Cassandra Peterson’s Elvira schtick is getting as long in the tooth as the fur-bearing Larry Talbot, but Peterson herself remains remarkably free of the ravages of time, looking for all the world as if she just rose from the crypt bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to tussle. Funded and distributed out of Peterson’s own pocket and shot in Romania, this period piece (Carpathia, 1851) finds Elvira and servant Zuzu in Corman country, specifically that of Roderick Usher’s ill-starred and crumbling house, replete with bizarre ancestors, hearing-challenged homeowners, and foul deeds afoot. The yuks are strictly bargain basement, but Elvira’s vaudevillian double- and triple-entendres still hit their marks more often that not, and it’s a kick to see Richard O’Brien (Rocky Horror’s Riff Raff) back in action as the creepified Lord Hellsubus. Kudos, too, for dedicating the picture to Corman regular Vincent Price.
This article appears in August 30 • 2002.
