Talkback: Matango (1963)

[Chaos Reincarnation]

And if Matango did return, would it still be psychological horror or have the mushroom people go LOU zombie style? Based on recent zombie entertainment, the mushroom people would probably be treated like the second. This approach would be more marketable to a general audience, but I would miss the psychological dread of the original.

I don't think they'd go that route, I think they'd take advantage of today's effects and really make a psychological horror that fucks with the mind.

[mikelcho]

And if Matango did return, would it still be psychological horror or have the mushroom people go LOU zombie style? Based on recent zombie entertainment, the mushroom people would probably be treated like the second. This approach would be more marketable to a general audience, but I would miss the psychological dread of the original.

I don't think they'd go that route, I think they'd take advantage of today's effects and really make a psychological horror that fucks with the mind.

Yeah, a modern-day remake using current CGI special effects could really show something like just what the humans who ate the Matango mushrooms are seeing, and maybe even what the Matango mutants are seeing as well. Such POV shots could be a good addition to the story, something that Toho definitely wasn't able to do back then, certainly not with the technology that they had in 1963 (not that that wasn't too shabby, believe me).

How to describe this? Think of the old-style psychedelic effects in 1960s U.S. hippie films like The Trip (1967) and Psych-Out (1968). Now crank up these same effects all the way to 11 or maybe even beyond that.

Btw, what does LOU stand for? I don't know that acronym.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

Btw, what does LOU stand for? I don't know that acronym.

Last of Us, as in the survival horror video game in which a mutant Cordyceps fungal infection turns people into zombie-like monsters. The more mutated Infected like Clickers bare an uncanny resemblance to the fully mutated Matango creatures.

[mikelcho]

Btw, what does LOU stand for? I don't know that acronym.

Last of Us, as in the survival horror video game in which a mutant Cordyceps fungal infection turns people into zombie-like monsters. The more mutated Infected like Clickers bare an uncanny resemblance to the fully mutated Matango creatures.

Okay, thanks!

[edgaguirus]

And if Matango did return, would it still be psychological horror or have the mushroom people go LOU zombie style? Based on recent zombie entertainment, the mushroom people would probably be treated like the second. This approach would be more marketable to a general audience, but I would miss the psychological dread of the original.

I don't think they'd go that route, I think they'd take advantage of today's effects and really make a psychological horror that fucks with the mind.

Yeah, a modern-day remake using current CGI special effects could really show something like just what the humans who ate the Matango mushrooms are seeing, and maybe even what the Matango mutants are seeing as well. Such POV shots could be a good addition to the story, something that Toho definitely wasn't able to do back then, certainly not with the technology that they had in 1963 (not that that wasn't too shabby, believe me).

How to describe this? Think of the old-style psychedelic effects in 1960s U.S. hippie films like The Trip (1967) and Psych-Out (1968). Now crank up these same effects all the way to 11 or maybe even beyond that.

Btw, what does LOU stand for? I don't know that acronym.

That sounds good.

[mikelcho]

I don't think they'd go that route, I think they'd take advantage of today's effects and really make a psychological horror that fucks with the mind.

Yeah, a modern-day remake using current CGI special effects could really show something like just what the humans who ate the Matango mushrooms are seeing, and maybe even what the Matango mutants are seeing as well. Such POV shots could be a good addition to the story, something that Toho definitely wasn't able to do back then, certainly not with the technology that they had in 1963 (not that that wasn't too shabby, believe me).

How to describe this? Think of the old-style psychedelic effects in 1960s U.S. hippie films like The Trip (1967) and Psych-Out (1968). Now crank up these same effects all the way to 11 or maybe even beyond that.

Btw, what does LOU stand for? I don't know that acronym.

That sounds good.

Thanks! I'm glad someone likes this, indeed.

[Chaos Reincarnation]

I also love how that sounds. As much as I'm happy Toho is putting out original things constantly, I do wish they'd revisit some of their other gems like this in the modern day.

[LegendZilla]

I just read the article posted today on the main site. It was interesting finding out where Toho drew their inspiration.

Could Voice in The Night work if given the Hollywood treatment? Let's say Robert Eggers was brought on as director, could it work?

[edgaguirus]

Any film can work if it has the right script, director, actors, etc. It could be done.

Voice in the Night is an excellent story, and I do hope people read it.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I just read the article posted today on the main site. It was interesting finding out where Toho drew their inspiration.

Could Voice in The Night work if given the Hollywood treatment? Let's say Robert Eggers was brought on as director, could it work?

Well, yes. There are some subtle differences in both stories that add up to a lot, so a different take could be entirely feasible. You could make it much more of a tragic love story.

The article for those who didnt see it:
https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/the-vo ... ango-1963/

[MC_Lovecraft]

Ah, excellent article. I actually still haven't seen Matango, but The Voice in The Night is one of my favorite horror stories, and it makes me smile to see the connection being highlighted here. William Hope Hodgeson really deserves to be better known among devotees of weird fiction than he is.