The Food Of The Gods: An H. G. Wells Classic Turned 70’s Eco-Horror Movie

The Food of the Gods holds a special place in my memory. It was one of the movies I saw with my parents at the Route 110 Drive-In Theater. The other movies included Live and Let Die, Day Of The Dolphin, and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

I walked faster to and from the snack bar the night The Food of the Gods played. My apprehension of the dark increased with the thought of encountering a giant rat. This was the last movie I saw at the 110 as the drive-in closed shortly thereafter.

From Classic to Cult

H. G. Wells was a visionary author whose novels The War of the Worlds (1898), The Time Machine (1895), and The Invisible Man (1897) still capture the imagination of readers. In 1905, Wells published The Food Of The Gods and How It Came to Earth. The food was Herakleophorbia IV, created in a laboratory to promote plant and animal growth. The goal was to end food shortages, but as with many good intentions, it went horribly wrong. The substance made its way into the food chain resulting in not just giant animals but giant children. Wells’ novel spanned the following decades, exploring humanity’s social, political, and ethnical responses to the new race of giant people towering over them.

Bert I. Gordon, nicknamed “Mr. B.I.G.,” was a Hollywood director, producer, and writer. His classic movies The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Beginning of the End (1958), and Earth vs. The Spider (1958), earned him a reputation as the master of low-budget, giant creature features. Gordon continued bringing oversized thrills to the big screen with his 1976 adaptation of The Food of the Gods.

Unlike Wells’ examination of societal progress in the face of rapid change, Gordon embraced the 70s theme of nature revolting against pollution and exploitation. He shot the movie on a $900,000 budget (adjusted $4.7 million in 2025), and The Food of the Gods brought in $1.3 million at the box office (adjusted $6.8 million in 2025). Critical reception of the movie was generally negative, but the Bert I. Gordan magic has made the film a cult favorite through the years.

So Much For A Relaxing Few Days

The Food of the Gods opens at football practice of an unidentified pro-team. Three friends, Morgan, Brian, and Davis, are going to a remote island to rest up before the coming game. They head off in Morgan’s Jeep, and are soon riding down a deer on horseback. Davis rides off from the group and a giant wasp kills him in the woods.

Morgan rides to a cabin for help, where battles a giant chicken. The cabin’s owner, Mrs. Skinner, tells him the chickens are the result of a gift from God. She shows him the pool where the “Food of the Gods,” springs forth. Mr. Skinner is on the mainland, meeting a company for selling the substance. Mrs. Skinner asks Morgan to look at some holes near the food storage, “Do those look like rats holes?”

Gordon is not one for in-depth exposition. We never learn where the Food of the Gods comes from or why it makes youthful consumers grow. The movie is a survival tale. Morgan and Brian destroys the wasp nest and then fortify the cabin against the rats. The battle rages back and forth, with fairly effective use of many special effect techniques. With rats tearing the place apart, Morgan slips out to the dam. Yes, this rugged island has a dam. He blows it with homemade explosives and flood waters drown the rats.

Morgan closes the movie with a narration about nature’s wrath and hopes the substance is gone. His words flow over a sequence showing labeled jars of the Food of the Gods washed away with the waters. Open jars end up floating among cattle drinking water. The cattle are pumped for milk, and the final scene is a child drinking the milk.

Creating Giants

Along with being the writer and director, Gordon served as the lead special effects supervisor with cinematographer Reginald H. Morris, who played a vital role in executing the practical effects especially the compositing shots. Morris’ later credits included Black Christmas (1974), Superman (1978), and A Christmas Story (1983). Ted Rae contributed in an uncredited role with make up and mechanical creature designs. Rae’s special effects career included Beetlejuice (1988) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991).

Gordon’s team utilized a variety of techniques to bring the movie’s giants to life:

• Oversized Props – Huge paws, heads, and bodies were created for when actors fought or interacted with the giants.

• Practical Makeup – Blood squibs exploded with a gush as giant rats tore into their prey. Severed limbs and horrific wounds reinforced the illusion of the attacks.

• Live Animals and Miniatures – Shooting a bunch of rats climbing over miniature vehicles and buildings may not be the most realistic effects, but this classic technique was a budget friendly way to get the shot.

• Rear Projection – Actors were filmed reacting to the seemingly giant animals projected on a screen behind them.

• Split-Screen – A compositing technique used to include actors and the giants next to one another in the same shot.

These techniques were employed more or less successfully, with the notable exception being the flying wasps. The poor quality of the composited shots rendered the flying wasps as vague shadowy shapes.

The Players and their Notable Appearances

Morgan – Marjoe Gortner. Earthquake (1974). Starcrash (1978). Mausoleum (1983)

Brian – Jon Cypher. General Hospital (TV 1981). Masters of the Universe (1987). Spontaneous Combustion (1989)

Davis – Chuck Courtney. Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966). The Gumball Rally (1976). Pet Semetery (1989).

Mrs. Skinner – Ida Lupino. They Drive By Night (1940). High Sierra (1941). The Devil’s Rain (1975)

Mr. Skinner – John McLiam. Cool Hand Luke (1967). Sleeper (1973). First Blood (1982)

Jack – Ralph Meeker. The Naked Spur (1953). The Paths of Glory (1957). The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Lorna – Pamela Franklin. The Innocents (1961). The Legend of Hell House (1973). Satan’s School for Girls (1973)

Rita – Belinda Balaski. Piranha (1978). The Howling (1981). Gremlins (1984)

Thomas – Tom Stovall. Silkwood (1983).

That’s A Wrap!

Bert I. Gordon’s giant creature movies did not end with The Food of the Gods. He went on to direct The Empire of the Ants in 1977, loosely adapted from a 1905 H. G. Wells short story.

I had fun revisiting this slice of the 70s. It reminded me of other eco-horror movies from the period, and which may serve future articles.

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