Review(s): DVD Elvira, Mistress of the Dark/Transylvania 6-5000
A Monster-Movie Fan's Ultimate Comedy Double Feature!
In the Halloween mood, but looking for some ghoulish laughs rather than gory scares? Look no further! This double-sided DVD is not only a great price, it provides two fantastic 80's cult-classics of silly, monster-themed comedy! Kick your evening off with "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark"....
The lovely Cassandra Peterson dons her famous black dress and wig for the big screen in this hilarious 1988 cult-camp-comedy-classic, and the result is a good time for all! Well, maybe not ALL. Naturally, the humor can get a bit racy, though it's a far cry from today's downright shameless standards! In "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark," Cassandra reprises her legendary TV horror hostess role as the character comes to a turning point in her career. Frustrated with an unsatisfying job and blatant sexual harassment from her new boss, the always intrepid Elvira drops everything to pursue her dream of doing her own show in Las Vegas. She THINKS her agent has arranged everything, but gets a rude awakening when she discovers that SHE must come up with fifty thousand dollars to secure the theater. With perfect timing, a message arrives with news of Elvira's mysterious great aunt's sudden passing and requesting her presence at the reading of the will. Elvira's hope is restored, and she packs her bags and hits the road to Massachusetts!
Unfortunately, once Elvira arrives in the small Rockwellian town to which she has been summoned, she discovers that she has only inherited a house, a book, and a dog, none of which she has any use for. Things are only made worse by the fact that the local townsfolk do not want her around; that is, all except for the teenagers who admire her and the men who desire her. In-between fending off unwanted advances and worrying about how she can make worthless lemons into profitable lemonade, Elvira somehow finds the time to take the local kids under her wing and pursue the naive town beefcake as well. In fact, she develops one ingenious solution to bring all of her pet projects together: Putting on a late-night movie show for the kids at her beau's downtown movie theater! The forces seem to be against our heroine, however, in the form of the unfriendly locals. But, the danger of them ruining her show is the least of her worries! Little does Elvira know that her newly discovered Uncle Vincent is a villainous warlock with designs on acquiring her new spell-book, which Elvira thinks is nothing more than a book of exotic cooking recipes! If she's going to save the world, her dreams of stardom, and herself, Elvira will have to discover her true birthright as "Mistress of the Dark!"
"Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" is great campy fun in the true spirit of Cassandra Peterson's beloved television icon! The beautiful prima donna with gothic good-looks and a sharp, wicked, yet well-intentioned and sometimes surprisingly bubbly personality transfers successfully to the big screen thanks to the overflowing talent and charm of the stunning Miss Peterson, who effortlessly carries the film from beginning to end. No question about it, this film is ALL about Elvira, and that's a good thing! Familiar faces dot the cast, and the acting skills vary, but in a goofy, goodtime comedy like this, it all works well together! So, if you are a fond fan like me, or if you are just plain curious, you gotta give this a watch! Extras include two riotous trailers and a thorough, readable bio on Cassandra Peterson. Great for viewing around Halloween or pretty much anytime!
And, after Elvira, take a side-splitting trip to Transylvania! For a good time, call...
"Transylvania 6-5000!" Jeff Goldblum plays straight-man tabloid reporter to child-like partner Ed Begley Jr. in this hilarious monster-movie spoof, as they are sent on a mission to Transylvania to uncover the truth about a suspicious videotape that allegedly features the real Frankenstein monster! As enthusiastic Gil (Begley Jr.) pursues the story, skeptical Jack (Goldblum) pursues a lovely American tourist with a small daughter. Everything seems to be calm and quaint in the charming and very hospitable Transylvanian village, but, once the two reporters begin to work together, they discover there is more to the sleepy little town than meets the eye! There are physical gags and witty banter aplenty in this fantastically 80's style take on "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," complete with Jeffrey Jones as the Mayor, John Byner and Carol Kane as dimwitted servants, and Joseph Bologna as the mad doctor. All contribute laughs by the cartful, but it's Geena Davis and Seinfeld's Michael Richards who really steal the show as a nymphomaniac vampiress named Odette and Fejos, the token brute. Those of you who cherish the comedy teams of yester-year will get a kick out of the chemistry between Goldblum and Begley Jr., and they'll make you wish that films like this (and "Brain Donors") were more successful. The commentary by the director/writer and visual consultant is quite informative and enjoyable, the trailers and TV spots are a kick, and this widescreen DVD even includes galleries of storyboards and stills. Not at all bad for one feature on a highly affordable double feature DVD! One would have expected something bare bones for such a film, but Anchor Bay really delivered. If you dig Abbott and Costello style laughs with a Transylvanian touch, this flick is for you!
