The Food of the Gods (1976)

User Rating:

3.3/10   

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel)
Bert I. Gordon (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

One Taste Is All It Takes!

Plot:

Morgan and his friends are on a hunting trip on a remote Canadian island when they are attacked by a swarm of giant wasps...

Plot Keywords:

Island | Wasp | Rat | Giant Chicken | Giant Insect

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Marjoe Gortner	...	Morgan
Pamela Franklin	...	Lorna
Ralph Meeker	...	Bensington
Jon Cypher	...	Brian
Ida Lupino	...	Mrs. Skinner
John McLiam	...	Mr. Skinner
Belinda Balaski	...	Rita
Tom Stovall	...	Thomas
Chuck Courtney	...	Davis
Reg Tunnicliffe	...	Ferry Attendant

Also Known As:

H.G. Wells' Food of the Gods

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video re-rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Germany:16 | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Oversized reproductions of worms, chickens, wasps and rats were used to create the gigantic creature effect. Six different mechanized rat heads and four human-motivated rat costumes were also employed.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Morgan first meets Mrs. Skinner's Rooster, the legs (from the knees down) are visible of the crewmember wielding the giant chicken head.

Quotes:

Mrs. Skinner: Until Mr. Skinner comes home and says he wants you to have our food, Mr. Bensington, nobody owns nothin' but us. The good Lord give it to us to do as we please.
Morgan: [to Bensington] Well, it would appear that you just move back three spaces and lose a turn.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja II (#4.24)" (1992)

Entertaining horror junk.

An adaptation of a "portion" of the H.G. Wells novel, giant-thing-on-a-rampage specialist Bert I. Gordon gives us this nature-strikes-back movie about a mysterious substance that causes massive growth in worms, chickens, wasps, and especially rats. Football hero Morgan (the hilariously cast Marjoe Gortner) rallies a small group of might-be dinners on a remote island where the animals are running loose.

The origin of the strange stuff is never explained, except to say that it's essentially nature rebelling, in response to the rape of the environment. Yes, Gordon gets topical in the same way that he did in his equally laughable thriller "Empire of the Ants". The result is a movie that is nothing but pure schlock. Yet it's enjoyable on that level. It produces some good chuckles - that chicken attack at the beginning, in particular, struck me as hilarious. However, the special effects aren't always so bad. Sometimes, they actually work. I do have to say, in any event, that the standard disclaimer common to most films that none of the animals were harmed would be a little hard to believe here.

The cast perform with admirably straight faces. The lovely and appealing Pamela Franklin and Belinda Balaski co-star (Balaskis' character is actually independent enough to *not* want to marry the father of her child, allowing for some enlightened sexual politics that one would never expect to find in a schlock film). John McLiam, Jon Cypher, and screen legend Ida Lupino are also along for the ride.

It's silly stuff, but it has an endearing sincerity to it, and it offers nary a dull moment. It's quite an amusing guilty pleasure, overall.

7/10