MONSTERS OF THE MIHMIVERSE TRADING CARDS ARE BACK!
By popular demand, full sets of
Monsters of the Mihmiverse trading cards are once again available! This series of cool collectibles consists of 25 cards (24 monster cards, one cover/checklist) and were personally designed by writer/director Christopher R. Mihm.
AND, every full set includes one card hand-signed by actor Michael Kaiser, the man inside the creature suits of most of the iconic monsters of the Mihmiverse!
Mimicking classic trading cards like the "
Mars Attacks" series from Topps, you'll find an image of a different Mihmiverse monster on the front of each card with a paragraph of unique information about that creature on the back.
IMPORTANT! This run of
Monsters of the Mihmiverse trading cards was limited to
ONLY 25 full sets—and only
THREE remain! If you missed out on these amazing collectibles last time, we highly recommend purchasing your set
NOW!
In addition, certain ultra-rare cards have already popped up at events, including two ultra-rare cards celebrating "
Guns of the Apocalypse" and "
Queen of Snakes" which were
ONLY available at the recent "
Queen of Snakes" world premiere!
AND, another card recently appeared at the "
Terror from Beneath the Earth" 10th anniversary event!
The latest episode of the
Mihmiverse Monthly Audiocast has arrived!
This month, host writer/director Christopher R. Mihm talks about ideas for the next half-dozen Mihmiverse films, catches the audience up on the status of "
The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us," and discusses why
YOU should stream his films on Amazon!
Also included: "
The Kansas City Crypt" with
Monster Movie Kid Rich Chamberlain, a little recap of the "month that was" at
Monster Kid Radio, 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
iTunes!
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 Clint Gibson (pictured with "
Danny Johnson Saves the World" star Elliott Mihm and Mr. Uncle John's Burger Dog)!
Introduce yourself to the Mihmiverse!
Hello Mihmiverse, My name is Clint Gibson, and I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time to be this month's Mihmiverse Monthly fan focus. I live in rural Hamler, Ohio about an hour from Toledo, with my lovely wife Cora, and our 3 kids Odin, Orion, and Ola. At least I think they're still our kids. Or the Nanobots have taken them over, making it impossible for them not to be on an electronic device.
When and how did you discover the films of Christopher R. Mihm?
I first met writer/director Christopher R. Mihm as a salesman behind a vendor's table at Horrorhound Weekend 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He pitched his vision and films to me. I picked up several DVDs and was excited to watch them. Being a fan of old sci-fi and creature-feature movies, they seemed right up my alley. They didn't disappoint and I was instantly hooked. It came full circle for me a few months later. The Mihmiverse was in my own backyard at the
Field of Dreams Drive-in in Liberty Center, Ohio with the "
The Giant Spider" playing. I got to meet them all over again, and gained a new appreciation of being a fan. I got more DVDs, took pictures, and a "
The Monster of Phantom Lake" poster signed. All the fun things fans do!
Choosing one Mihmiverse film as a favorite is a tough task. Usually, I would say "
Terror from Beneath the Earth" because I really enjoy it. Thinking more about it, I'm going to say "
The Giant Spider." It resonates with me more than just the film itself. It's the memories I have with the experience, with my wife being introduced to the drive-in with it—and what a film to be our first drive-in picture!
The way I show my Mihmiverse pride is by introducing more people to the films of Christopher R. Mihm! Talking to fellow co-workers, family, and friends about the films and then either watching the films with them or loaning them my DVDs. Speaking of which, I need to re-buy a few! I hope I'm helping support the Mihmiverse one person at a time!
Where would you like to see the Mihmiverse go in the future?
I would like the Mihmiverse to come back to Horrorhound Weekend and be a part of the film fest. It would be another highlight of a great weekend for me and others. Another drive-in tour would be amazing as well!
