Village of the Giants

Director: Bert I. Gordon Bert I. Gordon

Overview

Based on the same H.G. Wells story as his later Food of the Gods, this silly but good-looking fantasy from Bert I. Gordon is among his more entertaining films. The young Ron Howard plays Genius, who develops a substance which causes animals to grow to monstrous size. After eight kids (led by Beau Bridges and Tisha Sterling) crash their car in the mud, they dance and get drunk, then steal some food containing the growth-gunk, causing them to attain huge physical size as well. It's up to the good teens of the town (including Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford from The Rifleman, and "Mickey" crooner Toni Basil) to set things right. That involves a gas-like antidote and a lot of subpar musical numbers from the likes of Freddy Cannon and the Beau Brummels. Joseph Turkel and Rance Howard are also in the cast, and a jokey ending features a number of midgets including Felix Silla, best known as Cousin Itt on TV's The Addams Family. The first in a projected 13-picture production deal with Joseph E. Levine, Gordon followed this with the William Castle-inspired Picture Mommy Dead.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/29/2015
UPC:	9332412010584
Original Release:	1965
Source:	Imports
Language:	English
Sales rank:	24,654

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tommy Kirk	Mike
Johnny Crawford	Horsey
Beau Bridges	Fred
Joy Harmon	Merrie
Ron Howard	Genius
Robert Random	Rick,Rick
Tisha Sterling	Jean
Charla Doherty	Nancy
Tim Rooney	Pete
Kevin O'Neal	Harry
Gail Gilmore	Elsa
Toni Basil	Red
Hank Jones	Chuck
Jim Begg	Fatso
Vicki London	Georgette
Joseph Turkel	Sheriff,Sheriff
Freddy Cannon	Singer
Mike Clifford	Singer
Jack Nitzsche	Composer

Technical Credits

Alan Caillou

Bert I. Gordon	Director,Producer,Special Effects,Special Effects
Alan Caillou	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Make no mistake about it, Village of the Giants is a bad movie -- but most viewers will have a lot more fun watching Giants than they will watching many much better films. By this point in his career, director/producer Bert I. Gordon had already gained a reputation for "big" pictures -- big in the sense that animals, insects or people tended to grow to monstrous size when he was at the helm. Where he got the inspired (so to speak) idea to combine this sci-fi staple with a musical teen-age beach-style movie is anybody's guess, but the result is every bit as dreadful as it sounds -- and that's all to the good. The plot makes absolutely no sense (even giving it significant latitude as an ostensible sci-fi movie), with the townspeople taking the appearance of gigantic animals and insects in stride as if it were an everyday occurrence. The dialogue is so painful that it produces groans that cascade into laughter. And despite a cast (Ronny Howard, Tommy Kirk, Beau Bridges) that has more going for it than many other films of this level, the acting is amateurish. Gordon's direction is poor, and his special effects are delightfully cheesy. Some of the musical numbers are legitimately fun; others fun despite themselves. And the rain-and-mud dance that starts things off must be seen to be believed -- but that pretty much sums up all of Giants. A bad film in all departments, but very much a hoot.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler