6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Comedy in which a woman travelling through Europe finds herself trapped in a sinister castle and fighting for her life. Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) is headed for Paris in the company of her maid, Zou Zou (Mary Jo Smith), when they come across Lord Vladimere Hellsubus (Richard O'Brien). Presumably failing to note the warning signs inherent in the Lord's surname, the pair are enticed into his castle, where Vladimere's obsession for Elvira, fuelled by her similarity to his deceased wife, sees him pursue her through the castle. Will the enterprising Elvira and her maid manage to stay out of the clutches of Hellsubus and make their escape?
Starring: Cassandra Peterson, Richard O'Brien (I), Mary Scheer, Scott Atkinson, Heather HopperHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo & PowerDVD verified.
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
1988’s “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark” was a goofy film, but it worked well with a lighter sense of humor, with star Cassandra Peterson attempting to create a big screen space for her television persona, wisely electing to surround the oddity of Elvira with conservative, condemning types. Some jokes landed successfully, and Peterson proved she could carry a movie as Elvira, playing up the icon’s wackiness and good-natured sexuality. The business of Hollywood prevented Peterson from immediately following “Mistress of the Dark” with something else to maintain cinematic momentum. 2001’s “Elvira’s Haunted Hills” is meant to restore the marquee value of the eponymous character, but the feature has some trouble with funny business, watching Peterson and co-writer John Paragon deliver weak one-liners and feeble slapstick, while director Sam Irvin goes the cartoon route with material that needs a slightly more refined touch. It’s always great to have Elvira around, but her second cinematic adventure is a noticeable step down in quality from the first one.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a "new restoration from a 4K scan of the original camera negative." "Elvira's Haunted Hills" doesn't have much expanse, but it does have a lot of production detail, showcasing cavernous sets and interior decoration, showing off paintings and furniture, and set piece elements, such as the swinging pendulum, retain texture. Skin particulars are preserved, along with heavy period costuming. Colors are distinct, with the picture offering a vivid display of hues during the main title sequence, which features a moody display of swirling paint. Skintones are natural, preserving Elvira's bone-white appearance. Castle displays retain their stony look, and the autumnal atmosphere of the village is distinct. Delineation is satisfactory, with deep blacks captured on clothing and shadowy encounters. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers crisp dialogue exchanges, and the crude dubbing joke with Adrian is preserved. Scoring cues are pronounced with sharp instrumentation, supporting suspense and comedy moods, with defined elements, such as the slide whistle. Atmospherics are active, exploring castle expanse, lightning strikes, and exterior activity. Sound effects are just as lively, offering all the bonks, boinks, and balloon rubbing a person could want. Low-end offers some rumble with earthquakes and carriage movement.
Peterson's second big screen at-bat as Elvira doesn't connect as well as "Mistress of the Dark," which had the benefit of career momentum for the actress and her horror hostess persona. Things feel stale this time around, with the writing failing to bring freshness to Elvira's world, unable to update her shtick for a new audience and a different type of comedy. "Elvira's Haunted Hills" has a great title and Peterson's enthusiasm, but the exaggeration of it all starts to wear thin fairly early, missing a chance to do something amazingly sharp with Corman's endeavors.
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