A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

Greetings, all you Super Mario Bros. fans! Until now, I had always assumed this gem of a film to be terribly unappreciated by most; what a relief it is to see I was wrong!

I've been a fan of all things Mario since 1989, back when The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was still airing on television. Growing up, my family didn't have a whole lot of money, and so we didn't get our first Nintendo until Christmas of 1990. About a year after that, I met my best friend, a boy whose obsession with video games matched mine - along with drawing, though my interest for it has dwindled down to nothing in the last few years.

I first saw the Super Mario Bros.: the Movie back in 1993, the day after its release in theaters (I had to be in school the day before ), when my best friend's parents took us. Ever since then, the film has held a special place in my heart. It was also what led me to discover the talents of Dennis Hopper and Fiona Shaw, whom to this day remain two of my favorite actors.

That summer, when I adopted my kitten, I named her Lena, after the character. ^^

I have a few fanarts featuring a movie-inspired Wendy O. Koopa I did several years ago that I'll be posting within the next day or so. I also have a fanfic I was working on around that same time (and that I never completed) that I am planning to rewrite and post here. I dabble a lot in alternate universe storylines when it comes to fanfic, so my story is basically a rewrite of the film and features Wendy as a supporting character.

Anyway, it's really nice to be here, and I look forward to getting to meet others who share my love for this unforgettable film. And thanks again to Redstar for tracking me down on deviantART!

It's always great informing fans there's a place just for us. It does sometimes seem as if the movie is vastly unappreciated, but in actuality there's our site and our small community of longtime fans. There's still thousands of fans out there that have yet to realize this place exists, though, so it's just a matter of letting them all know.

I'm looking forward to seeing your fan art and fan fiction, especially since the art is inspired by Wendy O. The movie just had such a cool concept and rich visuals that fan art is typically very creative, so knowing that you've spun a game character into the movie's style has my curiosity raised.

Also, your cat is named after Lena.

Hi Peach Blossom, welcome to the board! Are you any good at the Mario games?

And please please PLEASE post up pics of your cat Lena, I LOVE cats!! One of my mum's neighbours once had a beautiful black cat named Daisy

Redstar wrote:It's always great informing fans there's a place just for us. It does sometimes seem as if the movie is vastly unappreciated, but in actuality there's our site and our small community of longtime fans. There's still thousands of fans out there that have yet to realize this place exists, though, so it's just a matter of letting them all know.

I guess the main reason I feel the movie to be so unappreciated is because of the flames I've come across in the past concerning it. Which is something that always irritated me, because I've loved that movie for so long. That's why I was so pleasantly surprised to discover the existence of this place. You're right about there being others out there who just haven't found it yet. That was actually the case with me and another message board of which I've been a member of for nearly four years (it had been up and running since 2003, before I stumbled upon it).

Redstar wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing your fan art and fan fiction, especially since the art is inspired by Wendy O. The movie just had such a cool concept and rich visuals that fan art is typically very creative, so knowing that you've spun a game character into the movie's style has my curiosity raised.

I'll try and get my Wendy O. fanart up later tonight. And I know what you mean about the visuals in the movie. I thought they did an amazing job with the actors' makeup, costumes and set designs. One of my favorite parts about the movie was Yoshi, who I thought was adorable, and the way they made him look so realistic was very impressive. Those are all things you don't see much of in today's films, what with all the computer generated stuff. Which is great, don't get me wrong. But I suppose that, when you grow up with accustomed to something, you tend to always like it best, no matter what.

Redstar wrote:Also, your cat is named after Lena.

*laughs* And yes, she was. ^^

Star Ma'am wrote:Hi Peach Blossom, welcome to the board! Are you any good at the Mario games?

Hello, Star Ma'am! (Great username, btw. I actually have a t-shirt with the Star Buddy on it. I always thought those guys were so cute.) I am a big fan of many of the Mario games, yes. Though the only ones I've managed to beat so far without cheating are the Super Nintendo version of Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Bros. for the DS. I love all of the classics, as well. In particular the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario World.

