Watch Mondo New York

Mondo New York is a captivating and mesmerizing documentary-style movie that depicts the diverse underground world of New York during the late 1980s. The film's focus is on the glamorous and bizarre personalities who live and work in the city's social and artistic fringe. The movie introduces the viewer to a plethora of quirky and eccentric individuals, from club kids, artists, drag queens, and street performers to musicians, filmmakers, and activists. The cast includes emblematic figures of the underground scene, such as Joey Arias, Klaus Nomi, Ann Magnuson, Dr. Ruth, and John Sex, among others.

Moving at a frenetic pace, Mondo New York explores the subcultures of New York City through a series of interviews, performances, and real-life scenarios. We see characters like Klaus Nomi, a German-born opera singer who broke into the New York underground scene as a performance artist, staging bizarre and theatrical performances wearing avant-garde costumes. Or Joey Arias, a drag queen who performs in iconic Manhattan venues and whose androgynous look and powerful voice captivate the audience.

The movie also delves into the world of club kids, a subculture of young people who frequented the New York club scene and embraced outrageous and flamboyant clothes and makeup. We see footage of parties like the Limelight, the Palladium, and the Mudd Club, where club kids danced to the beats of the latest music trends, mingling with celebrities and artists.

The film's narrative is a collage of impressions and sensations, with scenes and characters appearing seemingly at random, but always linked to the central theme of the film, which is the exploration of the underground culture of New York during the 1980s.

Through interviews with various artists, activists, and people from the city's street life, Mondo New York also touches on the subject of gentrification, economic inequality, and the AIDS crisis, which was ravaging the city's underground community at that time.

Overall, Mondo New York is a fascinating and essential document of a very specific time and place. It captures a unique moment in the city's cultural history, showing the viewer an exciting and vibrant scene that would eventually influence pop culture worldwide. The film's energizing soundtrack, which includes songs by James Chance and the Contortions, Sonic Youth, and John Sex, among others, adds to the movie's nostalgia-inducing effect.

The film's director, Harvey Keith, succeeds in creating a cohesive, if somewhat chaotic, portrait of a city and its inhabitants. He captures the eccentricities, the beauty, and the despair of New York during a tumultuous period in its history. Mondo New York is a time capsule that transports the viewer to a different era, and it does so with an honesty and affection for its subjects that is both refreshing and inspiring.

In conclusion, Mondo New York is a must-watch for anyone interested in New York's underground culture of the 1980s. It is a unique, exhilarating, and raw cinematic experience that captures the spirit and the essence of a city that has always been the beating heart of creativity and avant-garde art.

Mondo New York is a 1988 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9.