The Food of the Gods

The Food of the Gods
by Bert I. Gordon

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DVD details

Actor: Ida Lupino, Jon Cypher, Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Soundtrack
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 88 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-11
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

DVD Reviews of The Food of the Gods

DVD Review: Fans of Marjoe Gortner Will Like It
Summary: 1 Stars

And very possibly nobody else. I suppose this is indeed what's called a "cult film."

MGM calls this series "Midnight Movies," and that's appropriate. Remember when you'd watch all the low-budget horror flicks on local TV stations at midnight? "Shock Theater" was ours from Philadelphia, but we all had something like, I'll bet. This movie fits that mold.

I reviewed the book only recently[...]and said that I had to know whether Marjoe Gortner plays a big person or a little person. Well, folks, this IS a low-budget flick: they only alluded to the part of the book where humans got really huge. And BTW, in true cheap trick flick style, the picture on the cover is not something that ever happened in the movie. But it does give you a cleavage shot, which I'm assuming is the point.

[...] That was what made me want to see this movie. Actually, he's pretty believable as an actor. Or maybe it's just that the rest of the cast was not particularly good actors. Only Ida Lupino, who played Mrs. Skinner, was a name you may have heard. Lorna, Marjoe's love interest was played by Pamela Franklin, and she did the best she could, but the part was very oddly straddling several cliches. She was Bensington's (Ralph Meeker, a name vaguely familiar) employee, some sort of biochemist. She talks frankly to him about what a pig he is, presumably knowing he can't afford to fire her.

OK, plot synopsis, for those who expect the movie to at least resemble the book. It's real different, folks. Morgan (Marjoe) is a football player who decides he needs a bit of a vacation, so he goes to "the island." Said island is never named, but the credits mention Vancouver. He takes his PR guy with him, who needs a break, too, and one of the other players, I think. It was not quite clear exactly who the third guy was. Perhaps he was a former player who was now coaching? Seemed a little old to be an active player.

Anyway, he was the first to die, stung by giant wasps. They took the body to the coroner, who concluded that he must have been stung by at least 150 wasps -- but then he's thinking the regular size ones. So Marjoe and the PR guy return to the island to try to find out what's going on. Mrs. Skinner has the Food of the Gods (although she would not call it that, since she is apparently a very devout Christian), only in this movie it came pouring down a hillside. Therefore, the "mad scientist" part falls on Bensington, who (as Lorna points out more than once) doesn't care anything about anyone except himself and his money. Mr. Skinner had gone to the mainland to discuss a deal with Bensington, and he returns to the island to try to consummate the deal with Mrs. Skinner, or simply rob her of the stuff.

You see, it makes anything immature grow big, very big and very fast. When she explains about the giant chickens, she pointed out that it didn't seem to affect the full-grown chickens at all. "So nothing happened to the adult chickens?" asks Morgan. "I'm not saying that," she answered. "They got et by the big ones."

It doesn't take long to discover that rats have gotten to the feed prepared for the chickens, and the rest of the story concentrates on the rats. Mrs. Skinner does get attacked by some sort of larval, wormy thing, but they have legs, so maybe they are supposed to be caterpillars. Anyway, they are gross, and they grab her hand when she reaches into her pantry. If you can explain why she kept her hand there instead of drawing it back quickly, I'd appreciate it.

Much of the special effects are pretty obvious, and the size of the creatures doesn't seem to stay all that consistent. The rats, especially, seem all much of one size when they are attacking what is clearly a model house, but seem different when they are shown up close. The DVD case lists this Fun Fact: "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." Worms don't have legs, folks.

There are many questions. Why was Mr. Skinner driving with his car window down when it was pouring rain? What were those mysterious lights in front of him, perhaps reflections on the camera lens? Where did the food of the gods come from, after all? Once a single rat broke through the kitchen window, why didn't they pour through there? Why was there a single white rat leading the pack?

I can give it one star. It's not a total waste of time. It's just a cheap and rather predictable movie.

DVD Review: Looks better than it should
Summary: 5 Stars

I remember this being the first horror movie I asked my mother to take me to see. She gave me the choice of Snow White or Food of the Gods. I had seen the ads on TV (this was the mid 70's) and so off we went. I remember having to leave the theater at least twice, scared out of my six year old mind, but each time I was able to convince my mother I was going to be ok to sit through the rest of the movie. What I remember was shock, terror and sympathy for the characters being bitten or eaten alive. I was too young to realize the special effects were so bad. Years later, I found it again when I was 13 or 14 in a local video store (before big chains). That's when I realized how bad the movie was. I thought about this movie from time to time since then and now, at 38, finally found they have released it on DVD. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, as this was a piece of my youth that has had a lasting impression on me and allowed me what I think of as a virtue to appreciate movies for what they are. They don't all have to be great to be good and millions spent cannot polish a turd. Most young people nowadays don't have that instilled in them, and that's sad. I love a good movie and can appreciate one that's poorly made but still fun it's execution.
I watched this DVD on a 65" projection screen and was happily surprised with how good the picture was. I made my wife sit through this and could feel her stares of unbelief and eye rolls of "I can't believe you're making me watch this" as I laughed in all the inappropriate places and reminisced about that trip to the movies.
Highly recommended film to lovers of bad horror and terrible special effects. The scenes I remember that day in the theater don't look the same through 38 year old eyes, but this movie changed my perspective forever and am proud to list this as one of my favorite childhood memories.
Thanks mom.
You ruined my life.