Star Ma'am wrote:And please please PLEASE post up pics of your cat Lena, I LOVE cats!! One of my mum's neighbours once had a beautiful black cat named Daisy

Thank you for your enthusiasm about Lena! She was my baby, though sadly, I lost her in 1995. To this day, I still miss her. The only picture I managed to get of her was in '94, just after she had her second litter of kittens. I think it's in storage, but when and if I come across it, I'll definitely post it or PM it to you, if you'd like to see it. She was a beautiful black and white cat, and very affectionate. And that's really cool that your mother's neighbors had a cat named Daisy! I never realized there were so many pets with video game-themed names in the world. ^^

Peach Blossom wrote:

Star Ma'am wrote:And please please PLEASE post up pics of your cat Lena, I LOVE cats!! One of my mum's neighbours once had a beautiful black cat named Daisy

Thank you for your enthusiasm about Lena! She was my baby, though sadly, I lost her in 1995. To this day, I still miss her. The only picture I managed to get of her was in '94, just after she had her second litter of kittens. I think it's in storage, but when and if I come across it, I'll definitely post it or PM it to you, if you'd like to see it. She was a beautiful black and white cat, and very affectionate. And that's really cool that your mother's neighbors had a cat named Daisy! I never realized there were so many pets with video game-themed names in the world. ^^

Although not named after a video-game character, my wife's cat is named "Jonesy" like the cat from the Alien films. Looks just like it too--although he has a few extra pounds on him.

Welcome to the board--glad you found us! Can't wait to see some of your fanart

Peach Blossom wrote:I'll try and get my Wendy O. fanart up later tonight. And I know what you mean about the visuals in the movie. I thought they did an amazing job with the actors' makeup, costumes and set designs. One of my favorite parts about the movie was Yoshi, who I thought was adorable, and the way they made him look so realistic was very impressive. Those are all things you don't see much of in today's films, what with all the computer generated stuff. Which is great, don't get me wrong. But I suppose that, when you grow up with accustomed to something, you tend to always like it best, no matter what.

I think a lot of us that grew up with movies of the '80s and '90s tend to appreciate practical effects more than the over-saturation of CGI of today. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is probably the best example of a practical movie done right, but Super Mario Bros. itself provided a good balance between practical and special effects which in turn ushered in the next generation of filming.

While the movie had a lot of practical work, such as the sets, costume design, makeup and brilliant puppetry, it also had great digital work. It's really too bad that the movie didn't have the story to really reel people in so that they (and in turn the Academy) would realize how great the work put into it was.

Hi Peach Blossom and welcome to the forums. I hope you enjoy the forums and find it pretty informational. 9I would also like to see that Wend O design you made.)

Peach Blossom wrote:Hello, Star Ma'am! (Great username, btw. I actually have a t-shirt with the Star Buddy on it. I always thought those guys were so cute.) I am a big fan of many of the Mario games, yes. Though the only ones I've managed to beat so far without cheating are the Super Nintendo version of Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Bros. for the DS. I love all of the classics, as well. In particular the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario World.

Thanks! I chose it because, as this is a Super Mario board, then I'd be expected to choose a thus-appropriate username. But in particular I really really love stars, so you can guess which of the classic three items dating all the way back to SBM1 is my favourite

Peach Blossom wrote:Thank you for your enthusiasm about Lena! She was my baby, though sadly, I lost her in 1995. To this day, I still miss her. The only picture I managed to get of her was in '94, just after she had her second litter of kittens. I think it's in storage, but when and if I come across it, I'll definitely post it or PM it to you, if you'd like to see it. She was a beautiful black and white cat, and very affectionate. And that's really cool that your mother's neighbors had a cat named Daisy! I never realized there were so many pets with video game-themed names in the world. ^^

Sorry to hear you lost her, she must have been so beautiful. But please find the photo of her if you can!

I myself had a cat named Zelda - so-named because you'll never guess which NES game mom bought for me just before we bought her and her surviving twin sister Jenny! But both cats had cat flu - and Zelda's was worse, she narrowly survived it when we had her but she died from it at age 6. In her place we bought Crystal - who just happens to be the most beautiful cat I have ever seen!

