A porn-peddling rapist (Nick Moriarty) becomes the target of the revenge of one of his victims.
“Mondo Keyhole” is an early entry in the filmography of famed exploitation director Jack Hill, co-directed with John Lamb. For those not in the know, exploitation films are typically low-budget works that aim to “exploit” whatever is taboo and trending at the time (violence, sex, drugs, and counterculture themes) to attract audiences. Key examples from Hill’s career are “Spider Baby,” “Coffy,” and “Switchblade Sisters.” Specifically, this film belongs to the subgenre known as a “roughie” — a sexploitation movie focused on nudity and sadistic sexual content.
The plot centers on Howard (Nick Moriarty), who runs a pornographic business — his office is full of dirty magazines, recordings, and pictures. He even oversees the production of a stag film (starring director Jack Hill in a cameo!). However, Howard is truly excited by sexual violence. He stalks women, assaults them, and returns home to his wife, Vicki (Adele Rein), whom he coldly ignores despite her open attempts to initiate intimacy. There’s no doubt that Howard, whom the film follows closely, is a repugnant character.
As you’d expect, this is a movie that is full of nudity and sexual violence. Like most of the exploitation cinema of its time, it is frequently dull, more than anything. Despite its brevity, it drags, offering some moments of interest but not much of a reason to view it. Jack Hill refers to this as a low point of his career. I’d agree.
The transfer for this Blu-ray/DVD combo release of “Mondo Keyhole” is advertised as being “restored in 2K from the original uncut 35mm camera negative,” but you wouldn’t know from watching it. Shot in black and white, the image looks blown out and faded with frequent dirt, scratches, and debris throughout. There is even a technical glitch that causes the screen to explode into streaks of green and red pixels towards the end of the movie. It’s a watchable transfer, but just barely.
Special features include two commentary tracks and a poster/photo gallery. Film historian Rob Kelly provides the first track. It’s more engaging and entertaining than the movie itself. Kelly gives trivia about the cast and crew and seems to have a lot of fun digging into the movie. The second commentary, an archival track from Jack Hill and Elijah Drenner, offers a more serious look at the movie.
Personally, I did not care for “Mondo Keyhole.” While fans of exploitation cinema may want to check it out, most viewers — especially general cinephiles — will want to avoid it. Despite the poor picture quality, the supplements are worth a listen if you’re into film history or Jack Hill’s career.
Now available on Blu-ray™ and DVD
10k
19.8k
1.5k
1.8k