When a local man is suspected of having been transformed into a hideous monster, it's up to a scrappy gang of local kids (Danny & Evelyn Johnson, Butch, Chip, and their friend Billy Blue) to uncover the truth and save Phantom Lake Countyand everyone in itfrom certain doom in writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's tribute to the creature-features of the 1950s, the history of the Mihmiverse, and "Scooby Doo!"
The disc contains a high quality digital transfer of the film and several exclusive special features, including a blooper reel, two photo galleries, feature-length commentary with writer/director Christopher R. Mihm, English subtitles, Esperanto audio & subtitles and much more!
Feature Run Time: 1 hour, 19 minutes. Black & White, Widescreen, NOT RATED.
IMPORTANT! This item is pre-order only. All orders will ship on or around the premiere date!
MONSTERS RULE...AND ALSO DROOL!
You can now own a copy of the newly-commissioned, official Mihmiverse promotional photo taken by Christi Jean Williams (Mrs. Davis in "
Queen of Snakes") of
Grinkie Photography!
Every 8x10 photo will personally be signed by writer/director Christopher R. Mihm! Order
NOW!
In addition to many of the films of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm available on Amazon Prime, there are now
OTHER options to stream the Mihmiverse!
First, the Mihmiverse catalog (
INCLUDING "
The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!") is now being offered for on-demand streaming and digital download at
Vimeo! Every film accessible through the Mihmiverse
Vimeo page is of the highest quality transfer available to both rent and/or own!
PLUS, every movie you purchase includes a blooper reel!
Second, the Mihmiverse now has its own Roku channel:
Drive-in Monsters!
Drive-in Monsters is the place to find all the films of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm
AND a curated collection of special features! We plan to add some really cool, exclusive content over time, so we encourage you to add the channel to your Roku lineup. To find the
Drive-in Monsters channel, simply search for it through your Roku service!
To make sure we never have to charge a premium for the channel, we are currently collecting subscribers and star ratings so we can convert the channel to "advertiser-supported" (as opposed to a subscriber-based service). The more stars and ratings we receive, the better we are able to approach higher quality advertisers. The higher the "quality" of our advertisers, the more money the channel earns. The more money the channel earns, the more Mihmiverse content we make! It's a win-win for everyone!
SO, make sure that once you've installed the channel, you
GIVE IT A STAR RATINGthe higher the better! Then, be sure to tell everyone you know to install the channel and do the same! With your help, we'll be able to continue to bring you the best Mihmiverse-related content for years to come!
Lastly and most sadly, the films of Christopher R. Mihm are slowly being removed from Amazon Prime. The company has taken an openly "hostile stance" toward independent films on its service. Films of a particularly lower-budget stripe are continuing to be pulled in an attempt by the company to "clean up" its movie selection.
Recently "
It Came From Another World!" joined "
Destination: Outer Space" in being inexplicably pulled from the service. Unfortunately, now that they've been removed, neither can be resubmitted and will
NEVER be reconsidered by the service. There continues to be no explanation beyond vague boilerplate language about "customer quality standards."
So, unfortunately, it appears the Mihmiverse's days on Amazon Prime are numbered. As such, we encourage you to enjoy them through their service while they last. Just make sure if you
START a movie,
FINISH it! We've learned that can be a factor in the removal of films because the implication is that if a movie is started but not completed, it may not be of sufficient "quality" to be on its service!
Once you've finished watching something, give it a star rating...but only if your star rating is
AT LEAST three. Anything below three stars negatively affects the film and potentially drags it toward the "removal threshold." If you feel so inclined, give it a review, but be honest! Tell the world what you think and maybe even let others know that there are
MORE Mihmiverse films available to watch on the service!
THEN, encourage everyone you know to do the same! The more streaming minutes the 'verse gets, the longer the films will remainso feel free to view (and rate!) what's left of the collection!
Thank you for your help!
THE MIHMIVERSE MONTHLY AUDIOCAST
The latest episode of the
Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast has arrived!
This month, host writer/director Christopher R. Mihm talks about the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the Mihmiverse, the status of the next Mihmiverse film, "
The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion," and waxes poetic about all the
OTHER Mihmiverse-related material he has in the works!
