If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for other columns, OR if you're interested in writing one, please contact us at info@sainteuphoria.com and let us know what you think!
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Happy New Year!

Since the very first edition of the original Phantom Lake Almanac (the title of this newsletter before becoming the Mihmiverse Monthly in August 2011), the January issue has served to provide an in-depth look back at all the significant Mihmiverse-related events that happened during the previous calendar year.

In honor of such a long-held tradition, we take this opportunity to recap all the ups-and-downs of the previous turbulent year: 2020!
 
JANUARY

Aside from some unique tumultuousness in American politics, 2020 began much like any other year.

Principal photography of the Mihmiverse horror-comedy, "That Which Lurks in The Dark," finally began after being postponed over a year due to scheduling conflicts. To prove it, the following still featuring Tyler Haines (reprising his first Mihmiverse role of Agar from 2017's "Demon with the Atomic Brain"), writer/director Christopher R. Mihm and newcomer Jesse Griffith.


In addition, Mr. Mihm completed the final edit of the movie that was to replace "That Which Lurks in the Dark," "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us." A new set of Mihmiverse trading cards (The Art of the Mihmiverse) was made available... and VERY quickly sold out!
 

FEBRUARY

Early in February, the trailer for the first-to-be-made Phantom Lake Kids movie, "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us," was released. Check it out below!


Advance tickets for the film's world premiere went on sale and toward the end of the month, got close to selling out!
 

MARCH

Shortly after March began, everything went to hell—including the Mihmiverse!

As the 2019 novel coronavirus hit the United States and began to spread uncontrollably, production of both "That Which Lurks in the Dark" and "The Mihmiverse Holiday Special" was put on hold and the world premiere of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us" (originally scheduled for following month) was postponed.

In response to the madness and uncertainty in the world, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm began writing the "Mihmiverse quarantine movie," "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion."
 

APRIL

Principal photography of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" began in early April! The first still from this new movie was released and it showed stars Elliott Mihm (Danny), Caleb Frank (Billy Blue), Alice Mihm (Evelyn), and writer/director Christopher R. Mihm filming a scene while Elizabeth Kaiser (Alice Johnson) lounged in pajama pants and manned the script for the actors!


To give everyone stuck at home something fun to do, the Monsters of the Mihmiverse 500-piece puzzle showed up in the SaintEuphoria.com store!
 

MAY

Production of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" continued through May and a new still was released. (For those of you who have seen the film, you know EXACTLY which scene this image comes from!)


As the month wore on, since it was still early in the COVID-19 pandemic, hope continued to exist for the possibility that the world premiere of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us" would still be held later in the year. Also, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm was forced to cancel the 10th anniversary celebration of the fifth Mihmiverse film, "Destination: Outer Space."
 

JUNE

With no real impediments to shooting the film (since the entire cast and crew basically lived under a single roof), active production of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" wrapped up early in June and editing began in earnest!

To celebrate, a silly still of the main cast (Caleb Frank, Alice Mihm, Daniel Mihm, David Mihm, and Elliott Mihm) was released to the public.

 

JULY

Post-production of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" took place throughout July. Not much else of note occurred—at least in the Mihmiverse!
 

AUGUST

August has always been a traditionally quiet month in the Mihmiverse, and this past one was no exception.

Writer/director Christopher R. Mihm kept himself busy editing the new film and after a far-too-long break, the "The Monster of Phantom Lake" was FINALLY made available again on DVD!
 

SEPTEMBER

In September, Mr. Mihm continued to edit "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" and the Mihmiverse suffered an incalculable loss as Michael Cross, the founder and spiritual center of the "Dallas-Fort Worth Fans of the Films of Christopher R. Mihm," unexpectedly passed away.


Writer/director Christopher R. Mihm described Mr. Cross thusly: "Michael was an amazing, kind, gentle, uplifting, unbelievably generous human being who brought so many people together. If our vast connections are a spider web, he was the spider... which I say only because he would have gotten a kick out of it, particularly knowing I knew how much he hated spiders!

He encouraged everyone to never give up on their passions, and loved nothing more than connecting people, particularly when it meant broadening the reach of artists like myself. He was usually the first to contribute to every Mihmiverse production, and was constantly throwing money at me to help keep the movies coming! Because of that and his tireless promotion of my films, my cinematic career would be a shadow of what it is without him. In all honesty, it will never be possible to quantify what he did to help advance my work.

All of that aside, he was one of my best friends, a brother-in-arms, and a father figure. I will never stop missing him and the world now suffers from a distinctly empty hole that will never be adequately filled. His memory was a blessing and I loved him."
 

OCTOBER

October turned out to be a BIG month in the Mihmiverse as writer/director Christopher R. Mihm completed the final edit of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion!"

An official poster and trailer followed shortly thereafter!

 

NOVEMBER

It became possible to sign up for the 2020 Mihmiverse holiday card in November. The 2020 Mihmiverse Mystery Box went on sale and then abruptly sold out. Also, 2021 Mihmiverse Wall Calendars went on sale!

