| Even though Halloween was just a few months ago, Elvira- Mistress of the Dark keeps busy all year round. Beyondthedarkhorizon.com along with a handful of other websites participated in a round table phone interview with the Mistress herself. The beautiful and witty icon shared everything…from her career highlights, flops, to future plans to take her Elvira character even further. |
The hot vampy icon known as Elvria has existed for over 25
years now. Her dark and carefree witty role as hostess for the
80’s Movie Macabre TV show officially opened the doors to her
career. In 2006 some Movie Macabre episodes were released
on DVD and to this day more are being released to satisfy fans.
When watching Movie Macabre on the screen today, Elvira says,
“Oh God, sometimes they give me a real laugh. I laugh so hard
at myself I cry. Some are embarrassing, there's a few really early
ones that I could just die of embarrassment, I mean my hair is
flat and I'm talking so slow that I just sit in front of the TV going
“talk faster, talk faster!” As the years go by my hair gets higher
and my voice speeds up, and around '83 I hit my “Elvira Stride”.
So the stuff before '83 makes me cringe. I can actually tell what
year it is by how high my hair is. My hair got so high in '85 that I
started looking like Marge Simpson and I had to calm it down
and come back a little ways. Just kept getting higher and higher
and higher until I was like, oh my God, a giant cone head. Then
it came down to a happy medium where it stayed.”
years now. Her dark and carefree witty role as hostess for the
80’s Movie Macabre TV show officially opened the doors to her
career. In 2006 some Movie Macabre episodes were released
on DVD and to this day more are being released to satisfy fans.
When watching Movie Macabre on the screen today, Elvira says,
“Oh God, sometimes they give me a real laugh. I laugh so hard
at myself I cry. Some are embarrassing, there's a few really early
ones that I could just die of embarrassment, I mean my hair is
flat and I'm talking so slow that I just sit in front of the TV going
“talk faster, talk faster!” As the years go by my hair gets higher
and my voice speeds up, and around '83 I hit my “Elvira Stride”.
So the stuff before '83 makes me cringe. I can actually tell what
year it is by how high my hair is. My hair got so high in '85 that I
started looking like Marge Simpson and I had to calm it down
and come back a little ways. Just kept getting higher and higher
and higher until I was like, oh my God, a giant cone head. Then
it came down to a happy medium where it stayed.”
| Article by: Blissfulviolet |
The Mistress of the Dark even spoke of a future movie in
the making and a possible Elvira animated feature, “I am going to be going and pitching a live-action
movie that I sold at one time to the people who produced the first two “Rocky” shows, then they went
bust. I wrote this movie, I sold it to them, got paid thank God (quite a bit of money) and then they went
down the tubes. So I have this script and I am going to go around and see about getting a deal with that.
It's separate; it doesn't really have a story line from the first. My main goal is to get this animated feature
going, and it could be years since animation takes so much time to put together. I'm working on all that
stuff.”
movie that I sold at one time to the people who produced the first two “Rocky” shows, then they went
bust. I wrote this movie, I sold it to them, got paid thank God (quite a bit of money) and then they went
down the tubes. So I have this script and I am going to go around and see about getting a deal with that.
It's separate; it doesn't really have a story line from the first. My main goal is to get this animated feature
going, and it could be years since animation takes so much time to put together. I'm working on all that
stuff.”
With Elvira making huge appearances throughout her career many were interested in knowing what was
her most memorable or strangest encounter, she remained quiet for a few moments and then
responded in a low dreaded voice, “Oh, god..” Many laughed because I think deep down we all knew
their must have been plenty.
her most memorable or strangest encounter, she remained quiet for a few moments and then
responded in a low dreaded voice, “Oh, god..” Many laughed because I think deep down we all knew
their must have been plenty.
“ Well, meeting Michael Jackson was pretty damn memorable and strange. He was going, “Oh Elvira, I
should have hired you instead of Vincent Price to do the voice over.” Um, yeah thanks! I don't know,
being in the Rose Parade was pretty damn strange, being on my own float for the Post Office. I mean, it
is the biggest most televised parade in the world. Ringing the closing bell at the NY Stock Market was
pretty weird. Introducing Bono on the Zoo Tour was pretty cool and bizarre. I've had a lot of really, really
unusual and strange moments. Like the first time somebody asked me to autograph their arm to go
tattoo it in.
should have hired you instead of Vincent Price to do the voice over.” Um, yeah thanks! I don't know,
being in the Rose Parade was pretty damn strange, being on my own float for the Post Office. I mean, it
is the biggest most televised parade in the world. Ringing the closing bell at the NY Stock Market was
pretty weird. Introducing Bono on the Zoo Tour was pretty cool and bizarre. I've had a lot of really, really
unusual and strange moments. Like the first time somebody asked me to autograph their arm to go
tattoo it in.
They came back the next day with a bloody old patch on their arm. I was, like “Wow, that's the most
sincerest form of flattery”. Now that's old hat, I have hundreds and hundreds of people with Elvira
images tattooed on their body. I saw three of them yesterday at Hot Topic. There's just been so many
strange bizarre things, meeting every celebrity you can think of. I've been around for so long that I really
have met every person who ever lived. I sound like Methuselah or something but when you have been in
show business for 25 years, and most people don't end up in show business for 25 years, I think the
average is 5 years, you really do end up meeting every person you wanted to.”
sincerest form of flattery”. Now that's old hat, I have hundreds and hundreds of people with Elvira
images tattooed on their body. I saw three of them yesterday at Hot Topic. There's just been so many
strange bizarre things, meeting every celebrity you can think of. I've been around for so long that I really
have met every person who ever lived. I sound like Methuselah or something but when you have been in
show business for 25 years, and most people don't end up in show business for 25 years, I think the
average is 5 years, you really do end up meeting every person you wanted to.”
