Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) – Film Review

Director: James Signorelli
Cast: Cassandra Peterson, Phil Rubenstein, Larry Flash Jenkins
Certificate: 15
By Sarah Morgan
The idea of a ‘horror host’ probably seems rather baffling to UK viewers, but in the US, over the decades, they’ve been hugely popular.
The first, and still the most famous of them all, is Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira, who rose to fame in the 1950s. Originally an actress, she found fame by dressing in what we’d now describe as Goth-style clothing (the outfit was actually inspired by Morticia Addams’ appearance in the New Yorker comic strips), appearing regularly on TV to introduce classic horror movies.
Many, many more have followed in her footsteps. The closest we’ve had to such a thing on a regular basis have perhaps been Alex Cox and Mark Cousins during their spells as host of BBC Two’s much-missed Moviedrome, in which they introduced weird and wonderful examples of cult cinema.
“Shapeshifting”
In 1981, Nurmi was asked to help resurrect Vampira for a new generation, but left the project before it came to fruition. Cassandra Peterson was offered the chance to create her own character – who, it has to be said, owes a lot to Nurmi’s vision – eventually naming her Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Seven years later, she was so popular, Elvira landed her own movie, which Peterson co-wrote, with Sam Egan and John Paragon. Unfortunately, it turned out to be something of a dud.
The premise is promising – it sees our heroine head to a small US town to claim an inheritance from a long-lost aunt, during which she confronts local prejudice, and discovers that her aunt’s legacy includes not only a house and a shapeshifting dog, but also a book of spells that will bring her both luck and consternation.
Unfortunately, the humour feels forced, and Elvira’s Valley Girl-style language, which worked well in short bursts on TV, is simply annoying in a feature-length production.
“Reborn”
Peterson had previously been a member of the acclaimed Groundlings improvisational comedy troupe. As a result she certainly had comedic chops, and many of her colleagues have supporting roles, so the film had the potential to be so much better.
But you can’t keep a good Goth down – Elvira has been reborn several times since, on the big screen and the small, and you can bet it won’t be long before she’s back in action, perhaps in animated form, an idea Peterson has been trying to get off the ground for years.
Special features include a number of audio commentaries, but the best addition if a making-of documentary, which runs about the same length as the film itself but is far more entertaining.
- Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Introduction to the film by director James Signorelli
- 2017 audio commentary with director James Signorelli, hosted by Fangoria editor emeritus Tony Timpone
- 2017 audio commentary with Patterson Lundquist, www.elviramistressofthedark.com webmaster and judge of US TV show The Search for the Next Elvira
- Archival audio commentary with actors Cassandra Peterson and Edie McClurg and writer John Paragon
- Too Macabre – The Making of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – 2018 version of this feature-length documentary on the making of the film, including interviews with various cast and crew and archival material
- Recipe for Terror: The Creation of the Pot Monster – 2018 version of this featurette on the concept and design of the pot monster, as well as the film’s other SFX
- Original storyboards
- Extensive image galleries
- Original US theatrical and teaser trailers
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Sam Irving, Kat Ellinger and Patterson Lundquist