DVD Review: Rat Bastards!!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars

You must understand that this is a 70's B movie in order to enjoy the tremendous overacting and hilarity that comes in this man against beasts grown huge thriller. I saw this back in the day in the theater when it was released in a double feature with Day of the Animals. Ahhhh yes, what a great day that was! I just saw this again for the first time in 33 years and it did not disappoint!! The special effects for the hornets look better then some of the crap they put on Sci-FI thirty years later (it's still very fake though). The rats are cool when used against miniatures but they just can't keep the size of them consistent throughout the movie. When they use the bad rubber rat heads with mouths that don't move for up close and personal attacks, the rats would be around 4 feet long w/o the tail. In the distant shots the rat's bodies look 10 feet long. There is an attack of giant maggots that Ida Lupino just can't keep her hand away from even though they are just sitting in a bowl(I remember how much they promoted her name in the previews of that film for her awe inspiring 10 minutes of screen time-note to film maker, save some money next time for the special effects dept and let your old neighbor from next door play the role). The best part is the killer Rooster which I think the director had his elementary kids make in class and bring to the set. Too bad they didn't make the legs also since during one part you can see the roosters `human legs' controlling him. Marjoe `I cant stop yelling in this film' Gortner (the hero) is way overacting but you can tell he is not taking himself serious unlike when during the massive rat attack when the girl Pamela Franklin wants to get it on with him you say she literally cant be serious-what writer would put in that stupid line at that critical moment???
Food of the Gods is a great Saturday afternoon popcorn fun for all with the kids or a late night laugh fest with a cold brewha with your friends. Enjoy!!

p.s. Rated 5 stars for bad B movie only. If you have read the book and expect to see the book on film, do everyone a favor-dont watch it and the come on here and cry "It's not anything like the book!!!!waaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

DVD Review: Marjoe vs. the Rats!
Summary: 4 Stars

This is one of two stand-alone discs from the latest Midnite Madness wave, and rightfully so, as it's one of Bert I. Gordon's better pieces, even if the giant animal effect can't be expected to withstand scrutiny three decades later. Marjoe Gortner's a semi-pro football player (!) who gets caught up fighting giant rats in the American Northwest after rural religious nut Ida Lupino feeds some of her husband's "miracle discovery"--creamy goop fresh from the ground outside their farmhouse--to her chickens. Pretty soon the local wasps and rats are enjoying the spoils of being fifty times their normal size. As with most of his "giant this or that" movies, Gordon never lays on the camp but does find small moments of wit in wild situations. Classic drive-in fare!

DVD Review: To Be Avoided at All Costs!!1
Summary: 1 Stars

This film was simply awful in the lowest meaning of the word. It has no connection with Wells' interesting classic, despite the title. Wells' story ends with the created food having been fed to babies, producing a new titanic form of humanity. In this film, the "food" seeps up from the disturbed Earth in a remote area, wrecking vengeance on the evil humans polluting Mother Earth. I don't object to the film being made on a limited budget, but a limited budget is no excuse for producing rubbish (look at the wonders Val Lewton achieved with low budgets). The acting is poor - how a gifted actress like Ida Lupino got involved is a wonder to me (maybe she just needed the money?). The script is lame and the dialogue predictable. The action lurches and limps: for me, there was no dramatic tension at all. I give this film one star because there is no lower grading. Save your money and time: don't buy this film and don't watch it if you are offered a viewing. Other film adaptations of HG Wells' novels will reward you if you give them a try, eg, "War of the Worlds," "The Time Machine," "Things to Come," and "The Island of Dr Moreau." (I advise viewers go for the originals, not the remakes.)

Description of The Food of the Gods

On a remote island a farmer discovers a strange gooey substance that causes animals to grow rapidly. His problems begin when the creatures get hungry - they prefer human flesh. Based on H.G. Wells' novel of 1904.System Requirements:Running Time: 88 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating:?PG UPC:?027616087621 Manufacturer No:?M108762

Though many of director Bert I. Gordon's previous films tackle the man versus nature theme central to the sci-fi genre, Food of the Gods' ecological concern makes it a bit more prescient than his classics from the 50s and 60s. Having unleashed gargantuan humans in Village of the Giants, and insects in Empire of the Ants, Gordon adapted the eponymous H.G. Wells novel into a film that highlights human responsibility in nature as well as his ability to make animals look as large as trees and cars. Set on an island off the Canadian coast, Morgan (Marjoe Gortner) and some buddies from his football team retreat to the "country," but flee horrified after three giant wasps sting their friend to death. Following this initial attack, the viewer learns that on a nearby farm, Mrs. Skinner (Ida Lupino) and her husband are feeding a mysterious, toxic ambrosia labeled F.O.T.G. to their chickens, causing them to grow into huge mutants. As other forest dwellers accidentally ingest this foamy liquid, which bubbles up from the ground in a polluted artesian well, they become rabid human killers, symbolizing the revenge nature reaps on those who don't protect her. Meanwhile, bacteriologists Jack Bensington (Ralph Meeker) and Lorna (Pamela Franklin) visit to buy the rights to this disgusting, yellow goo. The most satisfaction comes during scenes in which maggots hiding amongst Mrs. Skinner's canned peaches attack her arm, or when giant rats invade a neighbor's motorhome. The culmination of horror in the final scenes is slightly gory (think bomb-exploded rats) but humorous enough not to nauseate. Serious environmental undertones in Food of the Gods only add depth to its schlocky tendencies, making it, overall, a great example of the "gigantic creature" special effects mastered by this remarkable director. -Trinie Dalton

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