Elvira Mistress of the Dark (1988) Campy, Super Sarky Supernatural Laughs

Picture it, Halloween night, 1993 and 13-year-old me is too terrified to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street which my friend’s parents have rented on video (look it up, kids) for the annual Halloween party. So, suffering from major humiliation, I was thrust alone into an upstairs bedroom with the back-up video rental, Elvira Mistress of the Dark. By the end of that evening, that upstairs bedroom was full of my guffawing pals and 13-year-old me had not only saved the party, he’d saved Halloween… This dear reader, is a true story, but even as a now an ever so slightly older person, the enduring charm of Elvira remains undiminished, and it’s become a staple of my Halloween movie line up.

The film introduces us to Elvira (a buxom Cassandra Peterson), a late-night horror movie marathon presenter on a low rent US TV channel with dreams of starring in her own Las Vegas show, if only she can raise the $50,000 for a spot at the Flamingo hotel. Elvira is elated to hear of her great Aunt Morgana’s death as she has inherited her estate and so plans to sell her aunts decrepit house in the small town of Fallwell, Massachusetts to fund her show. Upon arriving in this sleepy town, Elvira finds the locals less than friendly, apart from the local teens and the hunky but gormless cinema owner Bob. Her plans to sell her aunt’s house are scuppered when she finds an ancient spell book and discovers her legacy as a witch, along with her Uncle Talbot’s evil plan to steal the book and her power. Elvira must find a way to fight the powers of darkness while dealing with the puritanical townspeople, all while pursuing her dream of becoming a bonafide headliner in her own one-woman Las Vegas show.

Elvira had already been something of a US cultural cult figure by the time she made her 1998 big screen debut. Cassandra Peterson had been playing Elvira, styled as a mix of Vampira (a 50’s horror movie presenter known for her slinky black dress) and a California Valley girl, since the early 80’s in various late at night horror movie presenting roles on US television, hence the cult following, especially amongst B-movie aficionado’s. Her popularity grew thanks not only to her skin-tight black dresses and plunging neckline, but also her sarcastic and witty takes on herself and the movies she introduced, and it peaked with this movie vehicle, with Peterson herself having a large role in the script and production.

In terms of tone, the best and only way to describe this film is camp, camp and more camp. The script is tight and pithy, the one liner’s come thick and fast, most delivered by Peterson with a knowing wink and a tongue painfully inserted in her cheek, often breaking the fourth wall to include the audience in the joke. Auxiliary characters, for this is firmly Elvira’s movie, are fully aware of the necessary tone and play the foil to Elvira enthusiastically, with special mention to Edie McClurg as local moral dictator Chastity Pariah and Susan Kellerman as Patty the bitchy bowling alley owner, both relishing their roles as adversaries to the liberal Elvira and her ‘modern’ ways. There are some genuinely hilarious set pieces, the Morality Club picnic that becomes an orgy and Elvira re-enacting the infamous Flashdance scene at the movie theatre to name a few.

Director James Signorelli is a prolific Saturday Night Live segment producer, and it shows, there’s more than a few similarities between this production and those of the SNL characters we’ve seen adapted for big screen (Wayne’s World). Detractors might suggest that, as sometimes happens when a TV character is expanded for a full-length movie, the joke can wear thin over 90 minutes. While this is a valid criticism of these types of films, Elvira is steeped in a level of 80’s nostalgia with a hint of John Waters about it that helps not only to forgive any clunky moments but also makes it eminently rewatchable. Much like Wayne’s World celebrates the 90’s, it’s a slice of vintage Americana, and it would be remiss not to mention the movies impact on primarily US gay culture. Peterson herself is a member of the LGBT community and Drag Race host RuPaul Charles cites ‘Mistress of the Dark’ as one of his favourite films, often quoting the line “How’s Your head?” and eliciting the response “Well, I haven’t had any complaints yet”. 

A flop on release, a prerequisite for eventual cult classic status, the character of Elvira endures today. There’s a 2001 prequel/sequel called Elvira’s Haunted Hills and she now presents on both Shudder and Netflix, with Peterson herself looking almost supernaturally awesome in Elvira’s now trademark low cut dress at the grand age of 73.

While those tuning in to leer at Elvira’s ample chest or those expecting any genuine horror may become bored, those seeking super sarky supernatural laughs will not be disappointed. This UHD release from Arrow will be a welcome edition for fans around the world and I’m grateful 13-year-old me was too scared to watch Freddie that Halloween night, I’ll take Elvira over him any day.

David’s Archive – Elvira Mistress of the Dark