Writer/director Christopher R. Mihm personally designed these full-sized (8.5" x 11"), 12-month wall calendars which highlight "behind-the-scenes" aspects of the filmmaking process, with each month featuring rare photos taken by actors and bystanders during the production of the films of the Mihmiverse. AND, every calendar is personally signed by Mr. Mihm himself!

As of the publication date of this newsletter, we have TWO calendars left, and they're ON SALE! If you'd like to receive one of these cool collectibles, order yours NOW to make sure you get one!

2021 Mihmiverse Wall Calendar
$17.99 each (+$4.99 shipping & handling)

 

DECEMBER

The final month of a very difficult year closed with the first-ever digital world premiere of a Mihmiverse film!

A special premiere edition of "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion" arrived at the Mihmiverse Vimeo portal in a special "premiere edition" which includes over an hour of EXCLUSIVE content! This special edition is STILL available and will continue to be through January 9th! Reviews to date have been overwhelmingly positive and if you have yet to see it, we encourage you to check it out while you still can!

To enjoy the newest Mihmiverse movie, go HERE!

If you'd prefer to wait for the physical media release of the film, it is now available for pre-order!

Stuck in their house during a government-mandated worldwide quarantine, the Phantom Lake Kids (Danny Johnson, his sisters Alice and Evelyn, and their wacky friends Butch, Chip, and Billy Blue) are shocked when most of the gang inexplicably disappears in a flash of light—then reappears moments later! When Alice doesn't return, the rest must meticulously (and hilariously) unravel the mystery behind her disappearance and the invisible forces behind it! Could it be... aliens?

The disc includes a high-quality digital transfer of the film, a blooper reel, two photo galleries, interviews with the cast, feature-length commentary with writer/director Christopher R. Mihm, and much more!

Feature Run Time: 1 hour, 4 minutes. Black & White, Widescreen, NOT RATED.

IMPORTANT! This item is pre-order only. All orders will ship on or around Monster Day (March 9th, 2021)!

$9.99 (DVD) / $19.99 (Blu-Ray)
(+$4.99 shipping & handling)
format: 

Check here if the shipping address is outside of the U.S.
Check here to include writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's autograph
NOTE: Autographs require removal of a disc's protective plastic wrap.
By selecting this option, you agree to allow us to do this!

2021 has FINALLY arrived and with it, a sense of hope that the year will be overflowing with Mihmiverse goodness brought to you by artists dedicated to bringing you the best in indie-retro-monster-cinema!

One way or another, "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us" will FINALLY be released in this new year and a number of projects are slowly coming to life! As we all pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm hopes to return to being able to do live screenings, events and appearances.

Remember, the future is unwritten and if there's one thing we've all learned the hard way in the last year, you cannot take ANYTHING for granted! So, on that note, we wish you a happy, healthy, and safe new year!  
STREAM THE MIHMIVERSE
If you're like most people these days, you tend to digitally stream your favorite TV shows and movies, particularly because it's way more convenient and you have access to them in more places. Did you know that there are now several places to stream the entire Mihmiverse catalog?

From the movie that started it all, "The Monster of Phantom Lake," to its musical offshoot, "The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!," and "Queen of Snakes," everything you need to "visit" the denizens of Phantom Lake County is available for your viewing pleasure!


Most of the films of the Mihmiverse—excluding "It Came From Another World!" and "Destination: Outer Space"—are free to watch for every Amazon Prime subscriber on Amazon Video. Most modern "smart" TVs, set-top boxes, and Blu-Ray players have the ability to stream Mihmiverse movies into your homes and devices. AND, as of right now, streaming through Amazon Video is one of the few services that earns Saint Euphoria Pictures a couple bucks in the process! It's not nearly as much as purchasing physical media, but every penny helps!



Drive-in Monsters is the official Mihmiverse Roku channel and is the place to find all the films of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm AND a collection of special features curated by the man himself! It is Mr. Mihm's 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 RATING—the 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, the entire Mihmiverse collection is also available for both rental and purchase through its Vimeo VOD portal! Every film is presented using the same ultra high-quality renders used for the official Blu-Ray releases and actually feeds video content to the Drive-in Monsters Roku channel. Most importantly, the Mihmiverse Vimeo VOD portal is the ONLY PLACE to legally own the films digitally!
THE MIHMIVERSE MONTHLY AUDIOCAST
The latest episode of the Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast has arrived!

This month, host writer/director Christopher R. Mihm considers the possibilities for this new year, discusses the release of the newest film, "The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion," and talks about potential futures of the 'verse!

Also included: the return of the "The Kansas City Crypt" with Monster Movie Kid Rich Chamberlain, the third episode of "Atomic Tales," a new monthly short story from the author of "The Canoe Cops vs. The Mummy," Stephen D. Sullivan, and a 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!

MIHMIVERSE FAN FOCUS
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 Gwen Ruhoff!

