lost-in-limbo Review of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

"It's OK. My appearance is kind of a shock to everybody."

[5/10 · 9 October 2009]

I never saw any of the TV shows, but we know where the eyes will be heading, but it's the character's main draw-card and this aspect is played for the laughs. 'Elvira' is light-headed in its context, but quite low-brow with its humour, as a sizzling siren Cassandra Peterson laced up in her spunky Gothic wardrobe resembles a Mae West with her sharp-witted (although not always funny, but they're either bad and good) wisecracks. This film is pretty much a living parody, as it follows horror TV show hostess Elvira quit her job in the dream of performing in Las Vegas… but to keep that show alive, she needs money to pay for it. She learns she will be receiving an inheritance from her deceased auntie in a quaint, conservative little rural town. Hoping for money, she ends up with the house, dog and a family cook book (or is it just a cook book?). Which for some reason her uncle Vincent would do anything to get his hands on that book. Its loopy camp of a very one-joke kind, which patterns itself into contrived silliness. It moves by fast enough, even though it does become starved of gags due to simply relying on its same-old collection of its 'fish out of water' gags of a performance that's more than just an act. Director James Signorelli colourfully spruce handling uses cheeky references and builds a certain likable charm. William Morgan Sheppard and a dynamically ripe Edie McClurg are quite fun their roles… in what you can call the meanies of the film. In the end it knows what it is, and purposely keeps it to that; simple-minded, crude and carefree kitsch.