The Food of the Gods Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A glowing white goo makes island critters huge and grumpy, forcing bewildered people to fight oversized chickens, questionable wasps, and an army of surprisingly determined giant rats using shotguns and questionable plans.

🍿 The Food of the Gods: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Island Hunting Trip Turns Deadly

Professional football player Morgan and his friend Brian head to a remote Canadian island for a hunting trip. Their relaxed getaway takes a terrifying turn when their companion, Davis, is found dead, seemingly attacked by abnormally large wasps.

Discovery of the Strange ‘Food’

Seeking help, Morgan stumbles upon a secluded farmhouse where he encounters Mrs. Skinner and discovers the source of the monstrous mutations: a bubbling, white substance oozing from the ground. Animals that consume this ‘Food of the Gods’ grow to immense sizes, including giant chickens and menacing worms.

The Giant Rat Problem Emerges

While Morgan and Brian investigate further and try to deal with the immediate threat from giant wasps and chickens, they learn Mr. Skinner, Mrs. Skinner’s husband, has been killed by giant rats. A businessman, Bensington, and his assistant, Lorna, also arrive, seeking to exploit the substance.

Trapped and Under Siege

As the giant rat population swells and mobilizes, the stranded group – Morgan, Brian, Lorna, Bensington, Mrs. Skinner, and a young couple, Rita and Thomas, whose RV broke down – find themselves trapped. They take refuge in the farmhouse, which becomes the target of a relentless siege by the enormous rodents.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Morgan (Marjoe Gortner): A professional football player who becomes the reluctant leader fighting the giant animals on a remote island.
• Lorna (Pamela Franklin): A bacteriologist who joins Morgan and the other survivors in battling the giant creatures.
• Bensington (Ralph Meeker): A greedy businessman solely focused on exploiting the growth substance for profit, ignoring the danger.
• Mrs. Skinner (Ida Lupino): A religious farmer who discovers the mysterious substance and accidentally creates the giant animals by feeding it to them.
• Brian (Jon Cypher): Morgan’s friend who is one of the first victims of the giant creatures on the island.
• Rita (Belinda Balaski): A pregnant woman who becomes trapped with the other human survivors during the animal attacks.
• Thomas (Tom Stovall): Rita’s boyfriend who joins the group in their desperate fight for survival against the giant animals.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Mrs. Skinner: “I couldn’t tell what it was, so I fed it to the chickens.” – Said by Mrs. Skinner when explaining how her animals became giant after eating the mysterious goo found bubbling from the ground.
• Morgan: “My name is Morgan, and I play football.” – The opening line of the film, introducing the protagonist in a slightly awkward and memorable manner.
• Morgan: “These chickens tried to kill me!” – Exclaimed by Morgan after surviving a bizarre attack by the giant chicken in the barn.
• Mrs. Skinner: “Oh Laa-wd, please don’t let me be eaten by the raaa-hhts!” – A memorable exclamation of fear from Mrs. Skinner during the intense siege by the giant rats.
• Character in House: “None of them come close to being eaten by a rat!” – A character expresses the extreme horror of their situation while trapped and surrounded by giant rats.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $500,000
• Domestic Gross: $6.5 million
• Worldwide Gross: $6.5 million

💥 The Food of the Gods Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I finally watched ‘The Food of the Gods,’ and wow. You know how sometimes a movie is so technically flawed it loops back around to being awesome? That’s this movie. I mean, there’s a giant chicken fight! And the wasps look like paper cutouts! But then the rats show up, and while the scale is all over the place (sometimes they’re huge puppets, sometimes they’re regular rats near tiny models), the sheer number of them attacking is surprisingly effective and gory for a 70s movie. Watching the characters try to survive felt genuinely desperate, even if their plans (like electrifying a fence or using a wooden plank dam) were hilariously bad. It’s pure drive-in madness, and I had a blast laughing *with* it, not just *at* it. Definitely adding this to my list of ‘so bad it’s good’ favorites.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of classic B-movies and creature features”
  • “Viewers who appreciate campy or ‘so bad it’s good’ films”
  • “Aficionados of 1970s horror and sci-fi”
  • “Bert I. Gordon enthusiasts”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Graphic creature violence and gore”
  • “Concerns regarding potential animal cruelty during production”
  • “Jump scares”
  • “Body horror (giant worms/maggots)”

