Episode 31 - Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

FromMary Versus the Movies

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Episode 31 - Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

FromMary Versus the Movies

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Length:

28 minutes

Released:

Oct 29, 2021

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Halloween month comes to a close with this very silly movie that takes horror hostess Elvira from the boob tube to the big screen. It ain't high art, but it's a lot of fun.

Released:

Oct 29, 2021

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Sure, the 1980s were a great decade for film. But have you seen all of them? No, neither has Mary. In fact, some pretty big films passed her by, what with being in kindergarten at the time: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Moonstruck, My Neighbor Totoro... So it's time to fix that. Artwork, opening and closing themes by Dennis Lingg Produced and edited by Mary Jones

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Episode 17 - Shag (1988): We had mixed feelings about this forgotten coming-of-age story set in 1963 Myrtle Beach, SC. The film is enjoyable, but a combination of Southern Pride and 1980s sexual politics left us a little unmoored. CW: talking about an attempted sexual... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 1 - 9 to 5 (1980): In our first episode, Mary and Dennis tackle the 1980 workplace farce 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman. It's a story of sex, revenge, and the power of collective action. It also completely missed Mary growing... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 28 - The Witches of Eastwick (1987): Kicking off October's Spooky Month, it's The Witches of Eastwick, a comedy where Jack Nicholson's greasy ponytail is somehow able to pull down a harem that includes Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Directed by George Miller, who has one of... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 21 - Mystic Pizza (1988): "They don't make 'em like that anymore" is a very tired sentiment, but it's been a while since we've seen a movie in theaters about working class girls coming of age, and this is a good one. Come for the dissing of Connecticut's pizza, stay for the... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 23 - Sword of the Valiant (The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) (1984): Timed to coincide with the current film The Green Knight, this episode has readings in Middle English, an increasingly-irate Mary expounding on the meanderings of medieval literature, and some truly terrible music. Medieval literature and Arthuriana... by Mary Versus the Movies
42 min listen
Episode 7 - Desperately Seeking Susan (1985): Who knew this screwball comedy starring Rosanna Arquette, Aiden Quinn, Mark Blum, and most famously Madonna, would turn out to be a real gem of a movie? Definitely not Mary and Dennis, who were pleasantly surprised. Sit back, dream of a different... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 27 - Real Genius (1985): We wrap up Back To School month with 1986's Real Genius. It's a PG Animal House meets War Games in this comedy about college students building a weapon for their professor only to realize the horror of what they're actually doing. Lightly satirical,... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 13 - The Thing (1982): We go a little long on this one, but come on, it's John Carpenter's The Thing, one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of the last 50 years. The story of men stationed in Antarctica, trying to figure out which one of them is a shape-shifting alien, is... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 40 - Down by Law (1986): Jim Jarmusch's Neo-noir-beatnik-comedy is a favorite film of Dennis's, and a staple of the 1980s indie film scene, so it's time for Mary to finally sit down and watch. Silly, stylized, and warm, "sad and beautiful" as one character says, it stars Tom... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 14 - My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Things get personal on this episode, which is a little shaggier than most. What happens when Mary decides to watch the beloved children's film My Neighbor Totoro, written and directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki, and is reminded of painful childhood... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 45 - Ladyhawke (1985): We were surprised by how much we enjoyed Richard Donner's medieval fantasy about a knight who spends his night as a wolf and a lady who spends her days as a hawk. We just wish the music was very, very differernt. by Mary Versus the Movies
42 min listen
Episode 20 - Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983): This space-western that never goes into space, starring nobody in particular, and featuring all the crisp cinematography of an episode of Airwolf, is easily the worst film we've watched for this podcast. There's a lot of spleen-venting in this... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 30 - An American Werewolf in London (1981): In what is sure to become a Halloween tradition for us, we watch the comedy-horror film An American Werewolf in London and absolutely fall in love with it. Part gothic horror, part romance, part buddy-comedy, this is the second film we've watched from... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 11 - Honky Tonk Freeway (1981): We didn't know what to expect with this obscure comedy from 1981; little did we know we had on our hands one of the biggest bombs in film history. A friend of the show called it "Nashville meets Cannonball Run", and she wasn't wrong. Is it good? Is it... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 25 - Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982): We went into this fearing a sleazy teensploitation skin flick; instead, it's funny, frank look at young people surviving high school and learning about sex and relationships, all set to a killer early 1980s soundtrack. It's also a real "hey, it's that... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 8 - Dune (1984): We really don't know what to make of David Lynch's space-opera adaptation of Frank Herbert's cult sci-fi novel Dune. As critic Nathan Rabin would ask, is it a Failure, Fiasco or Secret Success? Too long? Too short? And why in the world was Sting cast?... by Mary Versus the Movies
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30 min listen

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Episode 31 - Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Episode 31 - Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Mary Versus the Movies