The Food of the Gods * (1976, Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, Ida Lupino, Jon Cypher) – Classic Movie Review 9570

Writer-director Bert I Gordon’s 1976 low-budget exploitation quickie The Food of the Gods is a silly, gooey chiller, adapted from an H G Wells story, about gunge from the ground that creates monsters of insects and farm animals on a far-off Canadian island.

Marjoe Gortner, as American Football player Morgan, is an oddball hero battling the creatures, which are fairly well made (some by Rick Baker).

[Spoiler alert] Old-timers Ralph Meeker (as Bensington) and Ida Lupino (as Mrs Skinner) are seen off, respectively, by vast rats and insects. Jon Cypher plays Brian, John McLiam plays Mr Skinner and Belinda Balaski plays Rita.

Also in the cast are Tom Stovall, Reg Tunnicliffe, and Chuck Courtney.

Gordon reworks his own Village of the Giants (1965). It is Pamela Franklin’s last movie, though she worked in TV till 1981. Her husband Harvey Jason and son Louis run the First Edition collectible literature bookshop, Mystery Pier Books, in West Hollywood.

The unrelated sequel Food of the Gods II, directed by Damian Lee, followed in 1989.

The Food of the Gods [H G Wells’ Food of the Gods] is directed by Bert I Gordon, runs 88 minutes, is made by American International Pictures, is released by American International Pictures (1976) (US) and Brent Walker Film Distributing (1976) (UK) , is written by Bert I Gordon, based on a portion of a portion of novel by H G Wells, is shot by Reginald H Morris, is produced by Samuel Z Arkoff and Bert I Gordon, is scored by Elliot Kaplan, and is designed by Graeme Murray, with special effects by Rick Baker, Tom Fisher, John Thomas and Keith Wardlow.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9570

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