Also included: "
The Kansas City Crypt" with
Monster Movie Kid Rich Chamberlain, and another "joke" from Dr. Bob Tesla of
Midnight Monster Movies with Dr. Bob.
To download an .mp3 of the audiocast, click
HERE, visit
archive.org where the file is stored or download it free from
Apple Podcasts!
Otherwise, if you'd like to listen to the episode right from this browser window, click the play button on the player below!
The
Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast is hosted by writer/director Christopher R. Mihm and is focused specifically on what's going on
RIGHT NOW in the Mihmiverse. In addition, Mr. Mihm will discuss the monster movie-making process, touch briefly on the future of the 'verse, pontificate on random subjects, and be joined by guests from within and without the Mihmiverse.
PLUS, each episode will include something unique you won't find anywhere else!
Welcome to the
Mihmiverse Monthly feature where we talk to
YOU, the fans! Every month, we choose a random Mihmivite and ask them a few Mihmiverse-related questions in an attempt to get to know them better and find out what they
REALLY think about the films of Christopher R. Mihm!
This month, we interview Matthew Pavesic!
Introduce yourself to the Mihmiverse!
I am a graduate student in cell and molecular biology and an amateur artist. I spent half of my childhood in Wisconsin, not too far from Mukwonago and the real Phantom Lake. Then, my family packed up and moved to Guam, where I spent my teenage years. I now live in Baltimore, having resided in four countries, five states, and one territory. Through it all, I have probably lived too many lives. I have played in punk bands and worked in urban inclusionary housing planning. I have taught English to immigrants and been to jail. I have written plays and acted poorly in a couple. I got sober in my twenties and have been paid to be a female customer service representative online for several companies. I was a photo-editor for textbooks, an assistant to an astrologer, and a cook at summer camp. I have worked in pet stores, pizza parlors, and coffee roasters. I have researched cancer treatments and the metacognition of undergraduate science students in California, plants that look like rocks and urban bird populations in South Africa, and fish behavior in the Great Barrier Reef. I now find myself in my forties, working on a PhD studying stress, death, and yeast infections at Johns Hopkins University.
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, my father shared one of his favorite movies with me. It was "The Thing from Another World." He explained that he and his sister went to see this picture multiple times. Each time, they would sit in the front row. As the tension of the movie progressed, their fear would drive them farther back in the auditorium until they were either in the last row or had left out of terror. Even at that point in the 1980s, I was rather jaded about how scary this movie could be. Still, the hinted at, but scarcely seen menace, the varied character responses to the threat, and the science fiction premise had me hooked. It kicked off a love of old monster movies, and my father and I especially bond over movies like that one, "The Phantom from 10,000 Fathoms," and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon." This took on a life of its own away from my father, and I discovered so many more treasures, both schlocky and classic.
When and how did you discover the films of Christopher R. Mihm?
I do not remember when I
FIRST saw "
The Monster of Phantom Lake," but it would have been about 5 or 10 years ago, probably on Amazon. I enjoyed it as a one-off homage to the movies I grew up loving, but was not aware that it was just one part of a large oeuvre. Over the last couple years, as I watched other old monster movies on Amazon, their suggestion algorithm introduced me to the fact that there were many more movies made by this independent Midwestern filmmaker named Christopher R. Mihm. I added the movies to my list for future viewing.
My
REAL discovery of the films of Christopher R. Mihm came in the last few months during the coronavirus pandemic. My laboratory was shut down, and I was sent home to practice "conceptual biology." I was under a lot of stress, adapting my work to home quarantine and the uncertainty of the times. I was receiving a string of reports of friends and acquaintances who passed away. Not working my typical 10-14 hour days in the lab, I filled the extra time resurrecting my neglected
collage art and watching old monster movies for comfort. It was at this time that I started in on the Mihmiverse films. I was really drawn in by the authenticity and genuine regard for the original genre. However, there was something more. I found solace in the charm and sweetness in the movies, clearly made by a bunch of friends and family having a good time. That has been so comforting during these difficult times. It was also great to see the kinds of movies I love, but stories in which intelligent, capable women bring more to the narrative than screaming and falling down while being chased so that they can be slung over the monster's shoulder.
