I love this movie so much

Why so much hype?

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I am someone familiar with mondo movies. I have seen about 10 over the past 4-5 years. For those not familiar with Mondo films. Check out wikipedias explanation. That being said. I found this one better than average. The first half hour or so was pretty dull, But after that they really kicked it up a notch, showing things that at times were both sick & Disturbing. Which are two things I love in a movie! This film really had a lot going for it. Topless Babes, A Human Pincushion, An old school whale hunt & a girl who castrates reindeer with her teeth are just a few of the wonders to be seen on this little gem. For those like me who enjoy that sort of thing, you will enjoy this movie, Others will find it boring or just plain sick.

This lively and eventful mondo documentary classic covers assorted bizarre customs, rituals, and practices by different cultures from all over the world in a brisk and entertaining way. German students in Berlin engage in an illegal sword duel. Japanese karate experts train by breaking concrete blocks with their fists and young Japanese men participate in the crazy ritual of Saidachi. Paris, France proves to be an especially wild and swinging city: We witness the final gruesome performance of the Grand Guignol Theatre, gorgeous gals participating in a best buttocks contest, luscious brunette Rita Renoir doing a sizzling hot striptease, homeless folks holding a back alley ball, and another sexy striptease at an exclusive all-lesbian club. In Lapland lovely lasses castrate male reindeer with their teeth (ouch!) while male hunters lasso them so the girls can become their brides. Rowdy distaff roller derby players let it all hang out on the track in Los Angeles. Circus performers do a dangerous high-wire act in the French Alps. Satanists hold a black mass in Britain; a naked woman has chicken blood poured over her writing body. A scrawny man pierces himself with a needle through his neck and a rapier through his waist without drawing blood. Portegeuse men hunt whales the old-fashioned way armed solely with harpoons. Swedish playboys pick up girls on street corners and party hearty with complete abandon. Muscular men put on a tasty beefcake show for bored housewives in Reno, Nevada. Brazilians happily celebrate Mardi Gras. George Sanders' marvelously dry, plummy, and sardonic narration gives this picture a huge lift; his deep, dulcet tones and smugly condescending manner are a total snarky treat to hear. Riz Ortolani supplies an exquisitely lush, sweeping, and melodic score. The sumptuous cinematography by Emanuele Di Cola and Giorgio Garibaldi makes striking use of the widescreen format. Well worth a look for mondo doc fans.

Before TV and video bringing us the strangeness of the world there was the travel film which brought the sites into local theaters. Then in the 1960's we had the travel film spawn the Mondo movie where all of the weird things in the world were brought to your local theater. Most of the films were an odd mix of real and staged events (many mid-cycle films were all staged). Most have dry witty or pithy commentary by a well known star.The films were mostly of the sort of thing where "if you've seen one you've seen them all". Ecco rises some how above the standard rut of the Mondo movies. Yes, there are things to turn your stomach and others to make you question if its real or not, as all of these films do, but Ecco has one thing the others don't and that is George Saunders doing the narration. Saunders was a master of dry wit and his delivery works wonders with the material. In all of the other mondo movies you remember the momentary bits that shocked you, but here you remember Saunders voice, with his inflections revealing infinitely more than the words do. You want to hear his narration which seems to rise above the material.For the life of me I couldn't tell you one thing that happens in this movie, but I remember the voice. Its the voice that makes me want to watch this every now and again while almost every other mondo movie I've seen could disappear and I wouldn't care.If you must see one mondo movie in your life see this one. If you want to see one that doesn't suck see this one.8 out of 10.

1st watched 1/20/2003 - 2 out of 10(Dir-Gianni Proia): Weird concoction of rituals, religions & customs held in many different parts of the world that I believe is intended to shock you. This it does, but I couldn't figure out the connections or the reason for the Italian filmmaker to make something like this. There is a variety of strange human rituals including women in Las Vegas gauking over muscle-bound men to women performing castration by teeth on reindeer in the northern Icelands and then getting married to men who choose them after this is done. I could go on and on but it's not really needed. If your idea of a good time is watching naked Japanese men trouncing each other for the sake of a possible good year according to their priests or seeing chicken-blood being spattered on a naked woman as part of a satatic ritual then by all means watch this movie. For others who just want entertained and not disgusted, stay away from this.