ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Producer-director-writer Bert I. Gordon takes another shot at the H. G. Wells classic about a super-food that stimulates growth. His first version was "Village of the Giants", a teen-comedy with a very light touch.

This one swings the other way: a shocker whose poster shows a giant rat crouched in a tree, dining on the body of a young woman.

The script is not great, but the special effects are a cut above some of Bert's previous efforts (and remember, Bert does them himself. In fact, in "Village of the Giants" the special effects are credited to "Bert and Flora Gordon"). Some of the creatures in "The Food of the Gods" are created by Rick Baker.

Marjoe Gortner is a hunter who encounters giant insects and barnyard animals that eat the super-food which a farmer on an island concocts. Ralph Meeker plays an opportunistic businessman who has a run-in with giant rats. Other cast members who run afoul giant animals (chickens, wasp, and rodents) are Ida Lupino, Pamela Franklin, Jon Cypher, and Belinda Belaski.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick]

Oh, my good lord . . . I saw this in a theater when it was brand-new. I kept thinking several things.

(1) Why on earth is Ida Lupino in this?

(2) Bert I. Gordon? Still? Really?

(3) Pamela Franklin is so cute, I always love to see her . . .but I wish even she wasn't in this.

It was also one of the few times when I actually, genuinely, swear-to-God, laughed out loud in the theater at bad dialogue. My favorite exchange, between Pamela Franklin and Marjoe Gortner:

You don't like women around when you're doing your thing, do you?

What's my thing?

Facing danger.

I laughed so loud and heartily that it probably disturbed the others in the audience.

Both of 'em.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Ida Lupino was married to Howard Duff. Their daughter, Bridget, was the best friend to Susan Gordon, Mr. BIG's daughter. Susan was the crippled girl in The Fugitive episode of The Twilight Zone.



Susan at an autograph show a couple of years before she died:



The Duffs and the Gordons lived next to each other. I lived about 4 1/2 blocks away.

Pam Franklin live just around the block from the Duffs.

I've known Susan since we both were about 8, and have extremely fond memories. (We had our first pre-teen crushes on each other).

Pam was always extra-ordinarily polite under ANY circumstance. Still is.
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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Bogmeister]

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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

[Bud Brewster]

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Bogmeister does such a thorough job of autopsying movies like this that I end up wanting to watch it just check out the sources of both his positive and negative comments!

And this poster is terrific!





It makes the humble chicken seem like a hideous alien creature which could peck you to death quicker than you could say —

"Down on the farm, no one can hear you scream . . . "

And the placement of the beautiful girl in the low cut dress is clever. We instantly realize that she's terrified of the monster chicken's huge pecker!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)