Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Akira Kubo, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshio TsuchiyaBrand: Media Blasters
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language); English (Dubbed); English (Published); Japanese (Published)
Format: Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-15
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Tokyo Shock
Movie Reviews of Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People
Movie Review: My dream came true - an excellent DVD of Matango!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's here. One of my favorite movies - and most eagerly-awaited DVDs - ever. And EVERY single bad scenario I could think of for its DVD release has been stamped out soundly by Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters. Because THIS is exactly what I wanted from a DVD of "Matango" (Attack of the Mushroom People). My dream came true, and it's sitting in my hands.
The movie? Some of you might remember seeing it back when there were things called "local UHF television stations" :) that showed lots of cheap movies - mostly bad ones, some good ones, but almost universally fondly remembered regardless of their narrative quality. Back when we were kids, all we remembered about the movie was the ghost ship, the mushroom people, and the narrator's unforgettable final lines (dubbed in English, of course). And that it was cool. We may not have noticed that the script is very effective, the character interaction and motivations convincing, and the production design truly remarkable... and there's plenty more about the film that elevates it WAAAAY up above your average Japanese monster movie.
The DVD? Well, now we can finally really see the movie and rediscover it. The DVD boasts a beautiful clean print presented in anamorphic widescreen. The aspect ratio is stated as 2.35:1 on the back cover, which is correct for TohoScope, but the ratio actually measures out to be about 2.53:1. Add to that the fact that the image is actually windowboxed (when looking at the full image, say, on a PC screen, there are black bars on the sides as well as top and bottom), and this movie looks VERY wide on a television.
Just like the other recent DVD release of "The Mysterians" (q.v.), there is a wealth of audio selections: the disc includes a 5.1 surround English audio mix, a mono English track, and a mono Japanese track. There is also a commentary track from Akira Kubo, who plays the lead role of Kenji Murai in the film. It is in Japanese, but there are subtitles for the film AND the commentary... and you can even turn them BOTH on at the same time if you want (one subtitle appears at the top, the other at the bottom).
Just a glorious presentation of the film (at last!) would be enough to please me and other fans of the film, but we also get some marvellous extras. There is a 17 minute 41 second piece called "Spoken Word from Matango writer Masami Fukushima" which is a written narrative of the story accompanied by widely varied video - sometimes stills, sometimes behind-the-scenes footage, and so on. There is also a very generous, in-depth and fascinating interview with special effects cinematographer Teruyoshi Nakano. The interview runs 27 minutes 38 seconds and covers the film from all angles, accompanied at times by some great production stills and behind-the-scenes photos detailing the set, makeup, pre-production artwork and more. It's clear from what he says that "Matango" was MEANT to be a cut above the rest, and the loving care they put into its production really shows in the movie itself. Also included on the DVD is a trailer (16:9 WS), plus previews for "Dogora" (1964), "The Mysterians" (1957), "Varan" (1958) and "Gappa" (1967).
One more thing... if you're already familiar with the movie, you'll probably just want to watch it in the Japanese language with English subtitles on. The impact of the ending is undeniably weakened in the Japanese (original) version, believe it or not. So you, and ESPECIALLY those who have never seen the movie before, will want to watch the movie both ways at least once, and I'll even go so far as to suggest your first viewing be of the English dubbed version. (Don't think it to be sacrilege; the Japanese version is right there waiting for your second viewing, which you'll want to do anyway.) Anyway... THANK YOU Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters for having such remarkable respect for the material to present it to us with every bit as much loving care and attention as any other recent Hollywood blockbuster film released to DVD. Buyers, start your debit cards! You don't want to be without this title!
Summary of Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People
Directed by Ishiro Honda (The Godzilla Series!) After a yacht is damaged in a storm and it?s boarders stranded on a deserted island the passengers; a psychologist and his girlfriend, a wealthy businessman, a famous singer, a writer, a sailor and his skipper take refuge in a mysterious fungus-covered boat. While using the MUSHROOMS for sustenance they find in the ships journal that the mushrooms re poisonous, however some members of the shipwrecked party continue to ingest the mysterious fungi transforming them into hideous ungal monsters. One of the strangest and most horrific TOHO productions to date.Similar DVD Movies
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