As we talked about yesterday, who doesn’t love mushrooms? Hollywood sure does, and here are a few of the times mushrooms have adorned the silver screen, magic and otherwise. Obviously this isn’t an exhaustive list, but just a snapshot (Hollywood really loves mushrooms). And as a bonus, I didn’t think stills would do our favorite fungus justice, so our list is graced with clips. Enjoy…
Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
Like Gilligan’s Island but with mushrooms. I won’t spoil anything but suffice it to say, it’s one thing to eat mushrooms. It’s another thing to become mushrooms. Fun fact: The cast didn’t actually eat any mushrooms during the making of the film but a sweetened rice paste molded and baked into mushroom shapes. The cast loved these fake mushrooms so much that the bakers began turning out rice paste mushrooms in various flavors. Read my review here.
Alice In Wonderland (1951)
Lots of mushrooms in this movie, at least in the scene with the caterpillar, and we all know how Alice had to figure out what kind of mushroom did what. Yeah, there are tons of versions of Alice, but I picked the Disney version because it’s wonderful. It’s fortunate Disney didn’t stick too close to the original story when it came to Alice eating the mushrooms; in the novel there’s one mushroom that makes Alice’s neck grow like a snake.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1973)
While I’m not the biggest fan of this movie (don’t even get me started), the mushroom love is strong here, albeit candy ones. Mushrooms make dandy umbrellas, too.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Some gorgeous mushrooms here, too. Probably not edible, but gorgeous nonetheless. This scene is just a riot of color and straight out of the book.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Our hapless Bridget eats an omelet that just happens to be full of magic mushrooms and goes on quite the trip. Not even Daniel yelling her name from the beach brings her out of it.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Tolkien famously loved mushrooms, so it’s no shock that one of the early chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring is titled, “A Shortcut To Mushrooms.” As we all know, this was worked into the movie as well, only it was stated by the characters after a tumble down a hill. These mushrooms don’t get consumed, though. After their forage, the hobbits have to use their bag of mushrooms to distract the Ringwraiths, who are just a little too close for comfort.
Annihilation (2018)
OK, this one is more of a straight fungus, but it still counts, right? Beware of mysterious substances, everyone.
Julie and Julia (2009)
Julie makes Lobster Thermidor and we can see a big bowl of mushrooms on the kitchen counter. I’ve never had Lobster Thermidor, but it must be pretty darned decadent.
Midsommar (2019)
More magic mushrooms, but I had to include this one because it’s pretty infamous, and according to some magic mushroom aficionados, a pretty realistic depiction of what a real magic mushroom high looks like.
‘Shrooms (2007)
Another cautionary tale about partaking of unknown substances, this Irish film is about some tourists who eat magic mushrooms and then people start disappearing. I haven’t seen this movie, but it looks intriguing.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
It’s Super Mario. ‘Nuff said.
What are some of your favorite mushroom scenes in movies? Leave a comment below! Another post is on the way Friday. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
Attack of the Mushroom People (DVD), Alice In Wonderland (DVD and Blu-ray), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (DVD and Blu-ray), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (DVD and Blu-ray), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (DVD and Blu-ray), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of the Ring (DVD and Blu-ray), Annihilation (DVD and Blu-ray), Julie and Julia (DVD and Blu-ray), Midsommar (DVD and Blu-ray), ‘Shrooms (DVD) and The Super Mario Movie (DVD and Blu-ray) are available from Amazon.
~Purchases made via Amazon Affiliate links found on this site help support Taking Up Room at no extra cost to you.~
If you’re enjoying what you see on Taking Up Room, please subscribe to my Substack page, where you’ll find both free and paid subscriber-only reviews of mostly new and newish movies, documentaries, and shows. I publish every Wednesday and Saturday. You can also subscribe to my Club 15 Tier, which gives you at least one extra Taking Up Room post every month for a small fee.
Taking Up Room 