Introduce yourself to the Mihmiverse!
My name is Gwen Ruhoff. I'm a mother, wife, actress, part-time caterer, and Special Education paraprofessional. I have worked in front of (acting) and behind the camera (director, producer, writer.) I very much enjoy spending time with family and friends, acting, fishing, camping, and 4-wheeling trips. I take pleasure in supporting fellow artists, friends, and their work.

When and how did you discover the films of Christopher R. Mihm?
When I was younger I never was a huge fan the horror genre. I found it too scary, too unpredictable, and unsafe. But, as I began acting more and more, I found myself appreciating the genre I once feared. Playing demons, devils, zombies, and ghosts, I relished the thought of terrifying, frightening, and possibly scaring others, which seems like it should be unusual for a mild mannered Minnesotan gal like myself.

For several years, I have attended Crypticon Minneapolis, the #1 Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy Convention in Minnesota. It was there that I was drawn to the works of local filmmaker extraordinaire, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm, becoming enchanted by the films of the "Mihmiverse." For the past couple of years, I was honored to be the film coordinator at Crypticon, scheduling the films for the weekend event. This is where my admiration for Mr. Mihm blossomed into friendship.

If you had to pick just ONE, which of the Mihmiverse films would be your favorite?
My favorite Mihmiverse film, "Guns of the Apocalypse," combines good old-fashioned Spaghetti Westerns with Sci-Fi fun, creating a film that entertains and delights where a mysterious man struggles to protect a gifted child and scientist. What's not to love?

Tell us how you, in particular, show your "Mihmiverse pride!"
I show my Mihmiverse pride by purchasing Mihmiverse products, praising the films and the man behind them on social media, bragging about how I am friends with THE Christopher R. Mihm. My Mihmiverse calendar proudly hangs above my desk. A few strategic post-its cover images of weapons (it is in a school), but the students love the Monsters. (I work with 18-21 year olds.)

Where would you like to see the Mihmiverse go in the future?
I pray there is revitalization in the future of film, that theaters will soon re-open, and that independent films are continually created to be watched and loved by many viewers, and I pray that the Mihmiverse continues! This past year has been difficult for all, and artists/filmakers are part of a group hit hard.

I am "old school." I like watching films on DVDs or Blu-Rays or, better yet, on the "big screen." The Mihmiverse films should definitely be available for streaming to capture a larger (possibly younger) audience, but also remain loyal to the fans and the age group that look back fondly at their memories of watching monster/sci-fi/B-movies in a theater! I hope to see another Mihm film on the big screen in the near future.

The future is Mihm!
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 Phantom Planet (1961)
Directed by William Marshall
Starring Dean Fredericks and Coleen Gray

In the not-too-distant future (1980 to be exact), Earth sends a manned rocket ship to investigate the disappearance of a previous expedition. As the rocket gets close to its destination, it gets caught in a meteor shower that damages the ship. During an extravehicular excursion to fix it, the two-man crew again is met with "meteoric resistance," this time resulting in the main character nearly being killed when his air-hose is ripped. The co-pilot saves his life but meets a very sad (and amazingly well-done) end. You'd think I'm giving everything away, but all this excitement happens in the very first reel. Needless to say, the main character survives, and his rocket ship lands on a previously unknown asteroid—inhabited by a race of six-inch people! When the astronaut breathes the atmosphere of this "phantom planet," he too is shrunk to action-figure size. What follows is a great classic sci-fi adventure yarn complete with beautiful women, duels to the death, and hokey alien monsters. Overall, this film surprised me, mostly because it was so good! The special effects are effective (which sounds like a bad pun) and the look and feel of the whole film was definitely era-appropriately cool. Also, if you're a big original-series "Star Trek" fan, you'll notice that a whole host of episode plots were stolen almost directly from this film! Highly recommended for fans of classic science fiction!
— Christopher R. Mihm
THE TRIVIA CORNER
Creepy Quotes!

A lot of creepy things have been said in a lot of creepy movies over the years, so to start the New Year, we're going to see if you've been listening as well as watching! If you can match the famous quotes with the iconic films from whence they came, you will win my undying admiration. And you can quote me on that!

1. "Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking! Keep watching the skies!"
2. "Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make."
3. "It was beauty killed the beast."
4. "Help me. Help me."
5. "They're here already! You're next! You're next!"
6. "We all go a little mad sometimes."

A. "Dracula" (1931)
B. "King Kong" (1933)
C. "The Thing From Another World" (1951)
D. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956)
E. "The Fly" (1958)
F. "Psycho" (1960)
Scroll to the bottom of the Mihmiverse Monthly for the answers.
— Mike Cook
DID YOU KNOW?
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-C, 2-A, 3-B, 4-E, 5-D, 6-F

Copyright © and All Rights Reserved
Saint Euphoria LLC 2021

If you no longer wish to receive the Mihmiverse Monthly, send a blank email with the subject "unsubscribe newsletter" to info@sainteuphoria.com