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 Horror of Party Beach (1964)
Directed by
Del TenneyStarring
John Scott and
Alice Lyon
A garbage scow dumps a 55-gallon drum of radioactive waste into the Atlantic and, upon hitting the ocean floor, it starts to leak onto a human skull. The noxious liquid fuses with the remains and inexplicably reanimates it into a googly-eyed monster with fins and a mouth full of hot-dog-esque "appendages." The creature emerges from the water and attacks and kills a woman who just moments before had dumped her boyfriend (to "live a little") and took part in a swingin' beach dance party featuring live music from the groovin' rock group
The Del-Aires. The woman's not-really-grieving ex immediately takes up with another girl and helps a scientist try to uncover the rampaging beast's weaknesses. Fear and paranoia spread as the monster multiplies and gruesome deaths pile up! Can the unlikable lead and his new girlfriend find a way to stop the creature before it's too late? Does it even matter? This film is so bad and ineptly made that it borders on genius or madness—but most likely it's a combination of both! This movie honestly has to be seen to be believed! Whatever you think it might be, it's far, far worse in the
BEST way possible! For as "terrible" as it is, it's eminently entertaining in a way few so-bad-they're-good films are. Highly recommended for true connoisseurs of B-movie cheese!
— Christopher R. Mihm
Ankers Away!
In the 1940s, Evelyn Ankers was Universal Pictures' "Scream Queen," appearing in 10 horror films for the studio from 1941 through 1945. Interestingly, in 5 of those 10 films, she co-starred with the legendary Lon Chaney Jr.! In a slight twist of my usual trivia format, below is a list of all 10 films, with plot lines and
OTHER co-stars. Your mission is to name the films that also starred Chaney.
Extra Credit: Evelyn also co-starred in 5 of these 10 films with Milburn Stone, who went on to play Doc Adams on 605 episodes of TV's "
Gunsmoke." If you can name those films without looking them up, you are a true trivia expert! (I've named them below as well, and they are not necessarily the same films that Chaney appeared in.)
1. "Hold That Ghost!" (1941) After inheriting a fortune from a gangster, two dim-witted service station attendants find themselves stranded in a haunted house. Ankers plays Norma. Other co-stars included Abbott and Costello.
2. "The Wolfman" (1941) A man is attacked by a creature of folklore and is infected with a horrific disease. Ankers plays Gwen. Other co-stars included Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi.
3. "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942). Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein thinks it's a good idea to replace the monster's criminal brain with a normal one. Ankers plays Elsa. Other co-stars included Bela Lugosi and Ralph Bellamy.
4. "Captive Wild Woman" (1943) Ankers plays Beth in a story about an insane scientist trying to change a gorilla into a human. Other co-stars included John Carradine and Aquanetta.
5. "The Mad Ghoul" (1943) A chemistry professor uses ancient Mayan gas on a medical student, turning him into a murdering ghoul. Ankers plays Isabel. Other co-stars included David Bruce and Robert Armstrong.
6. "Son of Dracula" (1943) Dracula appears in the deep swamps of the southern US to face off against a doctor, professor, a jilted fiance and the woman he loves. Ankers plays Claire Caldwell. Other co-stars included Louise Allbritton and Robert Paige.
7. "Jungle Woman" (1944) Ankers is Beth, the female lead (but NOT the Jungle Woman) in this story about "Paula the Ape Woman" wreaking havoc in a sanitarium. Other co-stars included J. Carroll Naish and Lois Collier.
8. "Weird Woman" (1944) While on a trip to the South Seas, a professor falls in love and marries an exotic native woman who may or may not be a supernatural being. Ankers plays Ilona. Other co-stars included Anne Gwynne and Ralph Morgan.
9. "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1945) A scientist unwittingly helps a a criminal become invisible, allowing him to exact revenge on his former friends. Ankers plays Julie. Other co-stars included John Carradine and Gale Sondergaard.
10. "
The Frozen Ghost" (1945) A former stage mentalist and a plastic surgeon are involved in some strange happenings at an eerie wax museum. Ankers plays Maura, the mentalist's former assistant. Other co-stars included Elena Verdugo.
Scroll to the bottom of the Mihmiverse Monthly for the answers.
— Mike Cook
Long Live the Queen of Snakes!
Welcome back to the bottom of the page! As you may know, each month I talk about the films of the '50s and '60s that are the inspiration for the Mihmiverse, and then talk about one of writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's films. This month I cover the newest addition to the Mihmiverse, "
Queen of Snakes." Amulets, curses, spells, and creatures await us!
 | | "Queen of Snakes" (2019) |
|
The first film I want to discuss is 1942's "
Cat People." Directed by Jacques Tourneur, it tells the tale of a fashion designer who fears that she is cursed to turn into a panther when she is aroused or angered. This does not bode well for her fiancé. A black and white thriller in the film noir style, the film is very stylized and effective. The film was remade in 1982 with Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm McDowell. Both versions are worth a watch and available on home video.
