We’ll take you on an expedition to the wonderful world of plants, mushrooms and related life forms. Man often regards chlorophyll, photosynthesizing and spore dispersing vegetation as lower organisms, unhindered by any form of consciousness: ripe to be plucked and prepackaged for consumption. But what if plants have feelings after all? And an own free will? In the pantheon of memorable movie monsters, plants may be underrepresented, but Offscreen has nevertheless managed to put together a small, tasteful selection. “Matango – Attack of the Mushroom People”, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, “The Day of the Triffids” or “The Little Shop of Horrors”: all of them cult classics featuring extraordinary, unusual and downright evil mutations that blur the classic distinction between flora and fauna. From gigantic man-eating plants, over alien legumes and intercommunicating slime molds, to hallucinogenic fungi funesti: something’s growing in your back yard.
Botanicals
Articles in this section
Attack of the Mushroom People
Ishirô Honda, 1963, JP, 35mm, ov st ang, 89’
A group of travellers are stranded on a deserted island. Famished, they come across an old shipwreck that is overgrown by weird fungi. When they eat the mushrooms, matters take a hallucinogenic turn. Hold on tight for the attack of the mushroom people, in one of the biggest Japanese cult classics!
Frank Oz, 1986, US, HD, ov st fr & nl, 102’
The chances on success and love of a nerdy flowerist turn for the better, with the help of a flesh-eating plant called Audrey II. But this “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” has but one credo: “Feed me!”. This very entertaining musical remake of Roger Corman’s cult classic, directed by Frank Oz (“The Muppet Show”), will be shown in its rare director’s cut for a wonderfully groovy Matinee!
Tim Grabham & Jasper Sharp, 2014, GB, HD, ov, 81’
‘Slime molds’ are an enigmatic, fungus-like lifeform that displays a frightening level of intelligence. Still a mystery to science, they form the subject of this hallucinatory documentary, featuring a musical score by post-rock icon Jim O’Rourke.
Personally introduced by directors Tim Grabham and Jasper Sharp
Steve Sekely, 1963, GB, 16mm, ov, 93’
A marine officer wakes up in a deserted hospital, only to discover that most of the world’s population has been blinded after witnessing a meteorite shower. Even worse: the meteor dispersed the spores of an alien, flesh-eating plant species that’s now taking over the planet: “The Triffids are here!”
Theu Boermans, 1994, NL, 35mm, ov st ang, 103’
When American investors descend upon a local factory, it forces all sorts of ‘modernisations’ upon the villagers. Slowly, the village is overgrown by weeds, as a wry symbol of rabid capitalism and deluded dreams in this atypical and lugubrious parable.
Don Siegel, 1956, US, HD, ov st fr, 80’
A local doctor gets told by several of his patients of their relatives suddenly behaving strangely. First he takes it for mass hysterics, but then he discovers an invasion of alien plants growing human clones in their seed pods. A heart-poundingly scary, methaphorical SF-classic from the cold war era.
Roger Corman, 1960, US, HD, ov, 72’
A flower shop has a new attraction: a flesh-eating plant listening to the name of Audrey II. But Audrey II grows, and grows... In just two days time, the legendary Roger Corman shot a small horror comedy that would later turn into a phenomena. With Jack Nicholson in his debut role.
•+ Treevenge
Jason Eisener, 2008, US, HD, ov, 16’
What does a Christmas tree feel ? Uprooted and abducted from its natural environment, then dressed up in colourful wreaths, twinkling lights and shiny trinkets?
Philip Kaufman, 1978, US, 35mm, ov st fr & nl, 115’
Weird plants suddenly turn up all over San Francisco. Initial fascination turns into a struggle for human survival. This strong remake by Kaufman enriches the themes of the 50’s classic with a critique on the self-centred, cynical 70’s, whilst maintaining the original’s primal fear of the mundane.
lang: en
id_rubrique: 2084
prog: 2080
pos: aval
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