I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The Worst Film Ever

Really Surprised!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Those darned teenagers; those juvenile delinquents. So we have a town beset by some adolescents who have gotten their hands on a secret formula and have grown to be 30 feet tall. They were rebellious before but now. Those parents who used to tell them what to do are going to get theirs. There are several old Mouseketeers here but this is not a Disney movie. Tommy Kirk is the handsome one. Ronny Howard is the Genius who is responsible for all this. And, of course, there are a host of mutant animals running around. The adults are so clueless, but then why shouldn't they be. This is the living out of the kid fantasy, but these guys are so stupid, all they want to do is party. Hey, nobody is accusing anyone of Shakespeare. It's worth watching for laughs.

Bert I. Gordon directs a low budget film loosely based on H.G. Wells' novel The Food of the Gods. Beach party mentality meshes with sci-fi, as a young boy named Genius(Ron Howard)by accident creates a substance that makes animal life to grow super large. His sister Nancy(Charla Doherty)and boyfriend Mike(Tommy Kirk)see a money making situation. The substance is dubbed "Goo" and could increase future food supplies dramatically. Just think, selling the formula for say...a million dollars! Giant chickens let loose at a small dance party amazes everyone. A group of snobby delinquents led by Fred(Beau Bridges)crash the party and get the notion to steal the "Goo" for their own fun. Something changes their minds and Fred urges his friends to eat the substance themselves. They grow outrageously large and sees themselves taking over anything they desire. During all the chaos of dancing and merriment, Genius can't remember the formula to make more "Goo". For all the young guys(and older as well)the highlight of the movie is Fred's girlfriend Merrie(Joy Harmon)filling out a sweater. And when she becomes giant size...you can only imagine what you couldn't handle even if you wanted to! Music is provided by Freddy Cannon, Mike Clifford and the British sounding Beau Brummels. Also in the cast: Johnny Crawford, Tisha Sterling, Robert Random, Tim Rooney, Kevin O'Neal and Toni Basil.

BEACH PARTY MEETS COLOSSUS MAN...an uneasy mix indeed. Bert I. Gordon's lame-brained comedy has a group of really goofy teenagers ingesting a goop created by boy genius Ronny Howard, resulting in extraordinary growth. Their brains do not seem to keep pace with their bodies as they're just as idiotic large as they are "normal" sized. Tommy Kirk tries mightily to lasso the giant teens and Toni Basil (as Red) dances a lot. A very young Beau Bridges is the lead teen giant and his performance here is probably best forgotten. The special effects are on par with other Bert I. Gordon productions, which is to say they're dreadful. Johnny Crawford, the Beau Brummels and Freddy "BOOM BOOM" Cannon are in it too. Based on THE FOOD OF THE GODS by HG Wells, a source Gordon would revisit just as badly several years later with his 1975 eco- thriller version.

If you want to watch a well made movie, this isn't it. 'Village of the Giants' seems to be a B movie that was intended to attract young kids and the teen audience of the early 1960s. What you will find here is a poorly directed, low budget, movie with bad acting, cheap special effects, and a plot that goes no where. You'll see a lot of bikini clad teenagers, go go dancing to some mild, early rock and roll music played by the Beau Brummels. The camera does show a lot of cleavage shots and wiggling butts that surely was and is one of the movies main attractions. This movie was most likely considered a little racy for it's day. Quite a bit of this movie brings up the anti authority, good teen versus bad teen issue. This is all very mild by today's standards. Actually this makes it humorous in today's world and it can be mildly entertaining if not taken too seriously. It is nice to see Ron Howard as a child actor in this movie playing the part of 'Genius'. You'll also find a couple of ex Mickey Mouse Club members in the cast. 'Village of the Giants' could be considered one of those 'it's so bad it's good' movies. You have to view this as a fun, but stupid movie and by no means look at it with a critical eye. Under the harsh light of criticism,'Village of the Giants' will disintegrate into the smallest piece of dust.