30 Years of horror and laughter with Elvira Mistress of the Dark

Someone once asked me the question: “What movie gets you in the Halloween spirit and starts the season off for you?” Many answers are the same with the echoing cries of Halloween, Hocus Pocus and the like. While I love those movies, I have always had a different movie that gets me settled right in the Halloween spirit, Elvira Mistress of the Dark.

Elvira Mistress of the Dark was the debut movie of our favorite busty horror hostess, it was a spooky comedy delight and it turned 30 years old yesterday!

Elvira – The Gal Who Put the Boob Back in the Boob Tube

Elvira Mistress of the Dark premiered on September 30^th, 1988. It was written by Sam Egan, John Paragon and Cassandra Peterson and directed by James Signorelli. It follows the lovely Elvira as she hosts a local horror show. Her dream is to have her own show in Vegas and she’s been accepted by the Flamingo to do it, but she has to come up with $50,000 to fund it.

After her great-aunt dies, she has to travel to Fallwell, MA for the reading of the will and she hopes that with her inheritance, she can pay for her show in Vegas. But between evil uncles, hot yokels and Chastity Pariah, it’s going to be harder than she anticipated.

I love this movie more than I can even say. I probably shouldn’t have watched it as young as I was when I first saw it but honestly, compared to everything nowadays, this movie is as wholesome as Veggie Tales. If even slightly instigated, I can do a one woman show of this movie and not skip a line.

I can’t even count the number of times I have seen it. OH! And there’s one fun little fact that I bet you didn’t know. There is a really quick exchange in the beginning between Elvira and a snooty news anchor woman. That woman is played by Tresse MacNeille.

Image courtesy of New World Pictures

If you don’t know that name already, you most definitely know her voice. Between Animaniacs, Futurama, Mickey Mouse shows and the dozens upon dozens of other voices she has supplied to animated entertainment over the years, her voice is one you have heard many, many times.

Image courtesy of New World Pictures

There is a second movie called Elvira’s Haunted Hills that is in no way related to the first. While it doesn’t have the charm of Elvira Mistress of the Dark, it has Richard O’Brien and it is so quirky and funny, definitely give that one a watch.

We all still love Elvira. She is the epitome of spooky, sexy and fun and Elvira Mistress of the Dark is the embodiment of that fact. In the face of sexual harassment and bullies, she doesn’t back down and stands up for herself with confidence and sarcasm.

She is truly and unapologetically who she is with no compromises and she is the sh*t and she knows it. In a world of Kardashians, let’s all try and be an Elvira and make the world a better place. Happy 30^th Elvira Mistress of the Dark! Here’s to slaying another 30 years!

Are you a fan of Elvira? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.