The Late Night Double Feature is the ninth film by Christopher R. Mihm and the ninth film in the Mihmiverse Shared Universe. The film is made up of two smaller features - X: The Fiend From Beyond Space and The Wall People.
X: The Fiend From Beyond Space is set after the events of Attack of the Moon Zombies and features Captain Herman Frehley leading a decades-long mission to Alpha Centauri (started in the year 1981) on the UESPA spaceship Endeavor. The crew emerges from cryogenic suspension 10 years too early to find themselves in orbit around a dead rogue planet in the year 2014. Finding the corpse of a seemingly dead alien on the planet's surface, the crew bring the body on-board only to discover the creature is not quite dead... and hungry!
The Wall People sees Dr. Edwards and Dr. Gabriel from The Giant Spider summoned to the home of fellow scientist Barney Collins. A recluse since the mysterious disappearance of his son eight years earlier, Collins worries his friends with his declaration that he believes an alien force abducted his son and is kidnapping children from all over the world. Their concern becomes fear, however, when they realize Collins might be right!
The Late Night Double Feature provides examples of:
- Credits Gag: Number of rolls of duct tape used in production of this film: X: The Fiend From Beyond Space - 18 black, 2 silver. The Wall People - None
X: The Fiend From Beyond Space provides examples of:
- The Ace: Captain Frehley. He doesn't ask to be called by the nickname this time, but it's pretty clear he still thinks of himself as this.
- Given that he managed to beat an alien psycho killer into submission with his bare hands, he may have earned it.
- The Alcoholic: Captain Frehley. He can't break out the booze to toast his victory fast enough.
- Aliens Are Bastards: The Fiend is revealed to be an alien criminal - a psychopath who was sentenced to death by exile on a dead planet.
- The Assimilator: The Fiend absorbs the life force and essence of other beings, making them a part of him.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At one point, Dr. Elliot says that maybe the reason people are disappearing is that the alien is eating them. Dr. Gilliam dismisses her, saying that this isn't "some cheesy drive-in movie."
- Cannibalism Superpower: The Fiend absorbs the knowledge of whoever it devours and can briefly take on their appearance.
- Cassandra Truth: Dr. Elliot keeps insisting that bringing the alien corpse on board was a bad idea because they don't know anything about how it's body works and it could feed differently than humans and be carrying who knows what diseases. She is summarily ignored by everyone who isn't a medical doctor, resulting in several deaths.
- It's a literal Cassandra Truth, as Dr. Elliot is addressed as "Cassie" - presumably short for Cassandra.
- Creator Cameo: Christopher R. Mihm provides the voice of the ship's computer.
- Cryonics Failure: The crew survive, but are woken up before they reach Alpha Centauri.
- Double Feature: Clearly.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The movie is about an unknown fiend from outer space.
- The Exile: The Fiend. After making contact with it, Dr. Gilliam finds out it was an alien criminal and a psychopathic killer, who was sentenced to death by exile.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Dr. Gilliam slaps Chief Engineer Phillips when he begins to panic over his apprentice, Cash, possibly being dead.
- Good Ol' Boy: Captain Frehley
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: The crew's usual curse is "Oh chips!"
- Human Popsicle: The crew of The Endeavor are put in cryogenic suspension (i.e. LD Sleep)
- Identity Absorption: The Fiend does this to its victims as it eats their life force. It can also briefly take on the form of the last person it devoured.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Dr. Gilliam tries to get this to happen when it's just down to her and Dr. Elliot.
- Manly Tears: Phillips after he learns that Cash, who was like a son to him, is dead.
- Ms. Exposition: Dr. Elliot.Dr. Elliot: "Do you remember what happens to people in cryogenic shock who don't get immediate medical attention?"
- Never Split the Party: Dr. Elliot insists on this but eventually relents.
- Shout-Out: Several.
- The cryogenic sleep chambers seem to have been taken from This Island Earth.
- A reference is made to the ship traveling at "ludicrous speed".
- The ship computer's voice and line about being sorry it can't do something are a nod to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The fiend's method of feeding - a suction-cup like protrusion sticking to the forehead of the victim - seems to be a nod to the Polymorph from Red Dwarf.
- Dr. Gilliam says they should split up. Dr. Elliot agrees, saying "We can do more damage that way."
- The scene of Dr. Gilliam and Dr. Elliot questioning Captain Frehley as to who he is seems to be a tribute to the similarly paranoid scenes from The Thing (1982). They also threaten to flush him out the airlock, like in Aliens
- Dr. Elliot makes a toast "to absent friends." at the end.
- Technobabble: The explanation for what a rogue planet is.
- The 'Verse
- Captain Herman Frehley previously appeared in Attack of the Moon Zombies
- Presumably Dr. Elliot is part of the same family of Elliots as Sheriff Elliot from Terror from Beneath the Earth and Lt. Elliot from Cave Women on Mars.
The Wall People provides examples of:
- Aliens Are Bastards: The Plutonian. The fact that he's kidnapped thousands of Earth's children is bad enough. The fact that he's doing it to prolong his own lifespan? Even worse.
- Creator Cameo: Christopher R. Mihm provides the voice of The Plutonian.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The movie is about people coming out of walls.
- The 'Verse
- Dr. Edwards previously appeared in Terror from Beneath the Earth, Attack of the Moon Zombies and The Giant Spider.
- Dr. Gabriel previously appeared in Attack of the Moon Zombies and The Giant Spider and will later appear in Demon with the Atomic Brain.
- Barney Collins is the father of Dr. Phillip Collins from Attack of the Moon Zombies.
- Missing Child: A child being abducted is frightening enough for any parent. That child being abducted by something most people don't believe exists and everyone thinking you are crazy when you tell them what happened? Even worse.
