How can you not watch a movie that title? Can you honestly say that you do not find the combination of "mushroom," "attack," and "people" to be downright alluring? For a long time, I found the title to be absolutely curious, but I never made the time to actually watch the movie. Going back a bit further, I remember the title teasing me as I perused the shelves at the a now defunct Media Play (RIP). I eventually picked it up during its going out of business sale, so it could tease me in a more up-close way on a daily basis. The day finally arrived when I broke the seal and pressed "play." I was greeted by a rather slowly paced journey into the surreal that proved to be a rewarding experience, even if I am not quite sure why.
Matango hit Japanese theaters way back in 1963, where it was a success, but it never made it to theaters across the ocean in America. Instead, the film was sold for television and renamed Attack of the Mushroom People. It would go on to haunt the dreams of many youngsters who chose to watch it, or so I've been led to believe by reading some people's memories of it.
Thinking back to the days of my youth, I am not sure how I would have reacted to seeing this movie. Although, I feel fairly certain it would not have done much; as I would have likely been bored and left the room. Fortunately, time and experience have vastly changed my tastes in film, broadening them and making them more willing to try different things. However, I am not giving the film a free pass because my tastes have changed. It is truly an interesting movie, not perfect, but well worth spending some time with.
The film plays out a little like a cross between Gilligan's Island and Lord of the Flies, with a little bit of Trigger Effect (yes, I know it is a recent film, but the content still relates, perhaps as a reverse influence?). Add to that a little commentary on drug use, and a touch of commentary on the burgeoning upper class in the economic boom that developed in post-WWII period, for good measure.
As the movie begins, we are introduced to a Gilligan's Island-esque group of folks enjoying the sun and the waves aboard an expensive yacht. You have the rich company head (who owns the boat), a mystery writer, a professor and his girlfriend, a starlet, the ship's captain, and Gilligan, er, a sailor. They are certainly an eclectic group, and I cannot help but picture them as being on a three-hour cruise, a three-hour cruise, especially when the weather started getting rough and the tiny ship was tossed.
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