So, there you have it! 4 stars for each film, 5 for putting them both on one affordable disc! Either you've seen these films before or you're curious about them for some oddball reason, or you wouldn't be reading this review. So do yourself a favor and pick this disc up! You've got two excellent chances to be glad you did!
One great film and one filler
I will admit that I bought this dvd just for the Elvira film. It is a great cult flick that I have liked ever since I saw it in it's original release back in 1988. There were quite a few cheap version of this dvd floating around and although Anchor Bay did release it by itself a few years ago, I did not buy it because it was about $14.99 and only had the trailer and a teaser as extras. I saw this version for under ten dollars so decided to buy it even though I had never seen Transylvania 6-5000 before. Elvira is very funny, but the same cannot be said about the second film. Transylvania 6-5000 tries to be a spoof of old horror films, but this was done much better by Young Frankenstein over ten years earlier. There are some funny moments, but largely it is full of cliches and some really stupid humor. It does boast a talented cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, Michael Richards, Jeffrey Jones and John Byner but the script leaves them with little to do. Still this dvd is worth it for Elvira alone.
Related DVD's Elvira, Mistress of the Dark/Transylvania 6-5000
The audience for this rickety spoof is probably limited to three groups: diehard fans of Elvira, cultists of '60s horror (specifically the Edgar Allan Poe and Hammer offerings), and people who believe rim-shot, borscht belt humor ought to be brought back. The last group apparently includes Cassandra Peterson, the comedian who dreamed up Elvira; her fondness for vaudeville one-liners is either groan-worthy or infectious, depending on your tolerance for such things. Sample: "The village people say this castle is evil." "Ah, who listens to the Village People any more?" Ouch. Her Mae-West-meets-Vampira shtick wears surprisingly well at feature length (1988's Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is actually a pretty good time), although this movie simply runs out of material halfway through.... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Cassandra Peterson - Richard O'Brien Director(s): Sam Irvin DVD Release Date: Released the 01 October 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $9.95 Your Price: $9.95YOU SAVE $0!
Buy it
The lovely Cassandra Peterson dons her famous black dress and wig for the big screen in this hilarious 1988 cult-camp-comedy-classic, and the result is a good time for all! Well, maybe not ALL. Naturally, the humor can get a bit racy, though it's a far cry from today's downright shameless standards! In "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark," Cassandra reprises her legendary TV horror hostess role as the character comes to a turning point in her career. Frustrated with an unsatisfying job and blatant sexual harassment from her new boss, the always intrepid Elvira drops everything to pursue her dream of doing her own show in Las Vegas. She THINKS her agent has arranged everything, but gets a rude awakening when she discovers that SHE must come up with fifty thousand dollars to secure the theater.... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Cassandra Peterson Director(s): James Signorelli DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $9.98 Your Price: $9.98YOU SAVE $0!
Buy it
Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, My Favorite Year) gives an exuberant performance in High Spirits. Peter Plunkett (O'Toole) hopes to save his mortgaged castle by turning it into a tourist attraction--the most haunted castle in Ireland. When American tourists arrive--among them Jack (Steve Guttenberg) and Sharon (Beverly D'Angelo), a couple whose marriage is rapidly disintegrating--Plunkett's tomfoolery arouses the real ghosts, who decide to give these interlopers everything they're asking for. But when Jack accidentally helps a beautiful ghost named Mary (Daryl Hannah), she decides he's the man to help her break the curse she's been suffering for 200 years. High Spirits is an odd foray into comedy by director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Peter O'Toole - Steve Guttenberg - Daryl Hannah Director(s): Neil Jordan DVD Release Date: Released the 04 June 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.95 Your Price: $13.46YOU SAVE $1.49!
Buy it
