Title: Matango: Attack of the Mushroom PeopleWhat the heck?: Equal parts LOST, Super Mario Brothers, and anti-drug PSA, Matango tells the story of seven strangers picked to travel on a yacht and have their lives taped…wait, sorry. Seven Japanese people (a whiny Playboy living on his parent’s money, an eccentric writer, a sultry lounge singer, a college professor, the professor’s student/girlfriend, a crazy dude, and the yacht’s skipper) become shipwrecked on a deserted island after a storm at sea. Left with a limited amount of the food, the seven, constantly-squabbling characters venture into the jungle where they discover scores of mushrooms but little else. Upon reaching another shipwrecked vessel, the crew attempts to piece together the mystery of the island while trying to find food, satisfy their sexual cravings, and refrain from killing one another with a magic gun that never runs out of bullets. Oh yeah, there’s also some mushroom people.
What’s to like: more thoughtful and character driven than other 60’s horror films.
What’s to not like: takes a loooooong time to really go anywhere; mushroom people = not scary.
The truth: The Mushroom People don’t want to hurt you, they want you to join the party. These guys love to laugh—in fact, that’s all they do. Sure, before one eats enough island mushrooms to become a true Mushroom Person, he/she resembles a hideous burn victim and can get kind of pushy, but even these hulking mutants have your best intentions in mind—they’re just directing you to the party, it’s your problem if you’re gonna keep shooting at ‘em and stuff. Hell, the Professor, the only one of our heroes(?) who escapes, wishes he could go back, eat a buttload of magic mushrooms, and laugh it up with all his mushroom buddies. After all, they seemed like some fun-guys…
Sorry.
Next time: The Final Results!
What’s to not like: takes a loooooong time to really go anywhere; mushroom people = not scary.
The truth: The Mushroom People don’t want to hurt you, they want you to join the party. These guys love to laugh—in fact, that’s all they do. Sure, before one eats enough island mushrooms to become a true Mushroom Person, he/she resembles a hideous burn victim and can get kind of pushy, but even these hulking mutants have your best intentions in mind—they’re just directing you to the party, it’s your problem if you’re gonna keep shooting at ‘em and stuff. Hell, the Professor, the only one of our heroes(?) who escapes, wishes he could go back, eat a buttload of magic mushrooms, and laugh it up with all his mushroom buddies. After all, they seemed like some fun-guys…
Sorry.
Next time: The Final Results!