The Food of the Gods (1976)

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Well, you have to give Bert Gordon credit here for at least one thing. As the Iron Man of this picture, he not only directed, produced and wrote the screenplay, but also had a hand in the special visual effects. I hope he was paid well for his efforts.As for the picture, boy oh boy, you can't get much cheesier. You know, you couldn't really get a sense of proportion as to how big those killer rats actually were. The one that attacked Mrs. Skinner (Ida Lupino) through the window of her cabin was just as big as she was, while at other times the perspective offered changed with each object they were swarming next to. I guess it doesn't matter for a flick like this, but it was something quite noticeable.Noticeable too was the goofy body spasms of the lead actor Marjoe Gortner. Gosh, what was he tripping on? Watch him when he picks up a rifle at any time to shoot at the attacking rodents, he looked like Elaine in that 'Seinfeld' episode dancing at the party. Really, it was quite embarrassing.As with another Bert Gordon giganto fest from the following year, "Empire of the Ants", this one is riddled with continuity gaffes and mistakes that provide plenty of camp value for the discerning viewer. How about the old dead guy, Mr. Skinner, after he's killed by the rats - his closed eye flutters as the varmints haul him away. Then there's that moment when Morgan (Gortner) and Brian (Jon Cypher) put their rifles away in a wooden crate on the jeep, but when they arrive where the rats are swarming by the river, they pull their weapons directly out of the vehicle.I don't know, there must have been some reason Ida Lupino decided to take part in this monstrosity, one can only guess. Just like Joan Collins showing up in "Empire of the Ants", maybe they needed the money. One can only imagine what they thought of while reading the moronic script - Yeah, this could be a real career changer.And then, right in the middle of the horror fest with the rats, and the fires, and the rats and the flood, and the rats - the gal Lorna (Pamela Franklin) says to Gortner's Morgan - "I want to make love to you". You know, I actually saw that coming and was hoping please, no, that would just be too stupid. But once again, the script didn't let me down.Only one thing left on my mind now which I'm sure nobody can rightfully answer. The container of 'ambrosia' on the counter in Mrs. Skinner's kitchen had the letters 'F.O.T.G.' hand written on a piece of paper stuck to the jar. Why? Did the Skinners literally know that the stuff inside was actually The Food of The Gods?

A last-gasp attempt at the 1950s 'giant monster' B-movie, directed by schlock purveyor Burt I. Gordon (aka 'Mr Big') who utilises some of his famed back screen-projected beasts onto the screen for the last time. FOOD OF THE GODS is apparently partly based on a tale by H. G. Wells, but turns out to a typical entry into the genre.The storyline is simplicity in itself: creatures on a remote island have grown to giant size, and a group of diverse characters must battle to save themselves. In the lead is former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner, one of the oddest looking leads to populate '70s cinema; in support is Ida Lupino in her last screen appearance. Still, one of the performances really register as this is a film all about the giant creatures.And the effects are pretty decent, at least in places. Things start off badly with some dodgy giant wasps and chickens, but once the rats come into it things really pick up, with some elaborately-staged set-pieces that convince in places. After that point it's an action-packed ride to the climax, with added gore and bloodshed for modern-day '70s audience. Although I had concerns about animal welfare - some of the rats look like they get genuinely injured/drowned - FOOD OF THE GODS turns out to be a surprisingly entertaining little monster flick for fans of the genre and a film which doesn't deserve it's poor reputation.

Morgan and his friends are on a hunting trip on a remote Canadian island when they are attacked by a swarm of giant wasps.Looking for help, Morgan stumbles across a barn inhabited by an enormous killer chicken.After doing some exploring, they discover the entire island is crawling with animals that have somehow grown to giant size.The most dangerous of all of these, however, are the rats, who are mobilising to do battle with the human intruders....If you want to see a film with a man fighting a giant rubber chicken, look no further.Yes, the film is trite, it has so many problems that you just have to laugh at all the bizarreness of the finished product.Killer wasps that look like they are ghosts, rats superimposed to look like they are huge, Mrs skinner saying 'oh my god' every five minutes, and Morgans mullet.The script is awful, the narration bad, and the acting is what can be expected, when the most recognisable people in this, are the bloke from American Ninja 3, and the one who played 'Man At Arms' in Masters of the Universe.It tries to be serious, but fails miserably, but is good for a once only, laugh in.And to threaten us with a sequel featuring huge cows deserves a round of applause.Crazy stuff, but so worth watching.

I first saw this movie at the local drive-in theater when I was about 13yrs old. It scared the you-know-what out of me back then. I just rented the DVD and sitting there on my sofa, in my mid 40s I enjoyed it all over again! Sure, it's silly....very "B-rated" type film....but if you just accept that going into it, you won't be disappointed. In this day of Computer Generated garbage, it's refreshing to see REAL special effects. The rats are still scary some 30 years later! Rent it, enjoy it for what it is: a campy, silly scary movie. I just love it! It saddens me to see that it's made it's way onto several "worst movie" lists. Relax people, enjoy it! I've gotta go....I think I hear rats coming.....