For the causal humor fan, Michael O’Donoghue is the trivia answer to “Who starred with John Belushi on Saturday Night Live‘s first sketch.” To the SNL devoted, O’Donoghue was the creepy Mr. Mike, a bon vivant who appreciated the most twisted elements of the world. In a stroke of pure weirdness, NBC allowed O’Donoghue to do a show. Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video was 75 minutes of mayhem that spoofed Mondo Cane and Hawaii Five-O. Shout! Factory is releasing the DVD of Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video on January 13. Here’s their press release:
From the twisted genius behind Saturday Night Live‘s early years… Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video is the wildly demented comedy from the mind of National Lampoon‘s and Saturday Night Live‘s notoriously funny writer/performer Michael O’Donoghue. And like most of O’Donoghue’s humor, it was years ahead of its time. Originally conceived in 1979 as a television special slotted for one of SNL’s hiatuses – with much of the SNL cast on board – it was summarily rejected by NBC as too outrageous for broadcast.
Bonus features include:
Bill Murray’s eulogy for Michael O’Donoghue
Mr. Mike’s Least-Loved Bedtime Tales: “The Enchanted Thermos”
Mr. Mike’s Least-Loved Bedtime Tales: “The Little Train That Died”
Mr. Mike’s Least-Loved Bedtime Tales: “Willy the Worm”
Commentary from co-writer Mitch Glazer Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video
Mr. Mike’s insanity will be Available at Amazon.com.