Professional Reviews

• CultFilm Monthly: “”The Food of the Gods” is a prime example of 70s creature feature schlock, leaning heavily on Bert I. Gordon’s signature ‘big things attack people’ formula. While the giant rat sequences offer moments of genuine B-movie tension and surprisingly graphic gore for the era, the overall effect is hampered by inconsistent special effects. The infamous giant chicken and static wasp shots are more likely to induce laughter than fear. An acquired taste for devotees of drive-in fare.
• Midnight Grindhouse Gazette: “Bert I. Gordon takes on H.G. Wells with predictably cheesy results. This isn’t high art, folks, it’s giant animals munching on hapless humans on a remote island! The plot is thin, the dialogue is… memorable (for all the wrong reasons), but when the rats swarm, the film finds its footing as a chaotic siege flick. It’s undeniably silly, yet holds a certain low-budget charm that keeps you watching, often with a smirk. Come for the giant chicken, stay for the rat carnage.

Audience Reactions

The ridiculously bad special effects, especially the giant chicken, were a source of major entertainment.: Many viewers found the film’s low budget and cheesy effects charming and unintentionally hilarious, leading to a ‘so bad it’s good’ experience.

The giant rat attack sequences, despite inconsistent effects, were often cited as genuinely tense and memorable.: The film delivered on its promise of giant creature chaos, particularly during the house siege scenes with the rats, providing classic B-movie thrills.

Overall Consensus: A quintessential ‘so bad it’s good’ B-movie from the 1970s, enjoyed by cult film fans for its laughable special effects, over-the-top premise, and chaotic giant animal attacks, particularly the memorable (and often unintentionally funny) rat sequences.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Oversized reproductions of worms, chickens, wasps, and rats, as well as mechanized rat heads and human-motivated rat costumes, were used for the giant creature effects.”
• “Director Bert I. Gordon reportedly wrote the script on the fly due to an unexpected snowstorm preventing the original filming plan.”
• “Filming took place on location at Cowan’s Point, Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada.”
• “The film is controversial for its depiction and alleged use and killing of real rats during certain scenes, including drowning and shooting them.”
• “Legendary actress and director Ida Lupino appeared in the film, marking one of her final screen roles.”

🖥️ How to Watch The Food of the Gods?

Dive into the classic creature feature, The Food of the Gods. This cult film is available for rent or purchase on various digital platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV, and others. Check your preferred service for current availability and pricing options.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed The Food of the Gods, you might like these similar films:

• Empire of the Ants (1977): Another giant creature feature directed by Bert I. Gordon and loosely based on an H.G. Wells story, focusing on giant ants.
• Night of the Lepus (1972): A notorious giant animal horror film from the same era, featuring giant killer rabbits, sharing a similar blend of absurdity and creature feature tropes.
• The Stuff (1985): Features a mysterious substance that causes dangerous, unusual effects, leading to cult classic status, much like ‘Food of the Gods’.
• Squirm (1976): An eco-horror film released the same year, where nature turns against humans in the form of aggressive, often gross, creatures (killer worms).
• Phase IV (1974): A more cerebral take on nature turning against humanity, focusing on intelligent, organized ants rather than simple giantism.

🛒 The Food of the Gods Related Products

• The Food of the Gods / Frogs Double Feature Blu-ray: Own this classic Bert I. Gordon creature feature alongside another 70s nature-strikes-back flick, ‘Frogs’, in high definition. Perfect for fans of vintage eco-horror.
• Retro Sci-Fi & Horror Movie Posters Art Book: A collection of iconic movie posters from the 50s-80s, featuring classic artwork from films like ‘The Food of the Gods’ and other giant monster/sci-fi flicks.
• Giant Rat Plush Toy: A surprisingly cuddly plush toy inspired by the film’s main antagonists. Measures approximately 12 inches.
• Classic Drive-In Horror Film Collection (Digital): A digital bundle featuring several cult classic drive-in horror movies known for their low budgets, creature effects, and campy appeal, similar to ‘The Food of the Gods’.

🎧 Soundtrack

The Food of the Gods features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Main Title” – performed by Undetermined
• “The Giant Chicken Attack” – performed by Undetermined
• “Siege of the Rats” – performed by Undetermined

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Brandon’s Cult Movie Reviews: THE FOOD OF THE GODS

Ever wonder what happens when giant chickens attack? Dive into this hilarious cult movie review that breaks down all the bizarre glory of ‘The Food of the Gods’ – it’s a wild ride, trust me!

Food of the Gods – Good Bad Flicks

Thinking about watching ‘The Food of the Gods’? Check out this ‘Good Bad Flicks’ breakdown first – they always have fun finding the best (and worst) parts of movies like this!

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