David Wascavage is probably best known for Suburban Sasquatch, but before that movie, he made this berserk film that is all about a scientist named Silas Purcell (David Weldon) whose parents (played by Loretta and Edward Wascavage, the director’s mom and dad) send him to a bed and breakfast to try and calm down. He brings his work with him — trust me, I get it — and ends up transforming the woods around the home of Jade Moon (Mary Wascavage, who also wrote the movie with David) into a killing field populated by mushrooms who live on human meat.

Also staying at the B&B are overly stressed and roided out pro wrestler Tony Ignitus (the much beloved Dave Bonavita) and a smarmy real estate agent named Jackson P. Jackson (Dave Wascavage, getting into his own movie), as well as a survivalist named Major Wang (Wes Miller).

By the end of the movie, hundreds of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes have taken over and the only weapon that destroys them is balsamic vinegar, a fact that made me laugh so loudly and for so long that I lost consciousness.

While Suburban Sasquatch had the man in the carpet-remnant suit, Fungicide relies on early-2000s digital audacity. The mushrooms range from the cute decoys, which are small, colorful, and bobbing with a rhythmic digital pulse that lures in the unsuspecting guests to giant humanoids and even a moment where a humanoid mushroom vomits a human skeleton, which is everything that I want movies to be. I also absolutely love that every time someone encounters one of these mushrooms for the first time, they think they’re cute and try to pet them, which always goes bad.

The choice of balsamic vinegar as the ultimate weapon is the kind of writing you only get when you aren’t beholden to a studio notes session. It turns the final act into a culinary counter-attack. It begs the question: Is it the acidity? The vintage? Or does the fungus just have a very specific palate?

More movies should be less concerned about video fidelity and more about having fun. This film proves it.

Extras include director-approved SD master from original tape elements, new commentary from director Dave Wascavage and co-writer / co-prodcuer Mary Wascavage, archival commentary with Dave Wascavage, Mary Wascavage and David Weldon, commentary from Sam Panico of B&S About Movies — WHAT THAT’S ME! —  and Bill Van Ryn of Drive-In Asylum, commentary from Schlock And Awe Films, the full RIFFTRAX version of Fungicide, alternate opening credits, a deleted scene, outtakes, trailers, a reversible sleeve featuring original home video art, a “Stick Your Own” VHS sticker set, a limited edition O-Card for the FIRST PRESSING ONLY and a “Grow Your Own Killer Mushroom” seed packet. Get it from MVD.