Welcome to the forum Peach Blossom!! I know what you mean by being surrounded by people that constantly criticize the movie (half of them who had never even seen it) to the point that it's considered standard social etiquette. You will definitely like it here, this site is chock full of awesome stuff!! Yoshi was one of my favorite parts of the movie too! I always preferred animatronics to CGI, haha. Make sure you check out the interviews on the guys who worked on Yoshi in the interviews section!

Phlibbit wrote:Although not named after a video-game character, my wife's cat is named "Jonesy" like the cat from the Alien films. Looks just like it too--although he has a few extra pounds on him.

The Aliens movies are by far my favorite series of films up to the third installment, so it really amuses me to know your cat was named Jonesy. He must have been really cute. ^^

Phlibbit wrote:Welcome to the board--glad you found us! Can't wait to see some of your fanart

Thank you very much! And I’ve since posted my fanart for all to view.

Redstar wrote:I think a lot of us that grew up with movies of the '80s and '90s tend to appreciate practical effects more than the over-saturation of CGI of today. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is probably the best example of a practical movie done right, but Super Mario Bros. itself provided a good balance between practical and special effects which in turn ushered in the next generation of filming.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Though I do enjoy today’s films, I think the creators rely a bit too much on CGI, to the point where it often looks fake. Realism of special effects is one of the reasons why I prefer Super Mario Bros.

Redstar wrote:While the movie had a lot of practical work, such as the sets, costume design, makeup and brilliant puppetry, it also had great digital work. It's really too bad that the movie didn't have the story to really reel people in so that they (and in turn the Academy) would realize how great the work put into it was.

The digital work absolutely blew my mind. When I first saw it, I was expecting a sequel to follow (I remember being convinced Wart would be the next villain). It disappoints me that the film itself wasn’t popular enough to pave the way for a Super Mario Bros. 2.

1upmushroom wrote:Hi Peach Blossom and welcome to the forums. I hope you enjoy the forums and find it pretty informational. 9I would also like to see that Wend O design you made.)

Thank you, 1upmushroom. I haven’t had much time to scour around the boards much yet, but I surely will be soon. As I told Phlibbit, I’ve since posted my fanart of Wendy O.

Star Ma'am wrote:Thanks! I chose it because, as this is a Super Mario board, then I'd be expected to choose a thus-appropriate username. But in particular I really really love stars, so you can guess which of the classic three items dating all the way back to SBM1 is my favourite

You’re very welcome! And, yes, I knew if I was going to join the board, then my username would have to be something related to Mario, too. I think my favorite item throughout the games would have to be either the Fire Flower or Cape Feather, just because they’re so powerful. But the Star is easily the cutest of all. ;D

Star Ma'am wrote:Sorry to hear you lost her, she must have been so beautiful. But please find the photo of her if you can!

Aww, thank you, and she was. She was hit by a car nearly two years to the day I adopted her. But the memories I have of her are fond ones, like how when I’d sleep with her at night she’d still be there when I woke up. And yes, I’ll definitely let you know as soon as I come across that picture.

Star Ma'am wrote:I myself had a cat named Zelda - so-named because you'll never guess which NES game mom bought for me just before we bought her and her surviving twin sister Jenny! But both cats had cat flu - and Zelda's was worse, she narrowly survived it when we had her but she died from it at age 6. In her place we bought Crystal - who just happens to be the most beautiful cat I have ever seen!

It’s cute that you had a cat named Zelda (I love those games, too, and the music to Ocarina of Time). I’m so sorry that she and Jenny both died from cat flu. My family has had so many pets (both cats and otherwise) die, and it's always painful. I’m glad you got a new cat, though, and Crystal is such a beautiful name at that.

billbot85 wrote:Welcome to the forum Peach Blossom!! I know what you mean by being surrounded by people that constantly criticize the movie (half of them who had never even seen it) to the point that it's considered standard social etiquette. You will definitely like it here, this site is chock full of awesome stuff!! Yoshi was one of my favorite parts of the movie too! I always preferred animatronics to CGI, haha. Make sure you check out the interviews on the guys who worked on Yoshi in the interviews section!

