Writer/director Christopher Mihm’s oeuvre consists of retro-style bug-eyed monster flicks assembled on a budget that would make any producer squirm. With Attack of the Moon Zombies, he managed to film the entire production in his basement, having reconfigured it into a believable set for a lunar moon base. His ability to do much with little is remarkable.
In the 1950’s, schlock directors like Ed Wood assembled masterpieces almost against their will. The wholesome goodness that is Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) arrived almost by accident. Ed Wood is like kintsugi pottery. A beautiful blemish.
Then, around the time of Read more...
Writer/director Christopher Mihm’s oeuvre consists of retro-style bug-eyed monster flicks assembled on a budget that would make any producer squirm. With Attack of the Moon Zombies, he managed to film the entire production in his basement, having reconfigured it into a believable set for a lunar moon base. His ability to do much with little is remarkable.
In the 1950’s, schlock directors like Ed Wood assembled masterpieces almost against their will. The wholesome goodness that is Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) arrived almost by accident. Ed Wood is like kintsugi pottery. A beautiful blemish.
Then, around the time of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978), there arrived a genre which tried to recapture the unintentional campiness of an earlier era. This retro genre tried too hard. The most recognizable entry into this family of films was the Sharknado series. Intentional cheese. Calculated camp. Deliberate histrionics. In these films is a self-mockery; an implicit acknowledgement of having been designed for ridicule. It’s a class of films that aims to qualify for MST3000 treatment.
Some of them are quite good – these Sharknado-type films that outfits like Syfy and Troma prefer to specialize in. They just lack the accidental quality that earlier films sparkled with.
Mihm has introduced and slowly begun to perfect a new genre. They’re unlike Sharknado but also dissimilar to Plan Nine. The films have a retro-feel, often utilizing black and white cinematography and orchestral soundtracks. The dialogue is corny but authentic. The pace is herky-jerky. The lighting is basic. The editing is competent.
But the films are earnest. The moon zombie make-up is reflective of the film. It’s simple. But it’s not degrading. It’s a bit funny. Also scary. The moon zombies are not jokes. They’re deadly lunar zombies with unblinking Gamera-like eyes.
The interior claustrophobia and simple hardware-store hinges, the vacuum-cleaner breathing apparatus, and the moon base uniforms are all quite impressive. Really. You might chuckle here and there. But Mihm films are not to be laughed at. They’re to be really – sincerely – enjoyed.
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5.5
