Matango: horror that grows on you
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:33 pmI was going to post more comments on The Mysterians, but right now I'm more interested in the other Toho Media Blasters disc I got in the mail along with it... Matango! Decent film, overall; I found it very well-done with some real creepy, atmospheric scenes (love the midnight visitor scene) and a message concerning human nature (a la The Lord of the Flies).
At first when I was watching it, I didn't feel like I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I did Mysterians or Dogora, the latter of which has become one of my favorite Toho movies. But the masterfully done suspensful moments such as the aforementioned midnight visitor scene and the final fungal climax really delivered the goods for me, as far as decent horror flicks go. The ending, with its pessemistic view on mankind, was kind of a downer, but I suppose you can interpret it any way you like; is mankind hopeless in it's violent and selfish nature or can we eventually reach peace and understanding?
What a knockout cast, too! Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, and Yoshi Tsuchiya, and everyone of them really got to shine since this movie focuses so much on the characters and how they begin to become less human (both physically and morally).
I also love the Matangos themselves, but not because I think they're scary... but because I think they're cute! The ending is really freaky, but you gotta admit that the big walking Matangos look kind of lovable with their rounded, groping paws and mushroom heads.
Not that I have trouble taking the movie seriously, though; it's very straight-forward and well-done, and I think it's a shame that the title alone, "Attack of the Mushroom People," puts images of camp and trash in peoples' minds akin to The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Oh well, as long as I can appreciate it. Thoughts?
At first when I was watching it, I didn't feel like I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I did Mysterians or Dogora, the latter of which has become one of my favorite Toho movies. But the masterfully done suspensful moments such as the aforementioned midnight visitor scene and the final fungal climax really delivered the goods for me, as far as decent horror flicks go. The ending, with its pessemistic view on mankind, was kind of a downer, but I suppose you can interpret it any way you like; is mankind hopeless in it's violent and selfish nature or can we eventually reach peace and understanding?
What a knockout cast, too! Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, and Yoshi Tsuchiya, and everyone of them really got to shine since this movie focuses so much on the characters and how they begin to become less human (both physically and morally).
I also love the Matangos themselves, but not because I think they're scary... but because I think they're cute! The ending is really freaky, but you gotta admit that the big walking Matangos look kind of lovable with their rounded, groping paws and mushroom heads.
Not that I have trouble taking the movie seriously, though; it's very straight-forward and well-done, and I think it's a shame that the title alone, "Attack of the Mushroom People," puts images of camp and trash in peoples' minds akin to The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Oh well, as long as I can appreciate it. Thoughts?
Akira Kubo with the fungus on his face at the movie's end = 