Sweet & Savage: The World Through The Shockumentary Film Lens

by Mark Goodall

Mondo Cane in 1962 was the blueprint for a shocking, controversial and influential documentary film cycle. Known collectively as "mondo films" or "shockumentaries," this enduring series of films is a precursor of the reality TV show. A box-office draw for three decades and now a staple of the video rental market, these explosive exposs would often pass fabricated scenes as fact in order to give the public a sensationalist, highly emotive view of the world. Sweet & Savage is the first-ever English-language book devoted exclusively to the mondo documentary film. A study of mondo as a global film phenomenon, it includes a detailed examination of the key films and includes exclusive interviews with the godfathers of this cult genre.

Genres: Horror, Film

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

Reviews

[Stephanie McGarrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the amount of influence this genre had on contemporary media, its amazing how little has been written on it. There's probably a lot more "mondo" criticism out there to be translated but a brief search for English articles reveals little, so this is a gem.

There's even a brief section on mondo soundtracks. Good stuff.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be the ultimate book on mondo films and documentaries. You'll find an exhibition of atrocities inside, documents, fakes, shock cinema, voyeurism and sexuality, sensational shock scenes, the frame of that kind of movie, animals, magic and rituals. Besides there are many movie stills to give you a clue what you are watching here. Highly informative and entertaining. Really recommended!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels a little bit less like a book and more like a collection of articles from a really good magazine, but what else is there on the subject? I mean where else are you going to find an English language bio of Riz Ortolani?

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am very interested in mondo films, so i read this book. it is pretty good - JESUS COULD THEYget an editor, though, please.