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

Color:

Color

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:

Mr. Skinner: Anything happen today, sir?
Ferry Attendant: Happen?
Mr. Skinner: Like unusual.
Ferry Attendant: Well, a man was killed stag hunting on one of the islands. Fell off his horse. You mean unusual like that?
Mr. Skinner: Not exactly.
Ferry Attendant: I saw the body. His two friends brought him across. All swollen and ugly. You know what I mean?
Mr. Skinner: I don't suppose his friends said anything about... seeing some big things? Did they? Anything of that sort, sir?

Movie Connections:

References Willard (1971)

So bad it's good!

Wasps, worms, chickens, and rats feed off of an icky, gooey substance that causes them to grow to gigantic proportions, then terrorize the occupants of a remote mountain cabin. This trashy adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells story isn't just any ordinary bad movie. It's a movie that starts off so bad that you are compelled to actually keep watching it to see how much worse it can possibly get, and you have one heck of a good time in the process. Surprisingly, the film does have some fine points. The special effects are really quite acceptable, considering the era and the film's limited budget. And, amazingly, some of the performers manage to retain their dignity. Pamela Franklin as a sassy lady scientist and Ida Lupino as a bible-spouting farmer's wife come off best. This movie was a remake of the 1965 release VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS, also filmed by Bert I. Gordon.