s climax.
Mondo New York is a bit of a mixed bag. At one level, it’s an absolutely essential document of what was happening in the city’s underground during that time period. You never know what you’re going to see next, and most of the segments are perversely entertaining. The documentary was conceived by Stuart S. Shapiro, the creator of the ‘80s TV series Night Flight that was a mash-up of music videos, interviews, and cartoon clips. If, like me, you stayed up late every weekend to watch it on the USA Network, you’ll appreciate the aesthetic here.
But on another level, the movie goes needlessly overboard in spots. It’s gross watching the guy bite heads off mice, and later on there’s an even worse scene where a man bites the head off a live chicken during a voodoo ritual. Another scene, allegedly showing an Asian woman being sold into the sex trade, is obviously staged. Mondo New York is best when it sticks to the outrageous rather than the tasteless.Still, any viewer interested in what was happening on the fringes during the ‘80s will find enough to hold their attention.
The Blu-ray is loaded with bonus features that run well over two hours. Chief among them are four lengthy interview segments. Stuart S. Shapiro talks about the inspiration for Mondo New York, taking advantage of the lack of supervision to put edgy material on Night Flight, and the film’s theme of “What is art?” Joe Coleman, as eccentric as ever, discusses his participation in the movie and his long-running desire to break taboos. His offbeat personality makes listening to him a fascinating treat.
Performer Joey Arias weighs in on art, gender, sexuality, and the experience of being part of Mondo New York. Finally, Shannah Laumeister reflects on being cast as the wandering girl at age 17. She additionally relates an amusing anecdote about being removed from Coleman’s performance to protect her from the distressing sight of him beheading mice.
Photo galleries offer behind-the-scenes images, script pages, and the press kit. Also in the box are a soundtrack CD, a cool 18-page booklet, and a collectable two-sided mini-poster. All in all, this is an outstanding Blu-ray release of a movie that deserves to become a cult classic.
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Mondo New York is unrated, but contains nudity/sexual content, language, and graphic violence toward animals. The running time is 1 hour and 23 minutes.
