Just so...so bad

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

I will never apologize for absolutely loving the rock-solid hilarious Elvira: Mistress of the Dark feature film. I won't even label it as a "guilty pleasure;" I have no guilt in my pleasure in laughing out loud every time I watch this.Actually, it's probably been two decades since I last viewed this and though I remember watching it back then repeatedly, this viewing brought back everything. I could all-but recite every line, every joke and see everything coming two chapters ahead. And that's not a bad thing; I still laughed out loud all over again in a movie that's 25-years-old this September.(And speaking of which – where is the 25th Anniversary BluRay Special Edition for this absolute classic?)It helps that I used to watch her show, about her hosting and commenting on terribly bad and unintentionally hilarious B-movies, live – and watched it for different reasons most boys did my age. It also helps that I transitioned, following her, into Mystery Science Theater 3000. But, none of that accounts for the full-movie she helped write here. In fact, aside from the opening act (the set-up,) a few mentions of movies she likes, a brief live-edition in the midsection and the spoof of making a movie mimicking her B-movies, the movie really stands on its own.Yeah, that didn't come out right. But, what I mentioned was only part of the whole experience. And though it's not entirely based on an original idea, Cassandra Peterson's Elvira has such great wit, delivery and charisma, it makes the old setup fresh and very funny.Elvira's fired from her show (see description above) and lucks out with "perfect timing" of her Great Aunt's passing and an inheritance that might fund her Las Vegas' Flamingo show. (Which, by the way, I would die to see…)Breaking down, her car that is, in a small, obviously Red State kind of town, she must spend a few days reinventing the locales to her "big" – ha – city ways.To add in the elements of her B-movie story come to life, there's the evil Uncle who needs a witchy book of dear, ole Great Aunt to have supreme power. Will Elvira, and her new followers, be able to stop such a warlock?In truth, and as stated it's been approximately 20 years since I last saw this, I didn't know I would still roll with laughter. Also, I didn't think I'd see her as a hypocrite: constantly she flirts, flaunts her huge…attributes and then bashes whoever makes a sexual move toward her. I did think she was a hypocrite, until it made sense: She was mocking, very cleverly, indeed, women who either have big breasts, or buy them, make advances and then shuns those who take the bait. Smart girl. Cassandra, that is.Anyhoo, this movie meant a lot to me growing up. It defined a lot of my own humor and I still, to this day, use the lines in my every day routines. There are so many to mention, but the number one quote I unabashedly repeat constantly:"Hey, does anyone know what that movie was about? I'll tell yah what it was about: it was about an hour and a half too long!" - Elvira(Technically, when I don't like a movie, or just wanna make someone laugh, and they ask me: "What was that movie about anyways?" I respond: "'Bout an hour and a half too long!" Or, whatever the length was.)If you liked those small-town, road trip antic films, like To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, you'd love this. I believe it holds up strongly today and sadly, so do a lot of the ignorant behaviors initially shown here in this film.…And until next time, (un)pleasant dreams.

I was talked into watching this the other night at a party. I said "NO THANKS!" but my friend told me I'd like it. Guess what? I liked it. Elvira was so good at her delivery. I'm surprised she didn't do more films, since she was a natural on camera. This movie is not to be taken seriously obviously, but the one-liners kept stacking up. Many that I would consider using in the future.I could go into the plot, but it is a paper thin plot which is okay. The film has a kitschy fun playful mood and that's the plot as far as I'm concerned. I'd recommend this if you grew up in the 80s and have a fun sense of humor. This isn't trying to be a masterpiece. It's just fun, and having seen so many movies that attempt this kind of film I am glad to have discovered it. Congrats, Cassandra, you did well!

Well, this movie is about Elvira and her breasts more than anything else. Take the references and jokes and leers and squeezes and ogling out and 60% of the film is gone just like that. The film opens with Elvira on the set of her television show when just as she loses her job for refusing to play horsey to the new station owner, she discovers she has inherited something in Falwell, Mass.(Nice use of Jerry Falwell's name here too by the way!). Well, the town is uber "moral" and Elvira is...Elvira. Eventually she discovers she has spell powers, etc... and battles her uncle for her life and property. In between we get all kinds of silly humour such as a dog with a punk hairstyle, an orgiastic picnic with Edie McClurg(need I say more?), a rather tame and pedestrian romance with some imbecile in town, Elvira quipping one-liners like the sleazy Oscar Wilde of her time, and breasts. more breasts. More cleavage. More suggestive uses for those breasts. We get innuendo by the truckload. Naturally all this makes for a silly and stupid film, but Cassandra Peterson as Elvira is indeed more than two large fleshy orbs - she has other talents. She is funny. She can act - at least for a film like this. She has a great screen persona. Sure, the sophomoric obsession with her bazooms, her bosom, her jugs, her boobs, her mammaries, her ample bounty get a bit tiresome for me(and I assure you I am not only a big fan but a dedicated one with regard to those assets), but they are funny an not really made to be anything other than that. There is absolutely nothing erotic here. Elvira is having fun and likes people to see her - much of her - having fun. There are lots of pretty good verbal and visual gags throughout. My favourite is when a letter from a movie marquee hits Elvira in the head. Bob, the dull romantic lead, says, "How's your head?" To which Elvira says, "I've had no complaints."

