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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Mushrooms remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school slapstick and people shouting over each other in a cramped dining room, you’ll probably find something to love here. If you prefer movies that actually make sense or have a decent sense of pacing, keep walking. This one is for the completionists and the folks who think Shemp Howard is the height of cinema.
The whole premise is just one long, drawn-out panic attack about a potential poisoning. Horace Glutz plays the expert, but he’s about as reliable as a screen door on a submarine. Watching him sweat while everyone realizes they might have eaten toadstools instead of the good stuff? It’s surprisingly stressful.
Bertram brings his buddies from the pool hall, and they are basically just walking headaches. They don't really have characters, just loud voices and bad manners. They act like they wandered in from the set of Easy Work and got lost on the way to a bar fight. The way they just stand around the table is honestly kind of distracting.
There’s a moment near the middle where someone drops a plate, and the noise is just... piercing. You can tell the sound recording wasn't exactly top-tier back then. It sounds like they recorded the whole thing in a tin bucket.
I found myself zoning out during the long argument about whether a mushroom is a toadstool. It reminded me a bit of the chaotic energy in Up Pops the Devil, where everyone is just frantic for no reason. 🍄
The ending doesn't really land. It just sort of stops, like the film ran out of tape. It isn't deep, it isn't pretty, but it’s definitely something you won't forget—mostly because of how annoying the pool hall guys are. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Just go in expecting a headache and a few decent gags if you’re patient enough.