GEE Movie Club for June: Elvira — Mistress of the Dark!
Added 2022-06-24 17:43:09 +0000 UTCHonestly, kind of surprised that this movie won out — and in a good way, because I've never actually seen it. But that's about to change!
It's streaming on both Amazon Prime and on Tubi for free if you don't have Prime.
Post any thoughts, recollections, questions or criticisms on this post and we'll get to it in the GEE Movie Club episode at the end of the month!
Comments
I didn't see this movie until I was an adult, but it's one I re-watch annually now. It is full of good-natured, corny humor and almost every 80's movie trope, and I love every minute of it. In her memoir and the new blu-ray commentary, she talks about how, whenever she'd run into a famous actor that auditioned but didn't make the cut, she'd say, "You're welcome for me not ruining your career by casting you." She also mentioned that one actor auditioned for one of the teen roles, and she said he was WAY too hot, so there's no way her character wouldn't go after him instead of the leading man. The young actor whose career she saved by not casting him was Brad Pitt. Her early interactions with Edie McClurg scolding her outfits in the Groundlings made Edie the perfect Chastity Pariah. I never get tired of Edie showing up in 80's shows/movies. Side note: Her memoir is one of the most entertaining I've read, and her life has been WILD from the start.
Jonathan Renteria-Elyea
2022-06-27 19:09:40 +0000 UTCShe’s like Dolly Parton in that way. The way they use their femininity is so exaggerated it comes off as Drag. They don’t hide their sexuality/femininity and creepers are always met with a cutting/witty remark.
Lobo
2022-06-27 18:16:59 +0000 UTCElvira is a drag character. You could easily see a drag queen play her, but honestly, given the over the top and colorful personality, you could easily say she is a drag queen played by a woman. As for the movie, I kept being reminded of some old Laurel and Hardy plots in which Stan inherits something that sets off the plot. But the culture clash makes me think of movies like Priscilla Queen of the Desert or Doc Hollywood, with a dash of John Waters for good measure. For context, this was my first time watching it. This isn't a nostalgia one for me.
Jay
2022-06-26 00:45:27 +0000 UTCThis movie features the song A Town Without Pity which as a queer person from a small town I've always thought of as a gay anthem. It's about social stigma and the small-minded moralistic ideals of conservative communities, and with lyrics like "how can we keep love alive/ how can anything survive when these little minds tear you in two/ what a town without pity can do" it does have a lot I can relate to. Originally it was written for a 1961 film that's about these themes vis-a-vis the stigma of sexual assault, which is obviously a different kind of stigma. But its let's say "softer" use here I think underscores the queer reading of the song I have. Knowing now that Cassandra Peterson is queer, I think the plot of standing out in a small town, and the use of the song to underscore that, I think she certainly knew what she was doing with this kind of outsider narrative, and who it would resonate with.
Gaylien
2022-06-25 13:17:40 +0000 UTCI really loved this movie when I saw it as a 16 year old! At the time I got that she was sexy but didn't yet understand that the sexiness was intended to make (straight) men horny. Dork that I was, the vibe I got from this movie was that outside of the magic she *literally* was empowered by her sexuality, like a cartoon super hero. I occasionally remember the scene when she uses the voluptuousness of her breasts to break a chained gate open and smirk.
N S P
2022-06-24 19:40:46 +0000 UTCThis was one of those special movies for me that I would be too afraid to rent with my parents, but I watched on tv whenever it was on. It also helped awaken something in me for hunky men in flannel.
BradW
2022-06-24 19:19:09 +0000 UTCI know the movie by heart but any excuse to watch again! I’m excited to hear what Drew thinks since he’s never seen it before. I think my first time was picking it out at blockbuster and while most of the jokes went over my head, I was mesmerized by Elvira.
Garrett Sander
2022-06-24 19:00:50 +0000 UTCElvira has been a darkness & light throughout my life. As a kid I was both fascinated and sorts of angry at her. One of my teachers had a cardboard cutout of her which thrilled me because she was amazing and I wanted to be her (I still do!) but then all the boys decided that I looked like her and as flattering as that sounds they harassed me to no end. I was incredibly thrilled when she came out recently & hope all the boys who harassed me are stewing 😜 The promise of this episode has me running to the library to check out her recent book.
Lobo
2022-06-24 18:09:48 +0000 UTCWhile I assume the majority of us have seen Matt Baume's video about her, it's worth a rewatch and definitely an initial watch.
Turner Arrington
2022-06-24 17:57:10 +0000 UTCYAY!!! I’ve been wanting to rewatch this movie for months & now have an excellent excuse!
Lobo
2022-06-24 17:55:46 +0000 UTCYou're going to have a blast. Think of it as Bewitched with more pointed social commentary. Cassandra Peterson is an utter goddess, and she's having the time of her life throughout.
Turner Arrington
2022-06-24 17:54:23 +0000 UTC
