PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Homicidal mushrooms with teeth terrorizing a wooded retreat?? Yes please!! In a nutshell, that is the premise of director Dave Wascavage’s (Tartarus) cheap-o epic Fungicide! What film deserves the Visual Vengeance treatment more than this one? At least it’ll go well on pizza…
Synopsis
What happens when a crazed scientist gets a forced weekend away at a Bed and Breakfast? Mushrooms and mayhem! Death stalks the shocked guests as mushrooms of all shapes and sizes run rampant through the woods!
Cheap, goofy, but earnest as all get out, Fungicide begins with Silas (David Weldon; She Ball) a “brilliant agricultural scientist” (according to his mom) living in his parents’ basement while working on a growth serum.
Mom and dad (Wascavage’s real-life parents), fearing Silas is burning the candle at both ends, book him a relaxing trip to Mountain Hideaway (“the last place you’ll ever stay!”) run by Jade Moon (Mary Wascavage, who also co-wrote) a hippy plagued by eerie premonitions. Joining him on his ill-fated getaway are pro wrestler Titus (Dave Bonavita; Suburban Sasquatch) and blood sucking real estate developer Jackson P. Jackson (Dave Wascavage).
After a trip-and-fall mishap on the porch, there’s murderous, jacked-up fungus among us, and the team of vacationers, joined by survivalist reality show contestant Major Wang (Wes Miller; Suburban Sasquatch) are fighting their way through the rampaging ‘shrooms toward survival.
The first impression you get whilst viewing Fungicide, is that this is a film made by a group of friends, and they had an absolute blast making it! A quick perusal of the cast & crews IMDb credits, and a glance at the extras, proves this, as they have all worked together in previous, and in later projects. And it is this obvious chemistry that lends an authentic charm to Fungicide, you can tell it was a family BBQ style production.
From the ultra-cheesy creature costumes, to the terrible CG work, to the Alka Seltzer smoothie chemistry, and right up to the secure containment container that appears to be an empty camcorder case, Fungicide, and it’s team of creators, never, eever takes itself too seriously, and by doing that, avoids giving the “carpet bagger” vibe so many low/no-budget films have. These guys knew they were making a loveably bad horror film, but they still put everything and the kitchen sink up there to see what worked. For the bulk of the film, they definitely succeeded!
The over-the-top characters, deadpan deliveries (“Jade, you got mushrooms outside”), goofy mushrooms, an insane premise, absurd gore, and a cast so totally committed to the script (despite their shortcomings) combine to make a film that is way more fun than it should be. They can even be forgiven for breaking in a few scenes, because really, no human could keep a straight face with all of this bonkers shit going on!
Random Fun Fact: Mary Wascavage sucks at chopping wood!
Customarily, Visual Vengeance pulls out all the stops for this release. Four different commentary tracks (all insightful and fun), the full Rifftrax version of the film, alternate credits, deleted scenes, outtakes, a gallery and trailers pack the single disc. Packaging is the infamous alternate art slipcover, reversible box art, video store stickers, mini-poster, and, one of the coolest extras ever, a packet of mushroom spores (actually morning glory seeds) to “grow your own killer mushrooms”!
The transfer looks as good as it’s gonna get, given the source material, but doesn’t take away from the experience. Unfortunately, for me anyways, the sound levels are all over the place, but a little audio tweaking can temper the effects.
Super cheap, super cheesy, and super awesome, Fungicide is a blast to watch! There’s so many genuinely fun moments that it virtually begs for a re-watch, in case you missed something. One of the finer VV releases, it definitely makes you hope they release more of this merry band of miscreants’ body of work. This is truly a new favorite of mine!
Pro Tip: When battling blood thirsty, shark toothed mushrooms, ALWAYS carry balsamic vinegar.
Wildeye Releasing’s Visual Vengeance Blu-ray of Fungicide is available now from fine retailers.