Even though Elvira has been in the business for many years she
still would like to get her character more out there. Since there is
only one Elvira it became frustrating for her to be able to keep up
with the demand for her appearances. She recently hosted a
reality tv show entitled, The Search for the Next Elvira. The goal
was to find herself an official Handmaiden of the Dark. “I think it'll
be a big relief, actually, at this point. I mean, I've looked at Santa
Clause for many years with a lot of envy in my eyes because he
gets to pick up all the gigs. I’ve just been thinking, oh my gosh,
the character has become such a pop-culture icon and so closely
associated with Halloween that I just can't get the character out
there enough like Santa Clause does. He's in every town and city
every year for Christmas, I'm unable to get the character out there
as much. It's just me. One venue here, one venue there. So at
this point I think it's going to be fantastic to see another Elvira out
there. Actually, during the process of the show, it was fantastic to
see some of these girls who've watched me since they were little
girls really “get it”, who love it. They've got the Elvira thing down,
so for me it's flattering. I love the fact that they'll be someone else
who's kind of young, perky, and gets it.”
still would like to get her character more out there. Since there is
only one Elvira it became frustrating for her to be able to keep up
with the demand for her appearances. She recently hosted a
reality tv show entitled, The Search for the Next Elvira. The goal
was to find herself an official Handmaiden of the Dark. “I think it'll
be a big relief, actually, at this point. I mean, I've looked at Santa
Clause for many years with a lot of envy in my eyes because he
gets to pick up all the gigs. I’ve just been thinking, oh my gosh,
the character has become such a pop-culture icon and so closely
associated with Halloween that I just can't get the character out
there enough like Santa Clause does. He's in every town and city
every year for Christmas, I'm unable to get the character out there
as much. It's just me. One venue here, one venue there. So at
this point I think it's going to be fantastic to see another Elvira out
there. Actually, during the process of the show, it was fantastic to
see some of these girls who've watched me since they were little
girls really “get it”, who love it. They've got the Elvira thing down,
so for me it's flattering. I love the fact that they'll be someone else
who's kind of young, perky, and gets it.”
Elvira’s comparison with herself against Santa Clause was a wise and unique one she goes on to add,
“Yea, this only dawned on me a few years ago when I started noticing that every time I went to do
appearances 45-50% of the crowd would come up to me and say, “Are you the real Elvira?”. At first I
would be slightly insulted, and be like, “Yea! Hello!” And pretty soon I got, “Hey, wait a minute, I think this
is a good thing.” Generally it'd be somebody under the age of 30, and they're talking about me like I am
Santa Claus. I don't know that to them they know there is a “real” Elvira, to them it's a character, an icon.”
“Yea, this only dawned on me a few years ago when I started noticing that every time I went to do
appearances 45-50% of the crowd would come up to me and say, “Are you the real Elvira?”. At first I
would be slightly insulted, and be like, “Yea! Hello!” And pretty soon I got, “Hey, wait a minute, I think this
is a good thing.” Generally it'd be somebody under the age of 30, and they're talking about me like I am
Santa Claus. I don't know that to them they know there is a “real” Elvira, to them it's a character, an icon.”
And an icon she truly is. The Mistress of the Dark has appeared in movies, TV shows, had her own line
of beer (Elvira’s Night Brew), comic books, Pinball machine, perfume, album recordings and so much
more. She is defiantly always in demand. “I'm pretty much sure it has endured because of the
Halloween season, I think Elvira has become closely linked to the holiday and every year it comes back
and there's Elvira all over the airwaves, the appearances. I took a sabbatical for a while. When I had my
daughter I slowed down my career a great deal and that was for 10 years to raise my daughter and not
be constantly working. I kind of went into a lull there but I never stopped, every Halloween, doing major
appearances. And because horror never goes away. The horror genre is still around I've become known
as kind of a maven of horror. There's a real old dirth of horror characters now. Some of the greats have
passed on, the Vincent Prices, the John Carradines, and they've left a hole there and I'm one of those
endearing kind of characters that are still around,” says Elvira regarding her character being an icon.
of beer (Elvira’s Night Brew), comic books, Pinball machine, perfume, album recordings and so much
more. She is defiantly always in demand. “I'm pretty much sure it has endured because of the
Halloween season, I think Elvira has become closely linked to the holiday and every year it comes back
and there's Elvira all over the airwaves, the appearances. I took a sabbatical for a while. When I had my
daughter I slowed down my career a great deal and that was for 10 years to raise my daughter and not
be constantly working. I kind of went into a lull there but I never stopped, every Halloween, doing major
appearances. And because horror never goes away. The horror genre is still around I've become known
as kind of a maven of horror. There's a real old dirth of horror characters now. Some of the greats have
passed on, the Vincent Prices, the John Carradines, and they've left a hole there and I'm one of those
endearing kind of characters that are still around,” says Elvira regarding her character being an icon.
With a career that has remained successful throughout the years one can wonder what has been her
biggest accomplishment and what the future holds for the beloved Elvira, Mistress of the Dark…
“I think the real peak came when my movie, “ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK” came out and that was
around 1989, and at the same time I was representing Coors beer's national ad campaign. The movie
really changed me from just a television star to an actress. It was a big, big deal that year. I'd say that
was kind of the height of it. I hope to reach those heights again.”
biggest accomplishment and what the future holds for the beloved Elvira, Mistress of the Dark…
“I think the real peak came when my movie, “ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK” came out and that was
around 1989, and at the same time I was representing Coors beer's national ad campaign. The movie
really changed me from just a television star to an actress. It was a big, big deal that year. I'd say that
was kind of the height of it. I hope to reach those heights again.”
