Arrow Made Mine! The Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Edition

When Arrow Video announced its December 2018 release of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, MMC! refrained from claiming victory for its 2015 proposal. It was hoped that the UK only version described by the label would be quickly expanded into a North American release as well. It took more than a year but it’s finally happened and MMC! is here to swoop in an say (as the great Sam Ashurst might put it), “You’re welcome, dear sweet, precious Arrow-heads.”

I would certainly encourage readers to go back to that 2015 proposal as it is full of great links to commercials, shorts, specials, webisodes, and sit-com episodes featuring our beloved Mistress of the Dark. As well, Arrow Video’s full slate of April Release looks amazing, with a bounty of great titles friendly to Region A film fans. Arrow Video expands its release of John Hughes’s Sixteen Candles (1984) to North America, presumably putting an end to a potential Criterion Collection edition and that 2017 New Year’s drawing tease. Also coming from Arrow Video is Nico Mastorakis’ thriller The Wind (1986), Kirill Sokolov’s revenge-comedy Why Don’t You Just Die! (2018), and Solid Metal Nightmares, a lavish box set featuring eight films by Japanese cult master Shinya Tsukamoto! (Plus a rather sumptuous UK-only package for Lukas Feigelfeld’s Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (2017).)

And for those wondering why MMC!’s next proposal for spine numbered greatness remains pending, my apologies. MMC! headquarters has been awash in family events and flu-like symptoms for much of January. Thinks are looking up and MMC! has in mind a fun, flashy film from Japan that build some great brand synergies with the addition of a wacky “C.” More on that soon!

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (James Signorelli, 1988)

HERE COMES ELVIRA … THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD!

Elvira busts out in her outrageously funny, big scream, feature film debut!  When her great-aunt dies, famed horror hostess Elvira heads for the uptight New England town of Fallwell to claim her inheritance of a spooky house, a witch’s cookbook, and a punk rock poodle.  But once Fallwell’s stuffy locals get an eyeful of the scream queen’s ample assets, all hell breaks loose.  Can the Madonna of the Macabre find love with a studly cinema owner, avoid the schemes of her creepy great-uncle, titillate the town’s repressed teens, and become a Las Vegas dance sensation, all without being burned alive at the stake?

Cassandra Peterson stars as horror icon Elvira in this sexy comedy hit, filled with wild wisecracks, campy chaos, and scare movie spooks, all poured into the lowest-cut black gown in horror movie history!

Special Features:

• New high definition digital transfer
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard DVD Presentation
• Original stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Surround options
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by director James Signorelli and stars Cassandra Petersen and Edie McClurg
• Original featurette on the making of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark included on the films original VHS cassette release
• Pilot episode of The Elvira Show, Elvira’s unproduced 1993 sitcom co-starring Katherine Helmond
• Segments from Elvira’s Halloween Special, released in 1986 for MTV
• Coors Light beer commercials starring Elvira
• Funny or Die’s 2014 Halloween Anthology hosted by Elvira
• Webisode of RuPaul Drives… featuring Cassandra Petersen
• Teaser, theatrical trailer, and TV spots
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by drag performer RuPaul and illustrated with original archive stills and posters