Thank you, billbot86! I figured if anyone would understand and sympathize with my frustration over the harsh criticisms of the movie, you guys would. It’s awesome that you are a fan of Yoshi, as well. While CGI is impressive, I’ve always liked animatronics a lot more, too. And I’ll certainly check out those interviews…there’s a lot on this site that I want to read/look through thoroughly.

Peach Blossom wrote:And I’ll certainly check out those interviews…there’s a lot on this site that I want to read/look through thoroughly.

I'm also curious what you might think of all the information we've managed to discover and compile onto the site, those interviews in particular. (There's mention of a deleted scene involving Koopa in the interview with Jeff Goodwin I think you might enjoy )

Feel free to post in any topic, no matter how old, as long as you feel you have something to add. You have missed out so we'd only enjoy the added discussion.

Peach Blossom wrote:It’s cute that you had a cat named Zelda (I love those games, too, and the music to Ocarina of Time). I’m so sorry that she and Jenny both died from cat flu. My family has had so many pets (both cats and otherwise) die, and it's always painful. I’m glad you got a new cat, though, and Crystal is such a beautiful name at that.

Thank you for your sympathy over Zelda. She was herself a little princess - very affectionate and cute. When we got her we thought she would die so soon from the cat flu, but -albeit with a weakened heart and a resulting growth stint- she narrowly survived. We forgot about this after a while... but six years later she started puffing and panting, I admit I only worried slightly; despite being surprised at her no longer lifting her head up whenever I bent down to kiss her I didn't think it was something to be TOO worried about, I thought she was gonna start hairballing soon!

But then one day in January the following year mum invited me over to dinner, I went over but I was surprised to find lots of kitten toys on the carpet and a litterbox in the utility room. Did I have more debts to pay off, as well as for the frame for my own two cats Blinky and Raul?? But then mum came home with the beautiful Crystal - oh my face just lit UP, I have never seen such a beautiful cat! Mum also broke the sad news about Zelda... oh poor baby...

Jenny is still alive so you don't need to worry too much about her - I did say Jenny is Zelda's surviving twin sister, y'know! Jenny didn't show any major signs, however a year after Zelda died she grew thin - so just in case anything happened, we bought another cat: Willow (who sadly went missing three years later). But Jenny's health perked up soon after - it's only an on-off thing!

Redstar wrote:I'm also curious what you might think of all the information we've managed to discover and compile onto the site, those interviews in particular. (There's mention of a deleted scene involving Koopa in the interview with Jeff Goodwin I think you might enjoy )

Those sound like they’ll be very interesting to read about. I’ll be sure to get started on ‘em soon. And a deleted scene featuring Koopa? I am so there!

Redstar wrote:Feel free to post in any topic, no matter how old, as long as you feel you have something to add. You have missed out so we'd only enjoy the added discussion.

Thanks, and it’s good to know that “bumping” threads is permitted here. I actually had some time last night to sit down and watch the film again after an almost five-year absence, so I’m sure I’ll have some new input to offer. ^^

Star Ma'am wrote:Thank you for your sympathy over Zelda. She was herself a little princess - very affectionate and cute. When we got her we thought she would die so soon from the cat flu, but -albeit with a weakened heart and a resulting growth stint- she narrowly survived. We forgot about this after a while... but six years later she started puffing and panting, I admit I only worried slightly; despite being surprised at her no longer lifting her head up whenever I bent down to kiss her I didn't think it was something to be TOO worried about, I thought she was gonna start hairballing soon!

You’re welcome regarding my sympathies about Zelda—she sounds like she was a lot like Lena personality-wise. I’m glad, though, that you had six wonderful years with Zelda, and I’m sure the ones she had with you were happy ones, too. And, yes, sometimes it’s difficult to tell with pets when something is really wrong, and when it isn’t anything at all to worry about.

