MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE, THE • (St. Euphoria)
THE MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE
St. Euphoria • 2006 • 97 Minutes • B&W • NOT RATED
DIRECTOR: Christopher R. Mihm
STARRING: Josh Craig, Leigha Horton, Deanne McDonald, Lindsey Holmes
I initially was lucky enough to actually see this little-known independent gem at the theater. Which was a fun experience of course with an active audience and a chance to meet a cast member or two and have a few words with the director. However, the film is just as good at home... THE MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE is a tongue in cheek take on 1950's B-monster movies. Mihm took loving care with recreating the hokey atmosphere of such films, including dialogue referring to a foreign menace (oddly more focused on Germans than Russians), 1950's values, and some great pseudo-science.
The main focus of the film are a group of teens (including the hilarious Deanne McDonald as a frightened nerd) out camping to celebrate their high school graduation and scientist Professor Jackson (Josh Craig) and his assistant (Horton). Thankfully this cast was much more lively and endearing than the wooden actors of those old xenophobic monster flicks. The plot of course is driven by our teens and scientists coming into contact with a "the monster" which was the product of polution and a befuddled World War II vet. The costume of the monster is fantastically cheesy, and would even have made Ed Wood laugh at it's cheesiness, but that's exactly the point. The music for the film is a near perfect recreation of that wonderful old fifties sci-fi silliness which helps tie together the whole package. If you bother to click over to www.monsterofphantomlake.com, which you really should, you'll be delighted by this hilarious, nostalgic, first film from Christopher Mihm, who should certainly be an up and comer with some support behind his work. Also worth checking out is the audio commentary featuring Mihm and Craig.
HORRORS D'VORES: Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Christopher R. Mihm amd Actor Josh Craig, Widescreen-Enhanced for 16: televisions, English subtitles, Coming Attractions
Added: Monday, October 09, 2006
