LeoLom

Listen, I am totally chill with legalization of certain, lighter "substances". I don't consume them but I am totally OK with other people enjoying themselves as long as they don't harm the others. So, you go mushrooms !!!

However...... to have a quasi-scientific rant of a newly enlightened freshmen student (who has just discovered biology and wants the world to know) presented as a documentary, with flashy dramatizations and idiotic reenactments (think of Space Odyssey but with a mushroom instead of monolith!), and this nonsense receiving a praise and promotion and high IMDb scores and so on????? Spare me!!!!

This is 50% basic scientific facts (that you should know if you are not a completely uneducated) + 50% Scientology/Jehovah Witness style platitudes and manipulative conclusions drawn from that 50% of scientific facts.

But honestly, Brie Larson claiming she is a mushroom is worth the price of admission alone !

A lesser remake of Margheriti's own Castle of Blood. Film is inferior to the original in every respect but still not without its charms. Anthony Franciosa is quite likable as the male lead, and so is Michelle Mercier who took up the role originally played by Barbara Steele. For a short period in mid 1960's Mercier was one of the main box-office attractions in France and she had appeared in numerous Italian movies as well, including Bava's classic Black Sabbath (1963). However, by 1971 her carrier was in decline and soon she would go into semi-retirement. Just like Barbara Steele was typecast into playing the same mysterious dead/ghost//supernatural ladies, so was Michelle Mercier condemned to play variations of her Huge Success - Angélique (1964) series that made her a household name in France as well as in many countries of eastern block and USSR. Actually, in many territories she is the main selling point of this film, while in others, including most English language countries, her name doesn't mean much and it is Klaus Kinski who is the main attraction - even if here he plays actually a supporting character. To be completely honest, it is Antony Franciosa who deserves most most compliments here - he is quite good, not a "wooden imported american star" like it is often the case in Italian genre films of the time.

This is a fine B movie with a great cast : Yul Brynner, Massimo Ranieri, Barbara Bouchet, Martin Balsam! Bouchet is underused (but undressed a lot as well) This film and the Squize, both seem to be inspired by The Mechanic (1972) and it is interesting to see different solutions/variations of the main themes that Margheriti comes up with. This film is also close to typical Poliziotteschi however, despite all the violence, it doesn't have the mean streak that is common in that genre and that is a good thing in my book.