TERROR FROM BENEATH THE EARTH (2009)

TERROR FROM BENEATH THE EARTH (2009)

Tagline: From the darkest nether regions comes a Terrifying Mutant Creature hell-bent on Destruction! 

(Sci-Fi, Suspense, Atomic Mayhem) [G]

Note – This movie did not originally have an MPAA rating, but I am pretty sure it would have been a G.

Those caves and all of their inhabitants have been exposed to high levels of atomic radiation…

In this one, we are taken to the Wisawa caves (near Phantom Lake) where Alice Johnson and her brother Danny Johnson have disappeared. Meanwhile, while exploring the caves Dr. Vincent and Rosemary Bennett find evidence of this and report it to the local authorities. Little do they know, that they will be part of one of the greatest hunts of the atomic age! Can Stan Johnson and a small band of locals survive, the TERROR FROM BENEATH THE EARTH? 

First off, this one is a departure from Christopher R. Mihm’s last film in that it’s even shorter (which I love because most of the great 50’s movies were short) and it brings us all the way back to where the “Mihmverse” started near Phantom Lake. Unlike THE MONSTER FROM PHANTOM LAKE though, this one is triggered by radioactivity and not toxic waste. 

A few things really stand out about this movie and one of them is that we get one of the craziest monster designs in the entire “Mihmverse”. I am not going to say it’s the nuttiest one in all of 50’s sci-fi or homages to 50’s sci-fi, but it’s way freakin up there. I absolutely love this bat-like creature and what’s even cooler is that they gave it a power that is just really rad. It’s not the first time we have had an adversary with a power, but it’s still awesome I think because I really didn’t expect that touch. This movie also features the acting debut of Elliot Mihm as Danny Johnson. Danny Johnson is a huge deal in the “Mihmverse”. 

Speaking of acting, this thing is pitch-perfect for a schlock 1950s-style approach. I really liked seeing Justen Overlander return to these films as Sheriff George Elliott. Overlander has 25 acting credits to date and has been in everything from the TV series “THE CHOSEN”, (the more biblically based one, not the demonic garbage new one coming out) to NCIS. We also get a big role for Stephanie Mihm who plays Rosemary Bennett. Stephanie has now appeared in 15 “Mihmverse” films and the more lines she gets the better because she kills these roles. Michael Cook is also awesome in this as Dr. Vincent. Having been in quite a few “Mihmverse” films, he also was an associate producer on DESTINATION: OUTER SPACE which at the time was a pretty ambitious undertaking in the series. The rest of the cast is fun as well.

I loved the pacing on this one, the story is simplistic and just moves right along. The pop-culture references are kept to a minimum as well. For me, that is a plus, because while I enjoy them being in these films when they overdo it, it actually distracts from how great these films are. 

For a heads up, the creature in this makes this film a bit more comedic in nature than the title would suggest and it’s also shot in black and white. Again – many of the films in the “Mihmverse” are love letters to the 1950s sci-fi era. Overall I loved this one, it’s a solid 5 out of 7 for me, but a higher 5 than IT CAME FROM ANOTHER WORLD. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ALL FOR GEORGE PRODUCTIONS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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