Terror from Beneath the Earth is the fourth film by Christopher R. Mihm and the fourth film in the Mihmiverse Shared Universe. It is notable for introducing the recurring characters of Dr. Vincent Edwards, Rosemary Bennett (later Rosemary Johnson), Deputy Hayes and Danny Johnson.
Local children Danny and Alice Johnson disappear in the local Wisawa cave system, shortly after the caves are determined to be hopelessly irradiated thanks to underground nuclear bomb testing. Thankfully, Alice's schoolbooks are discovered by visiting British scientist Dr. Vincent Edwards and his assistant/niece Rosemary Bennett while they are spelunking. The two report their findings to Sheriff Elliot, as he is taking a statement from Stan Johnson regarding his missing kids.
The four go off to explore the caves together, but Rosemary is quickly overwhelmed by a bat swarm and abducted by a giant bat creature with a paralyzing touch. Stan runs off to rescue his children and Rosemary, as Dr. Edwards and Sheriff Elliot return to The Sheriff's Office so Dr. Edwards can call a colleague and get the sonic device he thinks might stop The Creature.
This film provides examples of:
- Bat Out of Hell: The Creature in the caves that abducts the children is a mutant bat.
- Creator Cameo: Christopher R. Mihm voices the radio announcer who mentions the atomic testing that left the local cave system completely irradiated.
- Credits Gag: No bats or rather large and oddly bat-like yet humanoid creatures were harmed in the making of this film.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The title says it all — something scary comes from underground.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Stan Johnson. Granting he's justifiably worried about his kids, he still seems to have an incredibly short fuse.
- Homage: To The '50s Nuclear Mutant Science Fiction
- Honor Before Reason: Dr. Edwards refuses to use the sonic device to kill The Creature, as he has moral objections to killing what is, as far as he knows, an animal just trying to survive, even if it was trying to eat women and children.
- Miss Exposition: Alice Johnson in the opening scene.Alice Johnson: "As your big sister, and the closest thing you have to a mother, I order you to come out!"
- Mutant: The Bat Creature.
- The Noodle Incident: Professor Jackson apparently took Dr. Edwards' call, but was busy with "urgent business" and sent his pregnant wife to the Sheriff's Office with the gear Dr. Edwards needed to borrow to fight The Creature. We never do find out what this urgent business involved.
- Nuclear Mutant: It is suggested that The Creature — a bat-like creature - was created as a result of the underground atomic testing in the caves near Phantom Lake.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: The Stinger has a quick scene of Deputy Hayes handling a phone call from someone reporting a monster in Phantom Lake. His response? "Not again."
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping:
- Dr. Edwards is nominally British, but his accent fades in and out. This was, however, intentional.
- He also uses uniquely American phrases, such as calling torches "flashlights."
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Dr. Edwards. Though he claims to be only a geologist, he still knows enough about how radiation facilitates mutation to postulate that it might make a bat grow larger than normal and allow it to develop a paralyzing touch. He's also knowledgeable enough about bat biology and engineering to use a sonic device built by Professor Jackson as a make-shift weapon against The Creature.
- The Power of Love: Stan Johnson is able to overcome The Creature's paralyzing touch after his children and Rosemary are put in danger and The Creature seems to start actively torturing Rosemary.
- Romancing The Widow/Widower: Occurs between Stan Johnson and Rosemary Bennett. Stan lost his wife, leaving him alone to raise several kids. Rosemary is specifically revealed to be a war widow.
- Send in the Search Team: Sheriff George Elliot does this immediately after Stan Johnson reports his children as missing.
- Shout-Out: Several.
- The name George Elliot is itself a reference to Christopher R. Mihm's father and son. (George Mihm and Elliot Mihm.)
- There is a reference to Ghostbusters (1984) when Dr. Edwards first encounters the creature and starts talking into his Walkie-Talkie.Dr. Edwards: It's right here, Sheriff. It's... looking at me.
- The generic rock music which Deputy Hayes listens to while he's watching the Sheriff's office is the same music the teenagers danced to in The Monster of Phantom Lake.
- The post-credits scene shows Deputy Hayes handling a phone call from someone reporting a monster in Phantom Lake. His response? "Not again."
- The End... Or Is It?: The movie ends with "The End?" as the Bat Creature twitches a bit, suggesting it is not quite dead.
- The Stinger: There's a post-credits sequence where Deputy Hayes handles a phone call about a Monster being spotted in Phantom Lake. Again.
- The 'Verse
- Miss Saint-Marie, last seen as she was getting married to Professor Jackson in It Came from Another World!, has a cameo delivering some much-needed scientific equipment from her husband to Dr. Edwards. She confirms that she now goes by Mrs. Saint Marie-Jackson,.
- Mrs. Saint-Marie Jackson is visibly pregnant, presumably with Mike Jackson, who will appear in Cave Women on Mars and Destination: Outer Space.
- Sheriff George Elliot is the father of Lt. William Elliot - the main character of Cave Women on Mars.
- Dr. Vincent Edwards will later go onto appear in Attack of the Moon Zombies, The Giant Spider and The Late Night Double Feature.
- Dr. Vincent Edwards is played by Michael Cook, who played Canoe Cop Gustav in The Monster of Phantom Lake and It Came from Another World!.
- Danny Johnson and Rosemary Bennett will later appear in the opening of The Giant Spider.
- Danny Johnson will go on to star in Danny Johnson Saves the World.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Tough guy Stan Johnson is revealed to have a fear of bats.