Star Ma'am wrote:But then one day in January the following year mum invited me over to dinner, I went over but I was surprised to find lots of kitten toys on the carpet and a litterbox in the utility room. Did I have more debts to pay off, as well as for the frame for my own two cats Blinky and Raul?? But then mum came home with the beautiful Crystal - oh my face just lit UP, I have never seen such a beautiful cat! Mum also broke the sad news about Zelda... oh poor baby...

That’s a funny story about how you got Crystal. I would have been confused, too, seeing all those kitten toys! By the way, have any of your cats ever gone wild over a tin foil ball? One of my cats, Kirby—yet another cat named for a video game character. He even ATE like his namesake, LOL—used to love it when someone rolled up a piece of tin foil and threw it across the kitchen for him to chase. XD As for Crystal, it sounds like her appearance really helped soften the blow of Zelda’s death for you. You’ll have to show me some pictures of your kitties sometime. Thankfully we had a camera AND film handy, so I have quite a few pictures of Kirby.

Star Ma'am wrote:Jenny is still alive so you don't need to worry too much about her - I did say Jenny is Zelda's surviving twin sister, y'know! Jenny didn't show any major signs, however a year after Zelda died she grew thin - so just in case anything happened, we bought another cat: Willow (who sadly went missing three years later). But Jenny's health perked up soon after - it's only an on-off thing!

It’s so good to know Jenny is still alive, and that her health isn’t something to be too worried about. When you said “surviving twin sister” I thought you meant “at the time”. So I apologize for that little misinterpretation. I’m sorry that Willow went missing. The same thing happened to Kirby, and several other cats we had before and after him. My other cat, Tweed—a very shy male who was only sociable with me, for some unexplainable reason—disappeared shortly after Kirby.

You had a cat named Kirby? Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!

No they've never gone wild over a tin foil ball - we never had those. And I don't know how to post up pics, but if you're a Facebooker I have a photo album with pics of some of my cats

Star Ma'am wrote:You had a cat named Kirby? Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!

Yup. ;D He was a Russian gray. He was very sweet and had a wonderful personality.

Star Ma'am wrote:No they've never gone wild over a tin foil ball - we never had those.

Ah, okay. I thought maybe they had, since Kirby did.

Star Ma'am wrote:And I don't know how to post up pics, but if you're a Facebooker I have a photo album with pics of some of my cats

Yes, I'm a Facebooker. Currently I am just using the profile I created for a fictional character, though I may make one with factual information in the future. Anyway, yes! I'll love to see pics of your cats. What's your username on Facebook?

Oh, and to post pics, just type in [img] yoururlhere[/ img] (just make sure to leave out the spaces).

Peach Blossom wrote:

Redstar wrote:I'm also curious what you might think of all the information we've managed to discover and compile onto the site, those interviews in particular. (There's mention of a deleted scene involving Koopa in the interview with Jeff Goodwin I think you might enjoy )

Those sound like they’ll be very interesting to read about. I’ll be sure to get started on ‘em soon. And a deleted scene featuring Koopa? I am so there!

There's a few good scenes and sequences involving Koopa cut from the movie, but I think you'd like this one in particular especially much.

Peach Blossom wrote:Yes, I'm a Facebooker. Currently I am just using the profile I created for a fictional character, though I may make one with factual information in the future. Anyway, yes! I'll love to see pics of your cats. What's your username on Facebook?

I use my real name (Natalie Farrell), here's my profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1069176575

Oh, and our very own RedStar is also a Facebooker

Redstar wrote:There's a few good scenes and sequences involving Koopa cut from the movie, but I think you'd like this one in particular especially much.

Hehe, I'm sure I will. Now that I have some time to spare I'll go ahead and do a hunt for it, in a little bit.

Star Ma'am wrote:I use my real name (Natalie Farrell), here's my profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1069176575

Oh, and our very own RedStar is also a Facebooker

Thanks for the link! (I'll add you both to my Friend's List.) Here is my profile: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pro ... 1286913212

Not my real name and info, but the only Facebook I currently use.

Again, better late than never-- Welcome to the board!