Any humble down-to-earth human being would have to agree with the sentiment of a quote like, “It’ll be great to be in the country again and enjoy some of the open spaces Man hasn’t screwed up with his technology.” Additionally, the profound, “One of these days the Earth will get even with Man for messing her up with his garbage. Just let Man continue to pollute the Earth the way he is and nature will rebel. It’s gonna be one hell of a rebellion,” would ultimately resonate loudly.
Two pieces of dialogue in the open scenes of the 1976 film The Food of the Gods, you would have to think you are in for something pretty darn compelling from this point forward. Written, directed, and produced by classic B-Monster Moviemaker Bert I. Gordon, the plot of The Food of the Gods is loosely based on the legendary 1904 H. G. Wells novel The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth. Wells, considered one the fathers of Science Fiction literature, had an intuitive scene for humanity’s misgives with the earth, and it showed in his work. With countless ideas adapted into film, including 1933’s The Invisible Man and 1953’s The War of the Worlds, to many, Gordon’s The Food of the Gods is low on the totem pole. The consensus of some film critics, the truth is that The Food of the Gods might be B-rated, but it still is quite effective.
Released on June 18, 1976, through American International Pictures (a company that has released countless memorable titles including 1974’s Foxy Brown and 1979’s The Amityville Horror), The Food of the Gods would become their highest grosser during that year. A punch in the gut to critics who dubbed it pure rubbish, it was even nominated for the Best Horror Film by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films in the 1976 Saturn Award, which resulted in a series of films based on H.G. Wells work to follow. Showing you that sometimes an audience has more sense than self-proclaimed experts, The Food of the Gods has some wildly absurd special effects, and countless Horror/Sci-Fi tropes, but that is all part of the fun!
A film starring Marjoe Gortner (recognizable for his numerous roles including 1978’s Starcash), the award-winning Pamela Franklin, and Ralph Meeker (known for films like 1955’s Kiss Me Deadly and 1967’s The Dirty Dozen), the plot of The Food of the Gods follows a professional football player heading out to nature who soon discover something is terrible off at the isolated island. Crossing paths with them there is a greedy business man Jack Bensington out to co-op an indegrients that could double his production of dog food. The problem, the substance is turning ordinary creatures into massive monsters… particularly rats. Will the rats take revenge on careless humans?
Overall, you could be a cynic and say the premise is absurd, but with all the arrogant metaling of humans, is it really? Something to ponder much more deeply, on the surface The Food of the Gods is a rodent movie for the ages. Released in physical format several times through the years, some may recall 2007’s MGM Midnite Movies DVD edition, but that is long out of print. Then there are a few who may remember the Scream Factory’s first ever Blu-ray release of the film packaged with 1972’s Frogs, but this is also now out of circulation. So where does that leave those who want to grab a physical copy for their collection? Until recently potentially paid a steep resale price if it meant that much to them, but now in 2024 Kion Lorber has emerged with a new Special Edition Blu-ray edition of The Food of the Gods.
A part of the Kino Cult series, and released back on August 27th, it marks the first time domestically that you can own The Food of the Gods as a standalone physical release to Blu-ray. Rather exciting for those who are not a big fan of compilation sets, you get the film in a very solid 1080p resolution. Looking rather solid as opposed to older VHS or DVD editions, you also receive a respectable grouping of special features that were a part of Scream Factory’s 2015 edition, a nice cardboard slipcover, and reservable covers featuring two outstanding pieces of art.
So, if you enjoy a Horror Sci-Fi film that touches on some serious issues, but with a slice of cheese, it is a must you seek a copy of Kino Lorber’s release of The Food of the Gods before it also goes out of print. Worthy of any collection, Cryptic Rock gives this Special Edition Blu-ray 4 out of 5 stars.
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