Audio/Video. The movie is presented in anamorphic Tohoscope, a ratio of 2.35:1. The video is clean and has a good level of detail, although colors seem a bit washed out. Still, it is very good considering the age of the movie. I have no problems with the look of this disk.
The audio is presented on three different tracks: English dub 5.1 and mono, and Japanese mono. All of them sound a little flat, but they do the job. They are most effective when atmospheric sounds and the score are playing. There is something about the way the voices sound that seems a little bit off.
Extras. This release on the Tokyo Shock imprint of Media Blasters has a few extras of note.
- Commentary. This subtitled track features Akira Kubo who played Kenji Murai in the film. It is a rather dull track and he does not talk an awful lot about the film.
- Interview. This interview is with Teruyoshi Nakano. I have read this is a good interview, and they talk about, among other things, the use of a rice pastry formed to look like mushrooms. I could only read about it because the subtitles are messed up on my disk and I was unable to read them. The interview runs for 27 minutes.
- Spoken Word. This is a reading from the original story, read by Masami Fukushima.
- Original Trailer. Just what the label says, he original Japanese trailer.
- Previews. Trailers are included for Dogora, The Mysterians, Varan the Unbelievable, and Gappa.
Bottomline. This is certainly one of the odder films in my collection, but it is one I am glad to have. It is quiet, it is subtle, and it definitely weird. If you have some patience, like the odd, and are willing to give it a chance, Matango is worth the time. Besides, consider the looks on the faces of your friends when you tell them you own a movie called Attack of the Mushroom People!
Recommended.
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