Bert I. Gordon, Cult Filmmaker Behind ‘The Food of the Gods’ and ‘Empire of the Ants,’ Dies at 100
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy Bert I. Gordon, an American filmmaker whose low-budget creature features brought super-sized monsters to drive-in cinemas in the mid-20th century, died Wednesday in Los Angeles after collapsing at his home in Beverly Hills.
He was 100. Gordon’s death was confirmed to the New York Times by his daughter, Patricia. In Atomic Age America, Gordon’s science-fiction B movies manifested the country’s nuclear anxieties as eye-popping apocalypse spectacles.
Mostly working under shooting schedules that could total to two weeks and change at most, Gordon produced, directed and wrote more than 25 features over a career spanning six decades, including striking titles like “Village of the Giants” (1965), “How to Succeed With Sex” (1970) and “Empire of the Ants” (1977).
His films “Necromancy” (1972)” and “The Food of the Gods” (1976) featured Orson Welles and Ida Lupino, respectively. As with many cult filmmakers, Gordon’s work was largely met with negative reviews and so-so commercial success before a deeper critical appreciation emerged in the following decades.
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