Available on Blu-ray and 4K from today is cult horror comedy, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Directed by James Signorelli and originally released in 1988, the movie stars Cassandra Peterson, W. Morgan Sheppard, and Jeff Conaway, and follows the titular Elvira as she heads to Massachusetts to claim an inheritance.
In the movie, Elvira is the host of a popular television show in Los Angeles. However, after Elvira is sexually harassed by her boss, she quits her job and has plans to open an act in Las Vegas.
Problem is, for Elvira to get her show off the ground she needs $50,000 and that kind of money doesn’t come along every day. But today isn’t the same as every day, because Elvira has learnt that her Great-Aunt Morgana has passed away and she is a beneficiary in Morgana’s will.
After travelling to Fallwell, Massachusetts to attend the reading of the will, Elvira learns she is now the owner of a mansion, a poodle, and a mysterious recipe book. However, she also finds herself encountering some hostility from the conservative town council, as well as some scheming from her Great-Uncle Vincent.
In the opening line of this review I refer to Elvira: Mistress of the Dark as a cult horror comedy. ‘Cult’ is the key word here because while Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is not for everyone, it does have a loyal following and enough charm to bag it cult status.
In fact, it’s been a firm favourite for some horror fans for decades. This is because Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is daft, campy fun, which is easy to watch and goes down nicely with a few drinks (or plenty of snacks).
It’s the sort of movie that works best late at night, when you just want some farcical nonsense to round off your day. There’s nothing in this film you need to concentrate on, it’s more a case of kicking back, taking in all the one-liners, and letting the whole thing wash over you.
Fronting the film is the big-haired, and equally big-bosomed Elvira – the self-titled mistress of the dark. Played by the absolutely fabulous Cassandra Peterson, Elvira has a spring in her step and more than a twinkle in her eye.
Even when some of her gags don’t land as intended, Elvira remains a likeable figure. She’s strong, self-assured and stunning, and you can’t help but fall in love with her.
And by the same token you can’t help but fall for the movie either. Sure, it’s disposable stuff, and the plot is essentially a wishy-washy excuse for Elvira to wander around tossing out jokes, but it’s all done with tongue in cheek and this works in its favour.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark didn’t win any major awards upon release in 1988 and it’s certainly not going to start winning any now. However, there is something rather agreeable about the movie and its whimsical approach to horror and comedy.
OK, so at best it is a three-star picture, but it is an easy-going three-star picture and this counts for a lot. Sometimes all you need is a bit of light-hearted fun, and Elvira: Mistress of the Dark has this in spades.
Should you wish to grab a copy of the movie, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is available on regular edition Blu-ray (RRP £17.99) and limited edition 4K (RRP £21.99) courtesy of Arrow Films. Both editions showcase a range of special features including multiple audio commentaries, a couple of documentaries, an introduction by director James Signorelli, trailers, a reversible sleeve, storyboard comparisons, and more.
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