Jason: A Mihm movie that gets it right. How? Terror clocks in at a breezy 66 minutes, the perfect length for a 1950s cheapy. These movies were talky and slow moving, and Mihm captures the vibe perfectly. Actually, there isn't one wrong note here other than I know this was made in the modern era of cinema. Otherwise the acting is appropriately bad, the sets equally so, and the monster, well, the monster makes 1950s Godzilla look like the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. I enjoyed this, but it's still a Bad. You know, the whole adjust-for-inflation thing. A worthy watch, and would be a Good if viewed in 1950 something, but a Bad by today's standards, even if that's the point.
Shawn: ATTACK OF THE GIANT BAT THING! First let me say that I loved LOVED the making of the bat thing in the special features chunk of the DVD. Missed Shannon though. She's only in it for four minutes. Not even. BOOO. She is the greatest retro actress eva. As for Mihm movies, we’ve endured this style of movie four times this season. These style of movies should only happen once a year. That said, because Mihm is our hommie, it was easy to keep an open mind. And remember, this is made in the dude's basement. My 1950’s review would be a Good, but time adjusted, I have to give it a Bad.
Jason: Like all Mihmverse movies you either groove on this kind of thing or your don't. If you do, you'll love The Monster of Phantom Lake. If not, this could be a chore to watch. I'm somewhere in the middle. I found this well made and it does a decent job of capturing the vibe of the 1950s drive-in movies. The music is bang on, the acting fits the era, and the style of filmmaking is anchored firmly in the genre of that time. As with many of Mihm's films, this one is too long. 1950s B-movies ran just over 70 minutes. This is more than 90. Had 20 or so minutes been trimmed out of The Monster of Phantom Lake, it would have really cooked. As it is, too slow! This rates a Bad. Worth the watch for fans, but a Bad.
Shawn: Man, can this guy capture the feel of these movies. Thanks for letting us into your universe, brother! He's got the 50’s ideologies, actors, music -- all of it -- down. Great stuff. And his monster ruled! For a $9 monster it was the best money could buy. As said in the previous review, we really have to time adjust our entertainment value. Currently we have spaceship fights, warp speed and giant robots that turn into cool cars. In colour. Brother, these are great for the style, but they get a Bad in The Basement.
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