After a long absence from television Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) is creeping her way back to TV this fall with a brand new show titled, “Elvira’s Movie Macabre.”
The show will feature Elvira, Mistress of the Dark screening the same campy horror films she has been screening for just under three decades.
Peterson’s Elvira became quickly known for her distinctive makeup, sexy outfits and her sharp wit.
During the ’80s, Peterson frequently appeared as Elvira on “The Tonight Show” and several other talk shows, as well as several national ad campaigns for Coors Light and Mug Root Beer.
“I decided to come back to TV about 20 years ago but nobody wanted to do the show. It was just really hard, I couldn’t find the movies I wanted. There were a lot of deals over the years that just weren’t right, I’ve finally found one,” Peterson said.
Trifecta CEO, Hank Cohen is not concerned about Elvira’s long stint away from the small screen, “Elvira is a time-tested and wildly successful brand unto herself. Elvira will be every bit as relevant as the first day she burst onto the scene, a beautiful opinionated woman who always delivers just what her audience expects from her.”
With Elvira being a character that has lurked its way into homes this time of year since 1981, according to Peterson, audiences can expect the same type of show they have become accustomed to over the years.
“Many people liken my show to a car wreck, you don’t want to look up but you don’t want to turn away. I think anybody who is up at 3 o’clock (EST) in the morning are going to be the kind of people who want to see it,” Peterson said.
With Elvira being a iconic figure of Halloween for the past 29 years there have been attempts to spruce up the character and the costume over the years, especially with the scantly clad trick or treaters and party goers wearing less than Elvira ever has.
“When my costume first came out it was pretty damn sexy. The sexiest thing besides Elvira was maybe wonder woman and I don’t know if you can call that sexy. Maybe I did have something to do with (the surge of sexy Halloween costumes.) The ironic part is that my costume company is thinking about making a ‘sexy Elvira’ costume,” Peterson said.
With the emergence of scary movies hitting the big screen on an almost weekly basis, Peterson lends her thoughts on how horror movies have evolved over time.
“I think they left a lot more to the imagination, growing up. I think what goes on in your mind is a lot scarier than what you actually see. I think that’s why movies like the ‘Blair Witch Project’ was so gigantic. It left a lot to the imagination. There really wasn’t much happening in that movie, except leaves, lots and lots of leaves. If you are afraid of leaves— then it’s a scary movie,” Peterson said.
Elvira’s Movie Macabre appears on KDOC midnight(PST) on Saturdays.