If you had to pick just ONE, which of the Mihmiverse films would be your favorite?
It is probably cliché to say that this is a very difficult question to answer. However, at present, I would probably say that "
Danny Johnson Saves the World" is my favorite Mihmiverse film. I have been trying to get the members of my family into the Mihmiverse, and they are rarely willing try anything even remotely associated with the horror genre. So, this particular film has been the perfect starter to hook them with. Although I am often not a fan of child actors, the young Mihms are excellently understated performers. I am really looking forward to the Phantom Lake Kids series of movies. A boy and a puppet can have actual screen chemistry, and this is a great buddy-adventure. The writing is fantastic, with excellent use of the embedded narrative tying more of the Mihmiverse together with other stories not yet told (I want to know about the dinosaurs, and I love seeing the giant spider, which was almost my choice for the favorite). And, of course, as someone raised on the anarchic variety madhouse that was "
The Muppet Show," I am pre-programmed to love the Steve People!
Tell us how you, in particular, show your "Mihmiverse pride!"
I probably am one of the least-effective fanboys available. I am not a member of social media and certainly am no influencer. While I have moved in creative circles, I rarely am the guy sending out fan-letters. During the isolation of quarantine, I found it important to share with other people that I was thinking of them and grateful for them. Motivated by that thought, I sent an email to St. Euphoria out of gratitude for the movies that have brought me so much comfort. I am attempting to send money as I can to help keep the lights on and the film rolling in my own small way.
I tell people freely that these films are part of my coping strategy when confronted with the messed-up world. Most of my friends do not share my interests, but have to listen while I talk about the films anyways. My husband thankfully likes the films as well, making my enthusiasm slightly less intolerable. I have been trying to get my brothers and their families to watch some of the Mihm films while they are on lockdown. Someday, when things return to "normal," I hope I get to attend a proper screening of the films, maybe even a premiere, in a venue better than my living room (I promise I will wear trousers).
Where would you like to see the Mihmiverse go in the future?
I am excited for the Phantom Lake Kids movies. As the kids age, it would be great to see them star in more of the teenage drive-in fare, like "Teenagers from Outer Space," "Teenage Zombies," or "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." Even a Mihm-take on "The Blob" would be great, and it would be interesting to see a non-humanoid monster on a budget.
I also wonder if it would be too over-the-top to have a "Mihmiverse spoofs Mihmiverse" special. I don't know if that would be too meta- and would hinder the gentle charm for which I love these films. James Norgard's strong Minnesotan "Dear God, NO!" can be a "Manchurian Candidate"-style codeword to activate some latent alien force that causes people to turn evil, wiggling their fingers to indicate their menace. The only cure could be the flashlight thing.
As a nostalgic viewer of the genre films, one who lived only through the very tail end of the Cold War bomb scares, I strangely like the movies in which the invading aliens talk down to humans about their potential for atomic annihilation. They were overly serious and highly preachy, and as a result, amusing and campy. Often the fine midwestern folks of Phantom Lake County seem more prone to believing in alien invaders than home-grown threats. I imagine there could be gold in discovering what these fine folks would make of an invasion of preachy, self-righteous aliens. Despite the Great Lakes setting, there has been a disturbing lack of hot dish potluck in the Mihmiverse films. (Editor's note: Writer/director Christopher R. Mihm has vowed to address the "hot dish issue" in future films and greatly appreciates it being brought to his attention.)
Want to be interviewed for a future edition of the
Mihmiverse Fan Focus? Send an email to
info@sainteuphoria.com and let us know! Maybe next month the subject will be
YOU!
CLASSIC MOVIE OF THE MONTH
The Green Slime (1968)
Directed by
Kinji Fukasaku, starring
Robert Horton,
Richard Jaeckel and
Luciana PaluzziIt is the future and a giant asteroid is heading straight for Earth! A group of daring astronauts land on the asteroid's surface, plant explosives, destroy the giant space rock and save the planet.
