Matango (マタンゴ), also known as Matango, Fungus of Terror and Attack of the Mushroom People, is a tokusatsu eiga (Japanese "special effects film"). It was directed by Ishiro Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film has developed a cult audience over the years; partly due to its bleakness and unusual themes, particularly when compared to other Japanese films of the same period.
Matango never saw widespread theatrical release in American theaters. When it was dubbed by American International Pictures in 1965, it was directly syndicated on 16mm color film to television as a TV-movie bearing the title Attack of the Mushroom People (the title is, in fact, placed directly over the original title painted on stone, part of which is cropped out of the image). With the advent of home video, used TV prints of this dubbed version found their way to well-established public domain dealers such as Something Weird Video, making it available for home viewing in Beta or VHS formats. It was at this time that it began developing its cult following and its reputation as an unusually disturbing film.
Matango is available online as a free download.
