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IMDbPro

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

  • 19881988
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
18K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,661
359
Cassandra Peterson and Edie McClurg in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
Play trailer1:49
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyHorror
Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
18K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,661
359
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • James Signorelli
    • Writers
      • Sam Egan
      • John Paragon
      • Cassandra Peterson
    • Stars
      • Cassandra Peterson
      • Phil Rubenstein
      • Larry Flash Jenkins
    Top credits
    • Director
      • James Signorelli
    • Writers
      • Sam Egan
      • John Paragon
      • Cassandra Peterson
    • Stars
      • Cassandra Peterson
      • Phil Rubenstein
      • Larry Flash Jenkins
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 103User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:49
    Official Trailer

    Photos210

    Sleepaway Camp (1983)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson and Binnie in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley Jr., and Cassandra Peterson in Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson and Tress MacNeille in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Damita Jo Freeman, Larry Flash Jenkins, and Phil Rubenstein in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
    Cassandra Peterson in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cassandra Peterson
    Cassandra Peterson
    • Elvira
    • (as Elvira)
    Phil Rubenstein
    • Director
    Larry Flash Jenkins
    Larry Flash Jenkins
    • Technical Director
    Damita Jo Freeman
    • Associate Producer
    Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille
    • Anchorwoman
    Edwina Moore
    Edwina Moore
    • Hairdresser
    Mario Celario
    • Rudy
    Lee McLaughlin
    • Earl Hooter
    Bill Swearingen
    • Cameraman
    Charles Woolf
    • Manny
    Bill Dance
    • Messenger
    • (as William Dance)
    William Cort
    • Lawyer…
    Sharon Hays
    • Game Show Girl
    Bill Cable
    • Cop
    John Paragon
    John Paragon
    • Gas Station Attendant
    Joey Arias
    Joey Arias
    • Hitchhiker
    • (as Joseph Arias)
    Edie McClurg
    Edie McClurg
    • Chastity Pariah
    Kris Kamm
    Kris Kamm
    • Randy
    • Director
      • James Signorelli
    • Writers
      • Sam Egan
      • John Paragon
      • Cassandra Peterson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Elvira's Macabre Mobile was created for this film. The 1958 T-Bird hardtop was purchased for $2,500 and went through $7,000+ in alterations. The automobile remained in the possession of Cassandra Peterson, who occasionally used it for personal appearances, but she frequently complained that although it looked beautiful, it never worked well. In December 2021, Peterson auctioned off the steering wheel, license plate cover, hood and dashboard ornaments for a total of $19,795.
    • Goofs
      Elvira's signature Thigh high split dress shows she wears Pantyhose. Yet on her first night in her inherited house, she gets undressed and is shown to be wearing suspenders, which would have been obvious with the split in her dress.
    • Quotes

      Bob Redding: How's your head?

      Elvira: I haven't had any complaints yet.

      Bob Redding: [confused] Excuse me?

      Elvira: Oh, uh, I think I'll live.

    • Alternate versions
      Along with the television version, many international theatrical and video versions cut out Elvira's magic trick during the Las Vegas musical number.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Alien Nation/Elvira: Mistress of the Dark/Imagine: John Lennon/Salaam Bombay/Track 29 (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      I Put a Spell on You
      Written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (as Jay Hawkins)

      Performed by Joanna St. Claire

    User reviews103

    Review
    Top review
    The cup(s) of horror runneth over with titillating humor
    This movie is simply the best horror-film parody ever made. And it's also just one darned enjoyable flick. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure. True, it is pure cornball, but I have grown to love it, and I watch it regularly every year around Halloween, since (naturally) several channels on TV routinely feature it as part of that select batch of Halloween pictures that just scream for annual broadcasting.

    Extremely well filmed (IMHO), I am always really amazed at how nice it is to see it again each year – it holds up well and looks fantastic even today, after 13 years.

    From a physical perspective, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) - with that showgirl figure and that over-the-top tight-fitting black costume - just grabs your attention with both, um, *hands*, from the get go, and never lets go. But there's much more to revel in here than just her physical assets: her acting, her ditzy charm and irreverent risqué sense of humor will just have you lapping it up. In short, you'll just love Elvira from top to bottom (unlike the townies in the story, many of whom decidedly did not take kindly to her sudden arrival in their up-tight little burg in Massachusetts).

    This movie is just busting out all over with titillating, slightly off-color humor (or: off-colour humour for those of you on the other side of the Atlantic) from start to finish. There are many funny and memorable lines in this movie of the double-entendre variety; it's hard to keep abreast of them all. (I'd list a few of my racier favorites here, but in the interest of not offending the delicate sensibilities of anyone reading this who is NOT into that sort of humor, well, it might be best for you to just go watch the movie and compile your own list).

    I can't say anything bad about this movie at all, except that sadly it does end, and you are left wanting more (of Elvira). LOTS more. Alas, c'est la vie.
    helpful•59
    3
    • Eric-1226
    • Oct 22, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 30, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Elvira's Official haunting ground on the Web.
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Elvira - Herrscherin der Dunkelheit
    • Filming locations
      • Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch Mansion - 637 South Lucerne Boulevard, Windsor Square, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • NBC Productions
      • New World Pictures
      • Panacea Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,596,267
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,660,041
      • Oct 2, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $5,596,267
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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