DVD Review: Terror from Beneath the Earth
Posted by Barret
Famous Monsters of Filmland

We're back with another tribute to the 1950s from the filmmaker who brought you The Monster of Phantom Lake, It Came From Another World! And Cave Women on Mars… Christopher R. Mihm!

This time around Mihm dives into the darkest nether regions of the earth where a horrifying shock sensation awaits that will bring you thrills, chills and suspense like nothing before! That's right folks, another mutant creature that is hell-bent on destroying the human race… and this one will eat you alive!

Years of underground atomic testing are never a good idea, especially in the Wisawa caves. Deep down in one of the cave systems caverns, a creature of the night has undergone a terrifying transformation and now it has a taste for flesh… human flesh!

Two small children enter the ominous caves only to be snatched away by a hairy clawed hand. Later that day, while preparing to head out on another spelunking expedition, Dr. Vincent Edwards and his colleague Rosemary Bennett happen across the children's discarded schoolbooks and rush to the Sheriff to report the lost children.

They arrive at the police station only to find small-town farmer Stan Johnson already there, freaking out about losing his kids. Putting two and two together, the good doctor teams up with the Sheriff and Mr. Johnson and they all head into the Wisawa caves to find the children. At first they fear the kids will get lost and die of starvation, but as they probe deeper into the caves they realize that a blood-thirsty bat-beast may gobble them up first! Will the team of under-prepared adults defeat the monster!? Watch to find out...

As with all of Mihm's movies, this one holds true to the time period and provides yet another campy, blast from the past horror/sci fi movie. From its very first memorable quote ("Yes I have returned old friend, I return to once again probe your deepest recesses and learn the lessons only you can teach.") to its last, Terror from Beneath the Earth delivers the stilted, not-so-witty banter that every 1950s movie boasts.

One thing that I personally like about this movie (I haven't been as blown away since It Came From Another World!) is when they mention that the Wisawa caves stretch all the way from Phantom Lake to the Deadlands. Add in the cameos of Professor Jackson in Cave Women on Mars and this implies that all of these stories take place in the same world and that Mihm is creating his own little movie universe, something that I enjoy and admire.

Winning the Best Science Fiction Feature Award at the 2009 ShockerFest International Film Festival, Terror from Beneath the Earth was written, directed and edited by Christopher R. Mihm with costumes designed by Carol Eade, Stephanie Mihm and Shannon McDonough. Starring in the film was Justen Overlander as Sheriff George Elliott, Mike Cook as Dr. Vincent Edwards, Daniel R. Sjerven as Stan Johnson and Stephanie Mihm as Rosemary Bennett. Other cast members include Elizabeth Kaiser, Elliott Mihm, Michael Kaiser, Shannon McDonough, and Christopher R. Mihm himself as the Radio Announcer.

So unless you live under a rock (or in the Wisawa caves!) you should hop on over to the movie's website for more information or to buy your own copy of Terror from Beneath the Earth.