BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Supelice Dreadfully Boring

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

JLRVancouver Seven stranded castaways on an equatorial island find the veneer of civilization chipping away as supplies dwindle and the allure of the ubiquitous psychoactive mushrooms grows. Either arrogant, selfish or weak, none of strandees are very likable, and social resentment and sexual tension permeates their claustrophobic shelter as they slowly realise that there is something else on the island. Despite the ludicrous title bestowed upon the English version ("Attack of the Mushroom People"), the film is a somber, well done horror yarn with creepy sets (especially the derelict ship in which they take shelter) and an entertaining story (based on "The Voice in the Night", a short story by William H. Hodgson). The characters are interesting, but as I watched a reasonably well done English dubbed version, I can't comment on the acting. The 'shroom motif and surreal scenes as the mind (and body) altering nature of the titular fungus becomes evident guaranteed the film cult status among trippy-hippies in the '60s and '70s. Worth watching for fans of 'body-horror' films, director Ishiro Honda's work, or Japanese fantasy cinema in general.

Coventry Purely because not all their contemporary monster movies could feature big mutated lizards (Godzilla), flying turtles (Gamera) or humongous moths (Mothra), the Japanese also made a monster movie with giant … mushrooms! Well, I say "the Japanese" but basically it's once again just the one and only legendary director Ishirô Honda who was responsible for yet another imaginative and extremely entertaining cult classic. Honda was an amazingly talented director and he single-handedly directed Japan's finest genre milestones. So… mushrooms! Yes I know this sounds incredibly idiotic and the international title "Attack of the Mushroom People" also strengthens the suspicion that we're dealing with a silly and light-headed B-movie, but this honestly is a very competent and admirably atmospheric tale of terror! Seven prominent citizens, including a university professor, a writer and a famous pop singer, turn their back on the stress of Tokyo for a holiday on a luxurious sailing yacht. There's a lot of flirting, laughing and "La La La La" singing on board, but then a massive thunderstorm turns their yacht into a heavily damaged piece of driftwood and the group washes ashore a mysterious fog-enshrouded island. With a food supply of barely one week, the group rapidly falls apart due to intrigues and selfishness, and what's the deal with those ominous mushrooms that grow all around the island? They also stumble upon a large and stranded research vessel that is overgrown with fungus and the same damn mushrooms! The survivors instinctively know they shouldn't eat them, but what else are they supposed to do when there's no more food? I consider myself very lucky and privileged because I was able to see the original Japanese-language version of "Matango" on a big cinema screen, during a little festival in my country with a focus on botanical- themed horror movies. Granted, the picture quality was quite creaky and the film was interrupted every 10 minutes due to technical reasons, but the charm and nostalgia value of an early '60s film on the big screen is irreplaceable! The concept of the film is one of the most original in horror cinema history, and director Honda maintains an unsettling atmosphere throughout. He achieves this thanks to subtle camera work, eerie sound effects & music, embittered character drawings and frightening monster designs and set pieces. Yes, the mushroom-monsters definitely DO look creepy and the large vessel is truly nightmarish!

rat_sandwich I'd never heard of this film until recently, I bought it as part of a R1 Toho box set, mainly for the Mysterians. Matango really is a great movie, since watching the film, I've been trying to get more people to watch it. It should be hailed as a Sci-fi classic but instead it's a fairly obscure cult movie, which is a real shame as it's such a great movie. I'd love to see a directors cut/special edition of this film, complete with deleted scenes and all the other usual stuff you get with special edition DVD's, maybe then it would get the respect it deserves. Until then I'm going to force as many people as I can to watch it! The only issue with the film I have, is what do the mushroom people do once they've become mushroom people? Must be pretty boring just hanging around being a fungus.

Scarecrow-88 Now this was quite a pleasant surprise. If you read the title, "Matango:Attack of the Mushroom People", the idea of a film legitimately creeping you out with it's "under the skin" effectiveness probably wasn't as expected as a cheesy monster movie. This film's premise is simple..a group of Japanese friends are on a yachting trip when their boat is viciously damaged by a major storm. They find, through a heavy fog, this island which has no known forms of life except growing mushrooms thereabouts and a massive derelict oceanographic ship overcome by moss and rot. There are some food rations and booze within that derelict ship, but a couple of the group steal more than their share. Soon, the relationships of these unfortunate souls deteriorate as hunger, jealousy, fear, and insanity overcome them. But, the deck becomes even more stacked when, one by one, each individual succumbs to the delicious mushrooms nearby the derelict and face the horrifying fact that in doing so, like a plague, their human bodies become ravaged internally which soon shows externally..they, like others whose ships were caught in the current that affected our protagonists stranding them on the island, steadily grow into mushroom people! The final climax as our hero, the professor, is trying to escape the clutches of these mushroom monstrosities(..the sound effects of echoing sinister laughter is eerie)after his love-interest, a weak school clerk, is trapped within the lair of these creatures, is quite unsettling.Along with "Gojira", this has to be considered director Ishirô Honda's finest hour..he creates this incredibly disturbing experience that is hard to shake. I tried just to imagine the terrifying ordeal that would be if I were in that professor's shoes, trying to forge his way through the scary mushroom monsters closing in from every corner. I think the film, besides the mushroom monsters that rear their ugly heads at the end, works well at building the suspense thanks to this practically hopeless situation the characters find themselves in..coupling that hopeless situation with a growing mistrust, anger & hidden feelings which come up to the surface away from their civilized world of modern Tokyo, as tension becomes so thick you can cut it with a knife and tempers flare quite often as pressure for survival squeezes them dry.