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[Bud Brewster]

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Don’t ya just hate movies that ripe off beloved novels?

The Food of the Gods (1976) is a poor version of the H.G. Wells classic. But I must admit, the poster is terrific! A brave young farmer is playing "chicken" with a giant rooster that's threaten a lovely girl with its oversized pecker!

Ditto of Edgar Rise Burroughs’ The People That Time Forgot (1977). Burroughs should sue posthumously. Perhaps the movie should be called "The Movie that People Forgot".

At the Earth's Core (1976) is even worse. It omits everything about the novel and substitutes lame versions of the main concept. Doug McClure battles men in rubber suits which look like frightening sports mascots!
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The Food of the Gods (1976)
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This is one of the more famous of the eco-terror sci-fi/horror films of the seventies (Bert I. Gordon's Empire of the Ants being another one).

I've always had a soft spot for this one — Food of the Gods (1976). I'm not sure why — I did see it first in an actual theater when it came out. The title is great, but that's thanks to H.G. Wells. It may have something to do with the photography — I thought the location was slightly unusual and there was a sort of primal / gritty feel to it that elevated it above the other 'nature amok' sci-fi thrillers of the decade.



Marjoe was an odd choice for leading man. In another genre, his role would be played by someone like John Wayne, who needs to make the tough decisions. He kills a rooster which was just minding its own business and defending its turf, and never apologizes to the owner (Ida Lupino).

Later, he causes the deaths of his buddy (Cypher) and the obvious villain (Meeker — slumming, but the 'go to' guy those days for bad guy roles) by refusing to listen to their logical arguments for getting out of the mess they're in. No, it's his way only, 'cause he's the toughest around these here parts, and if a few people get eaten due to his manly choices — oh, well.



However, if you look more closely at Marjoe's character, he seems to have some crazy death wish. At one point, when they already know the island is infested with giant killers, he decides to go look around in his jeep, which offers no protection at all. His friend, echoing the thoughts of the audience, asks what the hell for? Marjoe doesn't really have an answer; he even says "I don't know." Wild.



Maybe there were subtexts and undertones which just struck a cord in me. I will admit, some of the FX, especially the dam breaking and watering pouring out near the end are truly terrible, but much of the giant rat FX work surprisingly well.

The plot has to do with some strange substance that suddenly bubbles up from underneath the earth on a remote island. When it's mixed with animal food, such as gruel, animals will eat the stuff and grow — though not adult animals, only baby ones. Then the big babies eat the normal-sized ones. Mr. B.I.G., who also wrote the script, wastes no time showing how all this transpires. He just makes do with brief exposition from Mrs. Skinner (Lupino) to move things along swiftly.

_______________ The Food of the Gods Trailer


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Trivia of the Gods: There was a sequel to this much later in 1989 which had little to do with this one and, going by memory, seemed a waste of everyone's time. Also, I just found out there's another movie of the same name released just last year but has nothing to do with this story. In Maxim magazine s rundown of the 50 best B Movies (Feb.2000), this film placed 18th.


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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The People That Time Forgot (1977)

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________ People that Time forgot (1977) Trailer

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This sequel to The Land That Time Forgot (1975) has a slightly less serious tone and leans more towards fantasy, especially in the 2nd half, where the influence of Frank Frazetta art is evident, and it anticipates all those sword & sorcery movies which began with Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Patrick Wayne sort of emulates his dad, John, as an old-fashioned man of adventure. Sarah Douglas (the villain in Superman II) is good as a prim, no-nonsense photographer. Thorley Walters & Shane Rimmer are amusing, and Dana Gillespie held my attention very well as the cavegirl they encounter; I'm surprised she didn't have a more prolific career. Doug McClure shows up in the last half-hour, reprising his role with gray beard, and is billed as guest star.

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The rescue group journeys to this lost land because someone did find that message in a bottle which McClure's character threw into the ocean (see previous film).

This time, they airplane in, but get damaged by one of those pesky pterodactyls. Rimmer's character stays with the airplane while the rest journey on. They have encounters with various prehistoric beasts (not quite as good as the first film) and cavemen, which gets a little tiresome.

Their ultimate destination is one of those little kingdoms run by guys who like to pattern their architecture on skulls. The hostiles there show an oriental influence to their attire. The muscular executioner character is none other than Dave Prowse, who donned the Darth Vader costume in Star Wars about the same time.

Finally, can someone explain to me why there is a volcanic upheaval near the end every time one of these groups visit these lost lands? It's like the volcano gods just wait to show off to such visitors.

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BoG's Score: 5.5 out of 10


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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At the Earth's Core (1976)

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_____________ At the Earth's Core 1976 Trailer


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I'm kind of on the side of thinking that I'm a fan of this one. The film does seem geared towards boys under the age of 14 years, but an adult can place himself in a certain frame of mind for this.

I liked the whole beginning, taking place in Burroughs' Victorian Age, as the two heroes (McClure & Cushing) prepare to descend into the Earth in their machine, to the acclaim of a small Victorian crowd. (Didn't the first sci-fi film, A Trip to the Moon in 1902 have a similar scene?) Most of the FX involve back projection, or so it looks like to me. There are 'men-in-suits' — some of these reminded me of The Land Unknown, from the fifties, in terms of the dinosaur suits.

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Once down below, we're presented with an ochre-colored or scarlet-tinged sub-world, filled with faintly mythological-looking beasts.

The creatures in this one, rather than looking scary and monstrous, come across as sympathetic to me. McClure, for example, battles one in an arena. It resembles a clumsy hippo, and I felt sorry for it when it lost. Likewise, later, there's this toad-like beastie which shoots flame and is killed by Cushing with a bunch of arrows; poor thing, I thought.

Yes, the beasts look fake, but you gotta be in a frame of mind, remember? I had no sympathy for the ruling chicken-like Mahars, however, who were pretty annoying. Kill 'em all, I say — I'm with McClure on that one.



The middle third of this film I find to be a bit on the slow side; the scenes in the arena are too long. The nicknames of some natives are amusing: the toughest guy whom McClure has to fight is called 'The Ugly One', Another is named 'The Sly One' — this may have been taken from Burrough's original story. I did read it, but that was over 30 years ago.

BoG's Score: 6 out of 10

This was director Kevin Connor's follow-up to THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1975), but it wasn't a sequel to that one. The sequel to that one was THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT in 1977. The latter film had Dana Gillespie as a cave-girl. AT THE EARTH'S CORE, of course, has Caroline Munro.



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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)