The two-dollar bin/the two-dollar bin/what will you find in/the two-dollar bin. It is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. Or Monty Hall’s Let’s Make a Deal. You never know what you are going to get. There are copies of great records that have been used for sorting stems of homegrown shake, an ashtray, and a beer coaster. The cover is beat but the record plays on. Or Andy Williams. Lots of Andy Williams. And more Andy Williams. But the best thing about the two-dollar bin is that it is the playground of hipsters and DJs everywhere. Ironic listening. The cult. The offbeat. The underappreciated.
The two-dollar bin is like the oddball section of the old school video store. The bizarre and the it’s-so-bad-it’s-good stuff. That was where Faces of Death was. Or Bloodsucking Freaks. Or Bloodfeast. And that is where the godfather of all these movies, Mondo Cane, was. There would be no documentary sleaze without Mondo Cane. There would be no fake documentary horror like Cannibal Holocaust or Blair Witch Project without Mondo Cane. It could be argued that exploitation movies begin with Mondo Cane. Italian Horror like Suspiria as well. Dare I say that Mondo Cane is one of the most influential movies of all time. For better or worse. Tarantino might say that, so why can’t I?
For the uninitiated Mondo Cane, which is Italian for “dog world” and an expletive, was a 1962 documentary film directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara, and Franco E. Prosperi. It is basically a collection of vignettes of what at the time was considered shocking content. Today some of the footage is just going to get you cancelled. Wikipedia lists all the vignettes,which range from National Geographic type material to paparazzi footage to film of the art world to footage of how food is raised and made. All Mondo movies of the future start here.
Not surprisingly, the film was a big hit with audiences, but it was also a big hit with critics. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 15th Cannes Film Festival, which is, well, quite shocking.
At Vinyl Vogue, the Mondo Cane soundtrack was in the two-dollar bins where it should be. I gave it a spin, and it was not for me. Yet again, the critics loved it. The love song “More” was adapted from the film score, which was written by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliveiro. It won the 1964 Grammy award for Best Instrumental Theme and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1964 Academy Awards. “More” has been covered several times, including by The Ventures. Ruggero Deodato hired Ortolani to compose the score for Cannibal Holocaust, one of the most disturbing movies of all time. A movie that would have been impossible without Mondo Cane leading the way. I mentioned earlier that Mondo Cane was right in Tarantino’s wheelhouse, so it is not surprising that Ortolani’s music was used on the soundtracks for Kill Bill Vols 1-2 and Django Unchained.
It may not be for me, but the Mondo Cane soundtrack continues to fascinate. In 2010, Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle fame released an album of cover versions of 1950s and 1960s Italian music titled Mondo Cane. All these guys must hear a frequency I am not tuned into but for two dollars, it is worth a spin and worth your time.
Suggested sites and sounds:
Mondo Cane Trailer: 1962 Mondo Cane Official Trailer 1 Cineriz
Cannibal Holocaust Theme: Riz Ortolani - Main Theme [Cannibal Holocaust - Original Soundtrack]
“Days of Anger” from Django Unchained Soundtrack: Day Of Anger (Riz Ortolani) - YouTube
“More” by the Ventures: More
— Lou Waxman