We move on to one of my favorites: 1957's "
Night of the Demon." This film is also directed by Jacques Tourneur and uses the same film noir style. An American psychologist travels to England for a convention but ends up entangled in a plot involving a parchment with runic writing that will cause the death of whomever it is passed to. The film can be hard to find these days, but in 2010 the UK magazine
Time Out ranked it in the top 100 British horror films ever made. It you are a fan of "
The Rocky Horror Picture Show," this is the film they are talking about when they sing "Dana Andrews said prunes gave him the runes. And passing them used lots of skills."
1955 gave us "
Cult of the Cobra." A beautiful woman who has the power to transform herself into a cobra hunts down six American G.I.s who trespassed on a Hindu ceremony. Directed by Francis D. Lyon, who was mostly a TV director, it has some fine moments and a few good special effects.
When it comes to curses, the granddaddy of them all is 1932's "
The Mummy." Directed by Karl W. Freund, who also was the cinematographer for Metropolis (1927) and Dracula (1931), this is one of the classic Universal horror movies. Horror Icon Boris Karloff plays the title character, a cursed figure brought back to life by The Scroll of Thoth. The Mummy, masquerading as a modern Egyptian named Ardath Bey, plots to kill and revive the woman he believes is the reincarnation of his former lover. No horror collection is complete without a copy of this classic.
Now we get to our main event: the Christopher R. Mihm thriller "
Queen of Snakes!" Shot at the same time as "
Guns of the Apocalypse," "
Queen of Snakes" spins the tale of a bitter woman confined to a wheelchair and her devoted daughter who feels guilt from being responsible for the accident which put her there. When the woman comes across an ancient amulet that gives her the power of the Norse goddess known as the Queen of Snakes, the results are horrifying and tragic.
This movie is nothing but over-the-top fun. It is also the first Mihmiverse film released in colorea fact kept secret until the world premiere when the crowd at the historic
Heights Theater were both shocked and delighted to see the 'verse make this bold step. With the tag line, "There Will Be Fangs!," you know you are in for a wild ride—and this film certainly delivers!
The Queen of the Mihmiverse, Stephanie Mihm, plays the title character. Stephanie is the heart behind the Mihmiverse, appearing on-screen in many of the movies and a vital part of the production staff. She does all of this while being a Special Education teacher and a mom to six kids! Steph plays against type here as the bitter Mrs. Crawford. I guarantee you will love to hate her in this film!
Co-starring in this film is Mihmiverse-favorite Rachel Grubb. We last saw Rachel in one of my personal favorite Mihmiverse films, "
Weresquito: Nazi Hunter." In "
Queen of Snakes" she plays Betty, the devoted and much-put-upon daughter of Mrs. Crawford. It is always a pleasure to see Ms. Grubb on the screen. She brings an honesty to all her performances and really knows how to play for the melodramatic style demanded by Mr. Mihm's films. An in-demand actress, Rachel is always on a new project and we are lucky she chooses to be part of the Mihmiverse.
The truly stand-out performance in this film comes from Michael Kaiser! Michael reprises the role of Deputy Hayes (as seen in several other Mihmiverse movies) and brings a new and fresh spontaneity to the role. Michael is normally hidden inside a monster suit, but this time he really shines outside the costume. I am really hoping we get to see more of Deputy Hayes, and looking forward to what Michael will bring to his next monster!
The cast is rounded out by wonderful appearances by Christi Jean Williams, Daniel R. Sjerven, and Billie Jo Konze. All Mihmiverse veterans, they turn in great performances and support the story nicely.
I can't stop until I have given proper credit to the Master-Monster-Maker himself, Mitch Gonzales! Mitch has created a memorable creature with his great makeup for the Queen of Snakes. He transforms the lovely Mrs. Mihm into a terrifying image of scales and fangs. The film is worth watching just for the monster!
Be sure and pick up a copy of Queen of Snakes (on either DVD
OR Blu-Ray!) by going
HERE. When you do, make sure to tell them Michael sent you! See you next month!
— Michael J. Cross
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.