Since the start of her career in the 70's and vastly throughout the exuberant 80's, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) has grown into a modest icon and genuine cult figure in the world of horror & bad monster movies. While Ms. Peterson has taken on various supporting roles in motion pictures, covering a wide variety in genres, it was her TV-character Elvira that brought her the most fame. Part of her charm – and respect from the fans – lies in the fact she never turned her back on the horror genre that made her famous (unlike many other big name actors & actresses that like to distantiate themselves from their "early" work). I've seen only bits & pieces of her TV performances, but her cameo role in Ghoultown's recent tribute song "Mistress of the Dark" really encouraged me to check out more of her stuff. One thing had been clear to me already long before this music video: Over the years, Elvira had become a force of influence herself by the time the mid-80's came around.And in 1988, after films like "Fright Night" and "TerrorVision" incorporated homages to and spoofs on her TV-work, it finally happened: "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark", the motion picture. Now, I had seen the trailer for it already back in the VHS rental days, but it took me until last week to finally see the actual film. A few years ago, I did manage to watch "Elvira's Haunted Hills" (made in 2001), but for some reason it didn't impress me all that much. Was it really that forgettable, or should I give it another watch? I actually really do feel like re-watching it now, as this first Elvira film from '88 really convinced me. Though perhaps partly responsible for making this film work, might be Sam Egan and John Paragon with their contributions to the script, there really is no way to deny it: Cassandra Peterson has a great feel for comedy (she also co-wrote the screenplay).When Elvira learns she's one of the beneficiaries of a Great Aunt (she never heard of before), she takes it as the long cherished opportunity to start up her own show in Las Vegas. Out to claim her rightfully inherited money, she travels to a quiet New England town. But the uptight townspeople of Falwell are in for a treat. In less than no time she manages to shock and insult all noteworthy inhabitants of the conservative little town with her (often unintentionally) provocative behaviour. To make things worse, her inheritance turns out not to be what she expected: A rundown mansion, a cookbook and a poodle. But what she doesn't know, and her evil uncle Vincent Albot does, is that her Great Aunt was a witch, and the cookbook contains recipes to concoct the most hellishly dark powers imaginable. And if you haven't turned off the movie yet by the time Elvira has cooked up her first dish from the recipe-book, then rest assured, you're going to sit out this ride with a smile on your face.It's surprising how a script rigged together with boob-jokes, witty one-liners, movie references, inside jokes and bade taste merriment also manages to tell a coherent story. Simple, of course, but coherent. While other movies, heavily relying on gag-like situations, often make you loose track of the story completely (like the "Naked Gun" films, for example), this film doesn't. A lot of horror-comedies were being produced during the 80's, but not a lot of them actually worked. Let alone a horror-spoof that doesn't derail at some point ("Killer Party", although I'm grateful for this one going completely bonkers during the finale) or becomes too tedious too quickly ("Saturday the 14th"). Although "Elvira" is more comedy than horror, it doesn't loose track of what it's doing and consistently builds up towards a mildly grotesque finale, complete with a supernatural showdown in the streets of Falwell between newborn witch Elvira and evil uncle wizard Talbot, including a real honest-to-god witch hunt and Elvira's very own burn-at-the-stake moment.I'm telling you, there's no power in hell that could make this movie unfunny. One of the first giggles I got was during the opening credits already, when Daniel Greene's name appeared. Daniel who? Oh yes, I recognized his name (and later on his dim-witted macho-face). How can one not forget Daniel Greene once you've seen... "Atomic Cyborg aka Fists of Steel"! But if you haven't seen "Atomic Cyborg", then I'm sorry, but you won't be able to laugh with his face in this one. And on a side-note: I never could have imagined Elvira looking this cool while ignorantly driving away from a gas station. Even Robert Rodriguez could not have made that shot look any better.