Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People

Starring:Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Miki Yashiro, Eisei Amamoto, Jiro Kumagai, Akio Kusama, Yutaka Oka, Kazuo Higata, Keisuke Yamada, Tokio Okawa, Mitsuko Hayashi, Kakue Ishibanji, Haruo Nakajima, Katsumi Tezuka, Masashi Shinohara, Koji Urugi
Director: Ishirô Honda
Studio: Tokyo Shock
Product Type: DVD

Description

Directed by Ishiro Honda (The Godzilla Series!) After a yacht is damaged in a storm and it's boarders stranded on a deserted island the passengers; a psychologist and his girlfriend, a wealthy businessman, a famous singer, a writer, a sailor and his skipper take refuge in a mysterious fungus-covered boat. While using the MUSHROOMS for sustenance they find in the ships journal that the mushrooms re poisonous, however some members of the shipwrecked party continue to ingest the mysterious fungi transforming them into hideous ungal monsters. One of the strangest and most horrific TOHO productions to date.

Customer Reviews:

Hallucinatory & unsettling.......2007-06-02

While most Japanese monster movies from the 1960s are loads of fun, this one is in a creepy class by itself. The horror isn't in the obvious mushroom monsters, but in the peeling back of civilization as the shipwrecked characters encounter the real monsters -- their own dark selves, stripped down to the primal core. The allegory is never overbearing, but the cast is clearly a microcosm of then-contemporary Japan, and by extension the modern, post-nuclear world. Beneath the glossy, fast-paced surface of the technological cityscape, irrational forces still fester, ravenous & unrelenting.

The film itself looks terrific, drenched in rich color & mood. Rather than rely on gore & easy shocks, it builds atmosphere & dread as the casual veneer of each character begins to disintegrate. And exactly what are those mushroom people, anyway? Symbols of those who have abandoned reason & responsibility in favor of self-absorbed hedonism? The true face of the alienated public, which is concealed beneath flash & pop culture? The desire to hide from & deny the looming terrors of the world? Perhaps all that & more.

As usual, Media Blasters has done a superb job of restoration & providing all the extras you could want. The commentary by lead actor Akira Kubo is informative & charming, and the additional special features are a treat. In its own way, as profound & challenging as the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," this is not to be missed -- most highly recommended!

excellent classic horror.......2007-04-23

I remember this movie from watching Creature Double Feature movies on my local tv station. I had a video copy and the dvd is much better.
This movie is an excellent choice for sci-fi classic horror fans. Its best qualities are: atmospheric creepiness, editing that supports tension and creepiness, and visually arresting color schema that focuses on neutral colors offset by primary colors. I also enjoyed the fashion. The imagery is haunting and creepy. If you like such imagery as passengers shipwrecked on a deserted island, rotting boat sails, and misty fog curling over questionable sea and landscape I recommend this film for you. There are also psychological connections to nuclear radiation, escapism and drug culture, and man's inhumanity to man and city life.
This movie may seem slow to viewers not accustomed to or attracted to the acting and story pacing of older monster films. The creepiness and tension build at a slow pace and viewers familar with the instant gratification, fast pacing, and more realistic acting of modern horror films may be disappointed by the film.
My memory of this movie from childhood is that it was black and white and I am wondering if the one I saw from childhood was a different version? I am into some of the arty aspects of filmaking and I was entranced by the editing and imagery of this film. I really enjoyed it!

Well, I agree with everyone in part, but.............2007-02-22

I, too, bought this movie because of the traumatic impression the original made on me as a kid. Actually, I thought this movie was the original, It is not and I was quick to update the Amazon listing with "2005", however, I see the listing owner changed it back to "1963".

I expected with modern film-making and many more talented actors/actresses it would be better a better movie than the 1963 original.
What a disappointment!! Are the reviewers on Amazon just actually trying really hard to sell their copies?! (In fact, the first reviewer wrote on 3/10/2005, before the moview was even released... probably the Amazon distributor!!)

Where are the capture scenes where the monsters pick nasty s****t off their faces and then try to make their prisoners eat it? The old movie, as I remember it, was not only terrifying but made you ill thinking about it. I saw it once 35 years ago and never forgot it!

The original production was the perfect 'B' movie that deserved better.

This version is not, I'm sorry. Actually, it tries to be a love story, an 'eat mushrooms and get high' presentation, and reminds me of 'Survivor' island instead of everyone actually trying to help each other. The acting just sucks, and no monster stuff until the last 30 minutes. The monsters don't 'attack' as such, the actor just happens upon them and screams (in cameo) a lot.

(Sigh) Somebody who likes Japanese 'B' movies may feel otherwise.

In the meantime, I'll look for the Avon Fantasy book on Amazon from which it was based on.... "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson, taken from his book, "Men of Deep Waters".

More Than A Cult Classic: Childhood Memories!.......2007-01-16

This film gets five stars from me because of the memories this film has for me. Moreover, I believe it is a masterpiece of 1960s Japanese Horror. Long before I began viewing great Japanese films; by such greats as Akira Kurosawa; Yasujiro Ozu; Hiroshi Teshigara; Masaki Kobayashi or Kenji Mizoguchi; to name just a few great Japanese directors, this film "Mantango: Attack of the Mushroom People," by director Ishiro Honda, was my introduction to Japanese cinema. I remember every time the film was shown on the late night weekend program known as "Creature Features," that I sat riveted to the TV and curled up to see this creepy film. This film may not appeal to many people, but for me, I really like it due to the many memories this film has left me with.

And from the many good reviews on amazon, I can see that I am not alone. The film for me has a very intelligent screenplay and creepy atmosphere. For those who have seen this film: Have you noticed the similarities between this film and "Gilligans Island?" You have a Skipper, a Professor, a rich millionaire, a girl next door character and a first mate. The film starts off with a group of people on a boat, which is caught in a storm. As they drift through the heavy fog they find themselves on a deserted Island, where everything is fungus ridden. In order to survive, they must scavage the place for food. Here they find that the Island was visited once before, when they come across a freighter ship that held a large number of people, who have since wasted away.

It's not long before these survivors must eat the fungus on the Island in order to survive. And what happens to them afterwards is the creepy and eerie part of the film. Yet, the entire film is just so atmospheric and creepy that I have always liked it. I guess something from my childhood has made this creepy film part of my consciousness. On this Island of constant rain one can feel the dread. And even after the survivors begin to eat the fungus and change, you feel yourself pulled into this world of eerie and strange surroundings. I have the widescreen and very good Japanese subtitled film from 'Video Daikajitu,' which is of excellent quality. Make sure you get this version. It is far superior to all other verisons that I have seen in the past. I personally have three different versions, including one in Japanese with no subtitles that a freind sent me from Japan. However, get a copy of this great film if you can. I was very happy when I first purchased this film years ago, it brought back so many memories. [Stars: 5+] For all the memories!

Hang out with the mushroom people.......2006-12-23

After running aground on a mysterious island during a pleasure cruise, a group of the idle rich soon discover that they are sharing the island with previous shipwreck victims, who have mutated into mushroom monsters via the local toadstools. I wonder if this film was meant as a drug allegory. Despite a few creepy scenes when the mushroom people shamble after our heroes, they really seem to be more interested in lying around in the forest and giggling. Even though the protagonists know what will happen to them if they eat the mushrooms, they do so anyway as they give in to despair over their situation. This is a very odd film but enjoyable in a goofy way.

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