Elvira explains how horror movies are good for you in new promo video for Netflix & Chills with Dr. Elvira. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is a campy, busty and horrortastic late-night B-movie host who has been on the horror scene since the early 80s. The character was created in order to fill the void left by Larry Vincent, a popular late night B-movie host in L.A. Elvira, aka Cassandra Peterson, has made a career out of playing the part of the late-night sexy/spooky hostess, creating an entire brand around it, leading to everything from merchandise to Elvira collectibles to comic books to movies and more.
Peterson has made appearances in multiple shows and movies throughout the years, both as Elvira and in other roles. She appeared in Tim Burton's Pee-Wee's Big Adventure as a female biker and has popped up in a variety of reality shows, from The Girls Next Door to Last Man Standing to Face Off. Elvira has also appeared in animated form, showing up in a number of straight-to-video Scooby-Doo films.
As Halloween approaches, Netflix has dropped a new promo video for Elvira's next venture, Netflix & Chills with Dr. Elvira, in which the late-night hostess gives a class on why scary movies are actually good for you. The tongue-in-cheek video is very on brand for the cult horror hostess, showing off her usual assets and talents that have defined her brand for over 40 years. Elvira will be taking over the streamer's social channels every Sunday night in October to recommend new horror titles to watch on the platform, which will debut a new horror movie every Wednesday night of the spooky month. Check out the video below:
Peterson recently released her memoir, "Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark", which documents her decades-spanning career, as well as her personal life. The 70-year-old performer revealed in the book that she has been in a romantic relationship with her female assistant for the last 19 years and refers to herself as "fluid" in terms of her sexual identity. The character of Elvira has often been seen as an LGBTQ ally and icon throughout her long run in the role.
Elvira is one of the most well-known characters in pop culture, due largely to the fact that Peterson retains the rights to the persona. Regardless of the late-night B-movie platform, Peterson has made Elvira into a bonafide brand which can be found in everything from Funko Pops! to mouse pads to t-shirts and beyond, even to this day. Creating a character from scratch may seem like a simple endeavor, but keeping one alive for this long is no small feat. Having Elvira grace the horror community with her presence on Netflix throughout October feels like a (form) fitting addition to the spooky season.
Source: Netflix