Welcome to The Mondo Research Laboratories

Welcome to The Mondo Research Laboratories, a collective endeavor dedicated to exploring mondo films and related cinematic constellations. We will seek to provide analyses of various existent releases of mondo productions, as well as general ruminations on the genre and whatever other spurious flights of fancy may crop up along the way.


We feel that this project is necessary as today is a troubled time indeed for the mondo film. Replaced by so-called reality television and internet 'shock sites', the mondo lies neglected and malnourished, akin to a rotting carrion that it itself would have gleefully filmed years ago. And yet, there are many scenes nestled away within the film reels of mondo cinema that cannot be found by flipping through the cable channels or browsing the web; what's more, these byte-sized clips cannot ever hope to achieve the underlying subversive narrative prevalent in so much mondo filmmaking. Thus, our goal is to not merely provide in-depth commentary on mondo films, but in so doing our aim is to reignite an interest in and enthusiasm for these films once again.

To make matters all the worse, those who should know better--presumed fans of niche exploitation cinema--partake in the virtual erasure of the mondo film by co-opting the very term 'mondo' itself to seemingly mean 'anything /but/ a mondo film.' To wit, blogs and websites--even entire DVD companies--have sprouted up all over the internet which, while flippantly deploying the term 'mondo' in their titles, nonetheless devote the overwhelming bulk of their catalogues and discussions to all manner of exploitation films--save for actual mondos! In creating a mondo blog that is, shockingly, about actual mondo films, our aim is also thus to re-appropriate the term to once again refer to a sensationalist mode of ethnographic filmmaking which seeks to trouble any neat bifurcation between reality and fabrication.

To put things quite simply then, TMRL is just a blog devoted to the shockumentary fringe of exploitation cinema; take from it what you will, contribute what you can.

With all this in mind, we once again welcome you to The Mondo Research Laboratories, drearily drudging through the dark depths of mondo and shockumentary cinema.

While we obviously strive to present accurate details, if you notice any factual errors or other mistakes in any of our postings, please leave a comment below the appropriate post.

We may also be reached by electronic mail @ mondolabs @t yahoo (d.o.t) com.