Elvira [DVD]

The tale concerns Elvira, hostess of a no-budget cable TV horror movie showcase who dreams of opening her own stage show in Las Vegas. The only trouble is, like almost every dream this requires big bucks - 50,000 to be precise. Then, from out of nowhere comes an invite to the reading of her great aunt Morganna's will, held at the sleepy American town of Fallwell (the name of which sums up the local politics in a nutshell). You probably don't need telling that Elvira, "wearing clothes that wouldn't keep a titmouse dry in a drizzle" lands on the place like an A-bomb, especially when she runs into Chastity Pariah, the pious head of the Fallwell Morality Club. Soon it seems like the whole town is against her, but for a few of the understandably dazzled local teens and hunky handyman Bob Grinnig.

Every single minute of this movie features some kind of visual gag, outrageous one-liner or trashy double entendre which has the power to leave you in stitches. It walks a fine line between horror imagery and all-American cuteness, camp and ballsy tough talk, and bawdy humour absent of clumsy latterday crudeness which makes for the best kind of old fashioned, character-driven romp. The acting performances will never win any awards, possibly excluding Edie McGlurg's excellent turn as Chastity, but everyone fits so brilliantly into their roles that the movie has all the sweetness of a familiar parallel universe.

It's impossible not to like something about this film, regardless of who you are. The atmosphere and creaky B-movie sets (especially aunt Morganna's house) bring to mind cozy mysteries filmed over a small range of locations such as 'House In Nightmare Park' and 'Murder By Death', but this is a far less patchy effort than those. Like the best comedies, this is set on rails and doesn't let off until the very end. Elvira herself is a model of feminine sexiness without vacuous pliability, spikiness without the slightest hint of cruelty. The cast of characters are varied and brilliantly etched, cartoonish but not predictable or portrayed without thought. Oh, what the hell... just prepare the popcorn, turn off the lights, disengage your critical radar and enjoy the warmest, funniest and spunkiest comedy horror you're ever likely to see.

A lecherous TV producer walks over and says "they call me Longhorn, care to guess why?" She responds, "Does it have anything to do with your breath?"

And how about the shape-shifting poodle she dresses in leather studded straps and a pink mohawk! Gonk rocks!

Even Edie McClurg pops up as the local town prude and after getting a dose of a love potion laced casserole walks over to a guy laying on the ground and asks, "Excuse me...is this face taken?" and plops down right on him! Too much!