Justen Overlander – Tripping Through Gateways

A group of rich socialites is having a dinner party with a special treat. A powerful medium has been invited to put on a show, by opening a door to the great beyond. The group is confronted by the ghosts of their pasts, the dead come back to judge them for their sins.

This is the first Mihmiverse film with monsters that are not atomic/toxic waste or aliens. And it is really effective. Mihm captures those early Castle horror films (he even introduces the film recommending the audience locate their “Fear Guard” which they should have been given upon entering the theater. The black and white really helps make the most of the shadows and creating an eerie atmosphere.

As with the other films, there are ties to the Mihmiverse (the mother of the veteran from Monster of Phantom Lake is a character). One character is a director of schlocky horror films and there are several jokes that reference Mihm’s own output.

I really enjoy the film, including the twist at the end. The recurring monster is an angel of death type of demon or ghost. Its face is unchanging, but with the large bloodshot eyes and sharp teeth, the horned visage is memorable. It is visually moody but still has a wink. Again, not in mockery, but of real love for the work of William Castle.

He is all ears and teeth and he’s from hell! Alice is trying to find her young brother Danny in a local cave network. Instead, she runs into a mysterious stranger. Alice and Danny’s father Stan runs to the sheriff’s office when his children never return home. With the help of local Geologist Dr. Edwards, they try and find the children, only to discover a giant mutant bat creature.

The creature is able to paralyze its victims and is collecting our heroes to have as a meal.

As with any 50’s era horror, the monster is the result of science. In this case, atomic testing is done in the caves.

The sets for this film are very simple. It is the caverns or the police station. So, in some ways, this almost resembles a play. This is the first film in the Mihmiverse to not feature Professor Jackson (or even his son Captain Jackson), but he is represented by his wife, who brings Dr. Edwards the scientific device that will help save the day.

The music in Mihm’s films really evoke the films of the fifties. It can be overdramatic, sometimes even goofy. It almost always hits the right tone for the film, and that is true here.

The Bat Monster, as prior monsters, looks a bit slapped together with arts and crafts style. It has large unblinking eyes and teeth that look a bit like plastic. In spite of this, there are some nice shots of the creature. Specifically a full reveal as it steps from the shadows.

Terror From Beneath the Earth carries on the b-movie monster tradition fairly well. While a bit more serious than It Came From Another World, it still has its moments of fun.

Christopher R. Mihm’s debut is a tale of toxic waste and teens in danger. Professor Jackson (a professor of science!) and his assistant Stephanie have come to the woods of Wisconsin to study the local frogs. Meanwhile, a group of teens is on a camping trip to celebrate graduating from high school. Unbeknownst to any of them, a local company has its employees dumping toxic chemicals into the lake.

When the shell-shocked veteran Michael “Lobo” Kaiser falls into the toxic lake, he is mutated into a giant algae monster that begins to attack those around the lake. It falls to the Professor and Stephanie to figure out how to stop the monster.

The Monster of Phantom Lake features a monster that looks like it was made from paper mache and duct tape…and this works within the confines of the film. With large round and unblinking eyes, the mouthless creature successfully evokes a b-movie monster from the 50’s.

The teens are noticeably not teens and their dialog sounds like what adults in 50’s Hollywood thought teens sound like. The dialog, in general, is quite campy and dated, such as when the professor cheerfully notes he does not pay much attention to the talk of women.

Then there are goofy additions like the Canoe Cops Sven and Gustav. The joke is they get around in a canoe. And they have Norwegian accents. This aspect is a very Minnesota thing.

What brings it all together is a sense of sincerity. Mihm is not mocking the films of the 50’s. Instead, he is looking back fondly. This is not to say they lack humor. The laughs, including the dated language and cheap effects, are intentional. They are simply not derisive.

There is a warm-hearted charm to the Monster of Phantom Lake and it’s simplicity, looking back to a far complex time for movies.

Tag: Justen Overlander

The Haunted Palace (House of Ghosts, 2012)

Up From the Depths (Terror From Beneath the Earth, 2009)

Humanoid From the Deep (The Monster of Phantom Lake, 2006)