(Photo courtesy of Christopher R. Mihm)
Get to know the man behind the bugs in Nerd Alert News’ interview with Christopher R. Mihm.
This Writer, Producer, and Director discovered his passion for all things horror and sci-fi from his father. At a young age, he already loved making movies. Fans know him from his films of the “Mihmiverse,” a series of award-winning, loosely interlinked feature-length films which pay homage to 1950s-era “drive-in cinema. Mihm started his career off in 2006 with the release of a retro-styled movie “The Monster of Phantom Lake” and numerous film festivals and awards followed.
Christopher R. Mihm’s “Attack of the Moon Zombies” film garnered him the most 2011 Dead Letter Awards at mailorderzombie.com. Then “House of Ghosts” beat out some big-budget films to win the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Feature in 2012. Mihm is also known for his “big bug” 50s films such as the Famous Monsters of Filmland Film Festival award-winning “The Giant Spider,” and the Best Action/Horror Feature award at the Highway 61 Film Festival. If you haven’t already, meet Christopher R. Mihm!
Colleen Bement: What are you most looking forward to at StarFest, and what are your thoughts on it being its final convention?
Christopher R. Mihm: I’ve been to StarFest a few times over the years and I have ALWAYS had a great time. I’m excited to get back to the area, see friends I’ve made along the way, and show some of my new films! I’m quite bummed to hear that this is the last year, as StarFest has ALWAYS been one of the best shows I’ve ever attended–and I’ve been to a LOT around the country!
CB: I have a soft spot in my heart for the 50s era movies and TV. What inspired you to focus on this era, and why the “drive-in” style cinema?
CHM: I grew up with the less-than-classic cinema of the late-1950s/early-1960s (which I lovingly refer to as “retro drive-in cinema”), watching a lot of those films with my late father when I was a kid. Sadly, he passed away in 2000 at the young age of 51, and, when I finally got around to making my first film, “The Monster of Phantom Lake,” in 2006, I wanted to make something that he would have loved. I had such a good time making it, I just never stopped and keep making more! It’s snowballed to the point that it’s become its own cinematic universe!
CB: My goodness, your filmography is super impressive! Do you have a project in the works that you’re allowed to tell us about?
CHM: I JUST finished my next film, “The Phantom Lake Kids in The Day the Earth Abruptly Almost Ended,” which follows a plucky gang of young teens as they fight to save the world from giant creatures. It was truly a work of love, as the main cast is made up primarily of my own children and their friends and family! I’m in the throes of getting it ready to release at the end of July. In the meantime, I’m working on figuring out which film I want to make next. I haven’t made any decisions as of right now, but I know I will soon!
CB: When did you discover your passion for all things horror and sci-fi? When did you know that you wanted to make movies?
CHM: I have ALWAYS loved sci-fi and horror movies. Again, I think it comes from my dad, who REALLY loved those genres. He was old-school, having grown up in the 1950s and ‘60s, going to his local small town theater and the drive-in to see low-budget B-movies. It was his love of those types of films that introduced me to them, and that love just rubbed off, I guess! As far as when I knew I wanted to make movies, I honestly can’t REMEMBER a time I didn’t want to try! I’ve been pretty obsessed with the movies and the movie-going experience literally since my very first memory of seeing “Star Wars” at a drive-in as a toddler!
CB: Of all of your films, do you have a personal favorite?
CHM: It’s always hard to pick favorites when it comes to my filmography. I love them all for distinctly different reasons, so if I HAVE to choose, I usually go with the experiences I’ve had either making or promoting them. My first, “The Monster of Phantom Lake,” will always have a special place in my heart, simply because without it, I wouldn’t have the 16 others! “The Giant Spider” is my most popular and the one I’ve screened the most. I always tell people it’s because it’s the only movie I’ve ever made that I don’t need to explain what it’s about! It also bears the distinction of being the film that turned out BETTER than I imagined it when I wrote it.
Usually, when you write a movie, you have these grandiose ideas of how it’ll turn out in the end. Then, when the final product is finished, you have to reconcile your vision with the reality! With “The Giant Spider,” I still can’t believe it worked as well as it did! Lastly, the “Phantom Lake Kids” trilogy of films (2020’s “The Phantom Lake Kids in The Unseen Invasion,” 2021’s “The Phantom Lake Kids in The Beast Walks Among Us,” and 2022’s “The Phantom Lake Kids in The Day the Earth Abruptly Almost Ended”) are unique to me in that I was able to work closely with my kids to create a collaborative fun pieces of art. They also compromise the first true “trilogy” of films I’ve ever done and kept us busy and distracted through the worst of the Covid pandemic! PLUS, they all turned out GREAT, which is the real “cherry on top!”
CB: Of all of your films, what was the most challenging?
CHM: Each film I’ve made has presented a different set of challenges, from building 17 different sets to make 2011’s “Attack of the Moon Zombies,” to figuring out a way to make a tarantula “act” in 2013’s “The Giant Spider,” working with kids (which is definitely its own very specific challenge!) for the “Phantom Lake Kids” films, and just making a movie when I had no idea what I was doing when I made the first one! I relish in the challenges and try my best to enjoy every moment and learn from both my failures AND successes!
Mihm will be available at StarFest May 13-15, 2022 to chat with his fans all weekend long.
Ticket information here.
Written by Colleen Bement
entertainment. A social media addict, she soaks up all life has to offer! Tea snob.
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
Props, Cosplay, Scale Models, Home Projects, and just about anything else that involves me Making.
A positive podcast about video games. Chris and Ashley go over the video games we love. Updated biweekly.
She creates wire wrapped designs inspired by your favorite fandoms such as Supernatural, Dragon Ball, Castlevania, Jujutsu Kaisen, and so much more! She’s always looking for design challenges and loves creating for that special occasion, be it a birthday, wedding, holiday, or a “just because” gift! #NotYourTypicalFanArt
A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a warm tortilla, served to you fresh using patented space-age technology. all games played on this channel are using original hardware and software whenever possible.
Chris and Lynn
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson
Join our Patreon family