Starring - Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure), Richard O'Brien (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Spice World), Mary Sheer (Between Two Ferns: The Movie, Reno 911!)
Release Date - 2001
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Evil. Terror. Lust. Some girls really know how to party!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Like most genre fans that were born in the 80s and raised up through the 90s, I'm a huge fan of Elvira. I collected her show on DVD when I was in high school and college and purchased Mistress of the Dark on several formats from VHS to DVD and then the blu from Arrow Video. I love her sense of humor, self-awareness, and sex appeal. With that being said, I had never seen her 2001 film Elvira's Haunted Hills. I owned the DVD after finding it at a used video store but I just never made time to check it out. However, when Scream Factory announced the release of the film on blu I knew it was time to finally see if it was as fun as Mistress of the Dark. Like always, I want to thank Scream Factory for hooking me up with this fabulous release.
The film follows Elvira (Peterson) who is traveling through the Carpathian mountains with her servant in 1851 when they picked up and taken to Castle Hellsubus which is rumored to be cursed. The owner, Vlad Hellsubus, is plagued by many ailments and has never recovered from the death of his wife which looks just like Elvira. As she unintentionally fumbles through the castle uncovering secrets hidden behind the walls the uncovers the real reason for Vlad's wife's death along with a brand new conspiracy.
I was extremely excited to jump into this one but I quickly found myself waiting for it to end. It was a very interesting premise but the humor and nostalgia that made the original films and subsequent episodes of her show so much fun was nowhere to be found. The film was very much forced but it wasn't without a few fun moments. The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from something with Elvira attached to it. Cassandra Peterson rarely gets acknowledged for her acting. Most people forget that Elvira is just a persona that she portrays and she does a phenomenal job with her character. Elvira is second nature for her and she is great in the role. Also, it was great seeing The Rocky Horror's O'Brien in another campy horror film. He never holds back in his performances and this was no exception. A few scenes he comes completely unhinged and the energy he brings is fantastic. The rest of the cast is solid as well but these two characters really stand out. The story for this one is a parody/tribute to the Roger Corman produced Edgar Allen Poe films and the iconic films from the height of Hammer Horror's productions. With that being said, the set up is fun but the humor is forced and the story is stretched way too thin. The story would have worked for a 40 to 50 minute film and the jokes might be more effective in a different setting but here they were not as fun as her previous film. Finally, the film is not a bloody mess. The movie focuses more on set design and wardrobe than it does blood and gore but we do get a skeleton and a great looking set. Overall, Elvira's Haunted Hills was not as fun as I was hoping but I did have fun with a few scenes. It's alright for a first time watch but don't expect the humorous and sexually charged Elvira that you are accustomed to. The blu release from Scream is probably my favorite release of theirs so far.
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