Draft:Christopher R. Mihm


Christopher R. Mihm (born April 25, 1976) is an independent film producer and director based in Minneapolis, MN. He specializes in retro-style movies that pay homage to the “B-Movies” of the American Drive-In Era. These movies exist in a common universe, collectively known as The Mihmiverse, where characters (or their relatives or descendants) appear in multiple stories, and which span the genres of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy.

Career

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Mihm completed a degree in audio engineering, but went on to become a video editor at a community-access television station.[1] Inspired by the his father's passion for low budget,1950s science-fiction, Mihm’s produced The Monster of Phantom Lake, in 2006.[1][2] Described as "a B-movie valentine" it premiered that year at the historic Highway 18 Drive-in theater in Jefferson, Wisconsin.[3]

The film had been intended as a one-off but, encouraged by a cult following, Mihm began producing a series of interconnected movies, as a homage to Eisenhower-era, drive-in films.[4][2] Shot in black and white, his filmed characters resemble archetypal 1950s suburban figures, such as June and Ward Cleaver.[2] Over time, the films have moved from creature-based horror, such as The Giant Spider in 2013; to more complex ideas, like the parallel universe in Demon with the Atomic Brain in 2018.[5] Mihm's films often screened in historic theaters, such as Farr Best Theater in Mansfield, Texas and the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.[6][7]

His filmmaking company, All For George Productions, is itself a tribute to his father, who died in 2000.[1] While other fathers surrounded their children with sport, Mihm says, "He would tell me cool stories of seeing movies at the local drive-in."[1]

Personal Life

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Mihm lives in Minneapolis, MN, with his wife, Stephanie Mihm, and his children (all of whom have appeared in multiple Mihmiverse features).[1]

Filmography

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  • The Monster of Phantom Lake (2006)
  • It Came From Another World (2007)
  • Cave Women on Mars (2008)
  • Terror From Beneath The Earth (2009)
  • Destination: Outer Space (2010)
  • Attack of the Moon Zombies (2011)
  • House of Ghosts (2012)
  • The Giant Spider (2013)
  • The Late Night Double Feature (2014)
  • Danny Johnson Saves the World (2015)
  • Weresquito: Nazi Hunter (2016)
  • The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical (2017)
  • Demon with the Atomic Brain (2017)
  • Guns of the Apocalypse (2018)
  • Queen of Snakes (2019)
  • The Unseen Invasion (2020)
  • The Beast Walks Among Us (2021)
  • The Mihmiverse Holiday Special (2021)
  • The Day The Earth Abruptly Almost Ended (2022)
  • Annihilate All Humans (2023)
  • The Wad (2024)
  • Three Bad Girls Who Find A Gun and Become Vampires (2025)

The Extended Mihmiverse

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In addition to the growing list of cinematic entries, the Mihmiverse has expanded into other media as well:

Canoe Cops Vs. The Mummy (2016) by Stephen D.Sullivan and Christopher R. Mihm.  In this novel, fan-favorite characters the Canoe Cops face off against an Egyptian mummy which rises from the depths to wreak havoc upon the sleepy Wisconsin town of Phantom Lake. [8]

That Which Lurks In the Dark (2023) by Greg Mitchell and Christopher R Mihm. The Phantom Lake Lonely Hearts Club is holding its annual New Year’s Eve celebration when the night's festivities are interrupted by cosmic horror in a Lovecraftian vein. This novel is based on Chris Mihm’s unproduced screenplay of the same name, which was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. [9] [10]

Atomic Tales - Strange Invaders. Written by Stephen D. Sullivan and produced by Chris Mihm, this monthly audio podcast homages old-time radio adventures in the same manner that the films homage drive-in cinema. Each approximately ten-minute episode tells another adventure of the Science Bureau (and the World Science Authority) as they protect the public from other-worldly menaces. [11]

Danny Johnson and the Lucky Coin.  Available on the Mihmiverse website, Danny Johnson and the Lucky Coin is an old-school text adventure in the Infocom style set in the Wisawa caves and starring Mihmiverse mainstay character Danny Johnson. [12]

Awards

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House of Ghosts beat out several big budget films to win the coveted Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Feature in 2012.[13]

The Giant Spider won the Forrest J. Ackerman Film Award at the Famous Monsters of Filmland Film Festival in 2013[14] and the Best Action/Horror Feature Award at the Highway 61 Film Festival, also in 2013. [15]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Mikesell, Terry (12 April 2016). "Filmmaker's homage to past brings '50s sci-fi movies to life". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  2. ^ a b c Klara, Robert (September 2018). "It Came from the Mihmiverse! The Retro-Style Creature-Features of Filmmaker Christopher R. Mihm: American Road". American Road. 16 (3): 60–67 – via EBSCO.
  3. ^ Foran, Chris. "What's playing at Milwaukee-area drive-in movie theaters (and sole indoor theater) this week". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  4. ^ Blankenship, Bill. "'Children of the Corn's' Malachai to attend Topeka's Slash & Bash". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  5. ^ Macek, Katy (2017-09-17). "New Auburn woman saves world in new 'Mihmiverse' film". Leader-Telegram. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  6. ^ "Farr Best announces schedule". www.mansfieldrecord.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  7. ^ Longsdorf, Amy (2018-07-11). "Blobfest returns to the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville to celebrate the 1958 sci-fi movie". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  8. ^ "Canoe Cops vs. the Mummy". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  9. ^ "That Which Lurks In The Dark". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  10. ^ "The online home of the films of CHRISTOPHER R. MIHM". sainteuphoria.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  11. ^ "Atomic Tales – Stephen D. Sullivan". stephendsullivan.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  12. ^ ""Danny Johnson and the Lucky Coin"". sainteuphoria.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  13. ^ "Rondo XI (2012)". Rondo Hatton Awards. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  14. ^ MooCow, The (2020-06-04). "Episode 54: The Giant Spider (2013)". The Indie Film Cafe Movie Reviews!. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  15. ^ "October 2013 – Highway 61 Film Festival". 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2024-06-12.