A HORRIFIC CREATURE TERRORIZES SMALL TOWN U.S.A.!
The Phantom Lake Kids in: The Beast Walks Among Us is the sixteenth film by Christopher R. Mihm and the sixteenth film in the Mihmiverse Shared Universe.
A sequel to The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion, the film focuses on the titular kids (Danny Johnson, his sister Evelyn, and their wacky friends Butch, Chip and Billy Blue) as they investigate rumors of a local man being transformed into a monster. In typical Scooby-Doo fashion, it falls to the kids to once again save Phantom Lake County from the evil that threatens their way of life.
This film provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Evelyn Johnson, who pulls out a slingshot and shoots the Beast, as the boys are running away the first time they encounter it.
- Adults Are Useless: It's up to the kids to save the day, though they get a little more support this time than they did in The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion.
- Averted in the case of Sheriff Hayes, who takes the kids' report of seeing the Beast seriously because of Phantom Lake's history of weird goings on and the kids' track record for having dealt with weird things before.
- Also averted in the case of Dr. Edwards and Dr. Gabriel, who are willing to discuss their research into the Beast with the kids and listen to what they have to say.
- Bag of Holding: Butch's raccoon-skin cap.
- By-the-Book Cop: Sheriff Hayes, who refuses to drink on duty when offered a celebratory drink after his promotion or entertain Mayor Boland's suggestion that he put some pressure on Howard Johnson to keep him from writing stories that make the mayor look bad.
- Creator Cameo: Christopher R. Mihm plays the role of Mayor Boland.
- Credits Gag: The filmmakers take no stance on whether or not a Weresquito is a thing that exists.
- Creepy Gravedigger
: Archie the Gravedigger, whom the kids suspect is a werewolf or weresquito even before they first see the beast near the graveyard. - Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The title says it all.
- Homage: To The '50s Sci-Fi Horror and Scooby-Doo.
- It's All About Me: The other kids complain that Danny Johnson seems to act like this.
- Doubles as Lampshade Hanging given how often Danny Johnson has been at the center of things in various Mihmiverse movies.
- Kid Hero: The titular kids.
- Lampshade Hanging: Several examples.
- The kids call attention to the fact that Sven the Canoe Cop looks different. This is due to his being played by a new actor, but he says it's probably because of his new new haircut.
- The kids complain about how Danny Johnson seems to think the whole world revolves around him. Given that he has had central roles in roughly one-quarter of the Mihmiverse movies...
- Milking the Monster: It is revealed that Phantom Lake, Wisconsin is dependent on the tourism that resulted from people coming to visit their town in the wake of all the monster attacks.
- Minnesota Nice: Sven and Gustav, the Canoe Cops, have prominent "Oh Yah!" acents.
- Moving Angst: Cassie Elliot is moving to Oregon, which depresses both her and her true love, Danny Johnson.
- Noodle Incident: Literally. Red from Danny Johnson Saves the World is said to have been sent to military school following "the spaghetti incident."
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: Archie the Gravedigger, who is big and scary looking and spends too much time with dead people, but is a good guy who visits his mother on her birthday.
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Dr. Edwards and Dr. Gabriel.
- Publicity Stunt: The Beast turns out to be part of a "Scooby-Doo" Hoax to boost tourism by giving Phantom Lake a new monster scare to attract tourists.
- Quirky Town: Phantom Lake, Wisconsin.
- Running Gag: Various people wonder whether or not a Weresquito is a thing that exists.
- Scooby-Dooby Doors: A rare outdoors example, with the kids running in and out of the same static shot of a forest scene as the Beast chases them.
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: The Beast turns out to be Mayor Boland's secretary Ms. Kleiber in a monster suit. Though the culprit's identity is hidden under several masks that point the finger at Sheriff Hayes and Mayor Boland.
- Shout-Out: Several.
- Billy Blue says that his aunt in New Berlin saw a Weresquito ten years earlier.
- Several people doubt that a Weresquito is a thing that exists.
- Billy Blue asks if Danny Johnson's gang has a tough name like the Sharks or the Jets.
- One of the tombstones in the Phantom Lake graveyard reads Bad Wolf
- Sticky Fingers: Chip and Butch are shown to make a habit of stealing food. And the Canoe Cops' paddles. And anything else that isn't nailed down that might be tasty and/or funny.
- Take That!: Mayor Boland's rise to power mocks Donald Trump.
- The 'Verse
- It is said to be five years after the events of The Giant Spider.
- Several newspaper articles establish the film as taking place in August 1961.
- Danny Johnson previously appeared in Terror from Beneath the Earth, The Giant Spider, Danny Johnson Saves the World and The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion.
- Cassie Elliot previously appeared in Danny Johnson Saves the World. This movie confirms that she and Danny Johnson are romantically involved, after teasing the two having a crush on one another in the previous film.
- Evelyn Johnson previously appeared in The Giant Spider, Danny Johnson Saves the World and The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion.
- Mr. Boland, the owner of the drive-in from The Giant Spider, is revealed to have gotten into politics and become Mayor of Phantom Lake, Wisconsin.
- Butch and Chip previously appeared in Danny Johnson Saves the World and The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion.
- Billy Blue also appeared in The Phantom Lake Kids In: The Unseen Invasion.
- Reporter Howard Johnson previously appeared in The Giant Spider.
- General Castle previously appeared in House of Ghosts, The Giant Spider, and Demon with the Atomic Brain.
- Gustav and Sven, The Canoe Cops previously appeared in The Monster of Phantom Lake and It Came from Another World!.
- Deputy Hayes from Terror from Beneath the Earth, House of Ghosts, The Giant Spider and Queen of Snakes is finally promoted to Sheriff. The movie also reveals his full name, Eugene Andrew Hayes.
- Dr. Vincent Edwards previously appeared in Terror from Beneath the Earth, Attack of the Moon Zombies, The Giant Spider and The Late Night Double Feature.
- Dr. Peter Gabriel previously appeared in Attack of the Moon Zombies, The Giant Spider, The Late Night Double Feature and Demon with the Atomic Brain.
- One of the tombstones in the cemetery seems to belong to Stephanie Yates from The Monster of Phantom Lake, as the epitaph, "Sadly...she died," was apparently written by Professor Jackson. It also features an atomic symbol in place of a cross or Star of David.
- Dr. Gabriel is confirmed to be Danny Johnson's maternal grandfather, and he comments that Danny is the spitting image of him 40 years ago.
- Pastor Bob and Rob, who picketed the drive-in theater in The Giant Spider are revealed to have survived their encounter with the giant spider, although Pastor Bob is now sporting an eye-patch. The two are still annoying Mr. Boland, however, and are now picketing his town hall meetings.
- One newspaper article suggests that Cpl. John Baker survived the events of Weresquito: Nazi Hunter and is still hunting down Nazis in New Berlin, but is now using the alias Cpl. John Smith.
- Mayor Boland talks about the urban legends of lake monsters and a witch from outer space kidnapping children.
- Those Two Guys: Several examples.
- Butch and Chip.
- Gustav and Sven, the Canoe Cops.
- Dr. Edwards and Dr. Gabriel.
- Pastor Bob and Rob.
- You Meddling Kids: The Phantom Lake Kids.
