Bad Movie Logo
"A website to the detriment of good film"
Custom Search
HOMEB-MOVIE REVIEWSREADER REVIEWSFORUMINTERVIEWSUPDATESABOUT
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 05:48:29 AM
713324 Posts in 53055 Topics by 7725 Members
Latest Member: wibwao
Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Bad Movies  |  Matango! « previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Matango!  (Read 4648 times)
Dr. Whom
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 113
Posts: 1580


Cthulhu for president! Why choose the lesser evil?


« on: April 07, 2007, 02:44:22 AM »

Just saw this, and I learned a number of things from it.

Really tough sailors wear their shades at all times, especially during storms and when snooping around at night.

The contractor who builds the control panels for Starfleet started out making out making radios in Japan

A bolt action rifle just keeps on shooting

Mushrooms giggle when it rains


Overall, I found the mushrooms themselves a bit disappointing. Clearly nobody has thought about how many of them there were, and what they could or could not do. One moment  they're flailing about helplessly, the next they're breaking down doors. A bit more consistency would have helped.
Logged

"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor."

Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
Andrew
Administrator
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 0
Posts: 8457


I know where my towel is.


WWW
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2007, 06:59:17 AM »

The title is something of a misnomer.  For the most part, the film is about the breakdown of society in a small group of castaways.  The mushroom people end up being a enabler.  If you do not resist the urge to eat the plentiful mushrooms, they begin to affect your reasoning and eventually turn you into a huge mushroom.

I did find the full-sized myconids to be interesting.

http://www.badmovies.org/movies/matango/

"Survivor" set on mushroom island would be a show I would watch.
Logged

Andrew Borntreger
Badmovies.org
Dr. Whom
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 113
Posts: 1580


Cthulhu for president! Why choose the lesser evil?


« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2007, 10:47:17 AM »

Well, yes, that was partly my point. The director ought to have made his mind up. Either you have a classic monster movie: a bunch of characters are trapped somewhere, and attacked by something nasty that wants to eat them, impregnate them or generally do unspeakable things. Or he could have made a more psychological drama about the breakdown of society in which the castaways had the choice of pulling together and survive, or give up and go mushroom. I had the feeling he tried to do the second, but threw in bits of the first for reasons best known to himself. Perhaps he wanted some action scenes. The result falls between two chairs, I think.

For me, the mushrooms are much more effective as a psychological threat than as a physical. Besides, nothing much makes sense about the mushroom attacks, neither the motivation, timing or abilities.
Logged

"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor."

Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
Evan
Bad Movie Lover
***

Karma: 15
Posts: 138



« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2007, 07:41:04 PM »

I generally enjoyed Matango. Very different from other TOHO movies I have seen. Beautiful cinematography also.
Logged
peter johnson
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 107
Posts: 1489



« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2007, 06:27:30 PM »

I really shouldn't post a response here without doing some research first, but I like this film a lot --
It is adapted from a short story/novella by a very famous British fantasist from the 1920's/1930's -- I think by the same guy who wrote "The King in Yellow", but I'm not certain.
Damn!  I was hoping that by typing in here the name would suddenly pop up to me -- It's not Saki; It's not Dennis Wheatley;  It's . . . ARRRGG!! 
Trekgeezer?  You're literate -- help me out here!!
peter forgetful/denny no memory
Logged

I have no idea what this means.
Just Plain Horse
Bad Movie Lover
***

Karma: 9
Posts: 567


« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2007, 12:42:41 PM »

Wasn't it William Hope Hodgeson? "A Voice in the Night", I believe?

I liked the film very much... I wish Toho had become known for these kinds of films more than Godzilla, but at least they have a wide variety.

Alex, I can't stand movies that follow "movie rules" to the letter, so you'll forgive me for disagreeing with your idea. I think it's a shame so many people dislike a film if it doesn't imitate something that's already been done. I suppose if they were zombie mushrooms you'd have liked the film better.
Logged
peter johnson
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 107
Posts: 1489



« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2007, 12:05:27 AM »

William Hope Hodgson indeed!!
Killed at Ypres.
What a waste --
peter johnson/denny crane
Logged

I have no idea what this means.
Dr. Whom
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 113
Posts: 1580


Cthulhu for president! Why choose the lesser evil?


« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2007, 08:12:27 AM »


Alex, I can't stand movies that follow "movie rules" to the letter, so you'll forgive me for disagreeing with your idea. I think it's a shame so many people dislike a film if it doesn't imitate something that's already been done. I suppose if they were zombie mushrooms you'd have liked the film better.

Quite the opposite, in fact (not that I would mind a movie about zombie mushrooms). I think Matango would have been better if they stuck to psychological aspect of it. The actual attacks were unnecessary and broke the atmosphere for me.
Logged

"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor."

Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
Just Plain Horse
Bad Movie Lover
***

Karma: 9
Posts: 567


« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2007, 10:20:41 AM »

I thought the final attack on the boat was very effective, myself. The only part that dissapointed me was the "huh?" fadeout at the height of the first attack- that deflated everything the entire movie had been trying to build. Ask yourself if you were suddenly surrounded by several weird people in mushroom costumes if that wouldn't make you a little uncomfortable- especially if they're attacking you- even if they look a little silly.
Logged
Ometiklan
Bad Movie Lover
***

Karma: 17
Posts: 153



« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2007, 08:46:05 PM »

I watched this one last night..
And quite enjoyed it!
It was definitly one of the better Japanese
Movies that I have seen in quite some time.
And had some really eerie moments in it.
7 1/2 out of 10 stars...
A Fun flick Thumbup
Logged

And when he shall die
Take him and cut him into little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
Andrew
Administrator
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 0
Posts: 8457


I know where my towel is.


WWW
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2007, 10:40:06 PM »

I thought the final attack on the boat was very effective, myself. The only part that dissapointed me was the "huh?" fadeout at the height of the first attack- that deflated everything the entire movie had been trying to build.

***SMALL SPOILER***

The buildup to seeing the first afflicted mushroom-man was very creepy and full of atmosphere.  Something was on the boat, the characters knew it, and they all huddled together for protection against whatever it was that slowly drew near.  Then the door opens, we see the thing (is that Tetsuo, the iron man?), and fade out - like you said.  The buildup was great.  Total flub on the final delivery.

I think that the film was an interesting experiment.  It just failed to quite make it for me.
Logged

Andrew Borntreger
Badmovies.org
Pages: [1]
Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Bad Movies  |  Matango! « previous next »
    Jump to:  


    RSS Feed Subscribe Subscribe by RSS
    Email Subscribe Subscribe by Email


    Popular Articles
    How To Find A Bad Movie

    The Champions of Justice

    Plan 9 from Outer Space

    Manos, The Hands of Fate

    Podcast: Todd the Convenience Store Clerk

    Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

    Dragonball: The Magic Begins

    Cool As Ice

    The Educational Archives: Driver's Ed

    Godzilla vs. Monster Zero

    Do you have a zombie plan?

    FROM THE BADMOVIES.ORG ARCHIVES
    ImageThe Giant Claw - Slime drop

    Earth is visited by a GIANT ANTIMATTER SPACE BUZZARD! Gawk at the amazingly bad bird puppet, or chuckle over the silly dialog. This is one of the greatest b-movies ever made.

    Lesson Learned:
    • Osmosis: os·mo·sis (oz-mo'sis, os-) n., 1. When a bird eats something.

    Subscribe to Badmovies.org and get updates by email:

    HOME B-Movie Reviews Reader Reviews Forum Interviews TV Shows Advertising Information Sideshows Links Contact

    Badmovies.org is owned and operated by Andrew Borntreger. All original content is © 1998 - 2014 by its respective author(s). Image, video, and audio files are used in accordance with the Fair Use Law, and are property of the film copyright holders. You may freely link to any page (.html or .php) on this website, but reproduction in any other form must be authorized by the copyright holder.