BUT, this part of the story is not the focus of "
The Green Slime." The film truly begins when the crew returns to the "Gamma 3" space station in orbit around Earth. One of the astronauts accidentally brings a green slime-like substance back to the station. Without warning, the gunk mutates into a humungous, cycloptic, multitentacled creature that has the ability to generate lethal amounts of electricity. Using science-fiction-ish laser weaponry, the crew of the station fights off the creature, but unfortunately, the alien monster feeds off the energy and uses it to replicate by creating new versions of itself from its own blood. Not surprisingly, the creatures quickly take over, and the crew must fight to the last man to stop the alien horde from making its way to Earth!
YES, the plot sounds like a million sci-fi clichés and, admittedly, the film is more or less filled with them. However, it has a very distinct look and feel brought about by the fact that it was produced by MGM but shot in Japan at the Toei company studios and directed by a Japanese director best known for working on samurai and yakuza films! This gives "
The Green Slime" a truly unique flair all its own. The movie is a bit on the violent side by comparison to other classic sci-fi films,
BUT, as a release from the late '60s, this isn't entirely surprising. The story is exciting, the special effects are superb (particularly the creature designs), and the story is as ludicrously entertaining as it sounds. Highly recommendedthough it may scare some of the younger audience members!
Christopher R. Mihm
This Quiz is the BOMB!
Listed below are five semi-classic science fiction B-movies about the aftermath of atomic shenanigans, and five tidbits of info about each one.
Match them up, and feel the "glow" of success!
1. (1951) "Five"
2. (1955) "The Day the World Ended"
3. (1959) "On the Beach"
4. (1959) "The World, The Flesh and The Devil"
5. (1961) "
The Day the Earth Caught Fire"
A. Only 3 people are left after a nuclear holocaust, and they're played by Mel Ferrer, Inger Stevens and Harry Belefonte. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation."
B. The only apparent survivors of a nuclear war end up in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This film was was nominated for "Best Low-Budget Film of the Year."
C. The U.S. and Russia test atomic bombs on the same day, and knock the Earth out of orbit.. Can the world be saved before it plunges into the sun? This film won an award for "Best British Screenplay."
D. Richard Denning and Mike ("Mannix") Connors lead the cast in a story about a small group of people trying to survive after the apocalypse while staying in a small, protected valley. No awards for this one!
E. After the rest of the world is destroyed, the residents of Australia realize it's just a matter of time before the radiation reaches them. The all-star cast included Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins and Fred Astaire. It was nominated for 2 Oscars and 5 Golden Globes, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Astaire.
Scroll to the bottom of the Mihmiverse Monthly for the answers.
Mike Cook
THE MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE: THE MUSICAL!
Did you know that "
The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!" is now available to be performed by schools and theatre companies nationwide?!
We offer carefully prepared materials of similar (or higher) quality than what you would receive from one of the big Broadway theatrical licensing companies. However, our independent licensing model allows us offer individualized service catered to your organization. When you decide to license a show with us, the success of your production becomes our number-one priority! Heck, the authors might even fly out to see one of your shows!
Production packages include scripts, orchestra books, and conductor/accompanist scores (condensed and full score options), all professionally printed in a beautiful and clean format. We even include rehearsal backing tracks that fully match the music printed in the libretto and on the cast recording CD! This is a great option for productions where using a live orchestra isn't possible, for "black box" style theaters, or when your group doesn't have a rehearsal accompanist regularly available.
We also include free logos for use in your advertising materials, and we can offer personalized graphic design as well as transpositions of vocal and orchestra parts on demand. Visit
monsterofphantomlake.com to hear songs from the show, learn more about the script, and request a quote, perusal script, or license agreement.

Mihmiverse DVDs & Blu-Rays are now available at
SaintEuphoria.com, the online home of the films of Christopher R. Mihm. In addition, exclusive movie posters, collectibles, and other merchandise are now in stock. Everything is available in extremely limited quantities, so get yours today before they run out!
The Trivia Corner answers: 1-B, 2-D, 3-E, 4-A, 5-C
Copyright © and All Rights Reserved
Saint Euphoria LLC 2020
If you no longer wish to receive the Mihmiverse Monthly, send a blank email with the subject "unsubscribe newsletter" to
info@sainteuphoria.com