EarDelightBase Waste of Money.

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

photoenthusiast First off, I'll tell you right away that I'm a devoted fan of ELVIRA, so one might expect a non-objective review. However, I have watched this movie many, many times, and can honestly say it is an entertaining and satisfying vehicle for it's gorgeous star.If you start off by thinking you'll be seeing a sequel to her previous comedy, ELVIRA MISTRESS OF THE DARK, then you might be disappointed, because it is definitely NOT that. A true sequel can not be made, because specific plot-points and characters are owned by that film's original studio (and those who picked it up when said studio crashed). Luckily for her fans, the rights to the character of ELVIRA herself belong to her creator, Cassandra Peterson, so we were able to be treated to a second movie, simply with a different premise and setting. I, for one, am grateful for that!ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS is a lovingly crafted parody of cheesy 1960s era horror movies of the Roger Corman and Hammer House variety. Time is taken to develop plot and character, to some extent, so it is not a gag-a-minute spoof such as AIRPLANE!, but is more like YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN in providing chuckles as well as atmosphere. I'm happy to say that, although it is a period piece, the character of Elvira remains Elvira no matter what, dispensing anachronistic quips and the sense of humor for which she is famous. Many lines are laugh out loud funny, while others are funny because they are groan inducingly bad. Sure, a few gags just don't pay off, and in my opinion the editing could be tighter overall, but when it all works the movie is hilarious. Peterson gets lots of the best moments, naturally, including a terrific musical number, but many funny lines are delivered by the supporting cast, as well. My favorite scenes include Elvira's exaggerated display of grief over someone's death, and her first meeting with the 'stable stud', who is overdubbed like so many bad foreign movies of the 1960s. My least favorite is an extended torture sequence, which is very well staged, just a bit too long.The cast does a great job, for the most part, though some get better material than others. Richard O'Brien, as the lord of the castle, provides some humor, but is actually most effective when his character is more menacing. There are actually several moments of genuine suspense, too. All in all, this is absolutely worth a look for casual fans, and worth a purchase for those of us who can't get enough Elvira. It is best viewed with a big group of friends, by the way. Every time I've seen it, whether at a party or on the big screen in a packed theater, this is without a doubt a 'more the merrier' experience!

Paul Andrews Elvira's Haunted Hills is set in Carpathia in 1851 where Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) is making her way across Eurpoe to Paris to do a stage-show, totally broke & stranded there Elvira & her maid Zou Zou (Mary Jo Smith) accept a ride from a guy named Dr. Bradley Bradley (Scott Atkinson) who takes them to the Hellsubus castle to stay the night. The owner of Hellsubus castle Lord Vladimere Hellsubus (Richard O'Brien) lives in torment of the Hellsubus family curse, the striking resemblance Elvira has to Lord Vladimere's dead wife Lady Elura doesn't go unnoticed either...Directed by Sam Irvin this is the second film to feature Elvira who is probably best known as the hostess of Movie Macabre during the 80's where she introduced various sci-fi, cult & horror films on US TV which means me living in the UK I never saw it & have no affinity with the Elvira character at all & only know of her through her first feature film Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988) so I am not clouded by any sort of nostalgic sentiment. Elvira's Haunted Hills is not a sequel to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark & is a completely stand-alone film, when you strip the film down Elvira's Haunted Hills is a comedy spoof of the Edgar Allen Poe/Roger Corman/Vincent Price/AIP Gothic horror films of the 60's with many references to said films. Unfortunately the script goes for comedy rather than scares which would have been fine if it was funny but since it wasn't it isn't, the jokes & gags feel old & are very predictable with lots of sexual innuendo, physical slapstick accompanied by daft sound effects & silly one-liners. What it boils down to is that I didn't find Elvira's Haunted Hills funny at all & the lowbrow childish humour just didn't do anything for me & since the makers neglected the horror aspects of the story there's not much left to compensate & make-up for the lack of genuine laughs. The pace of the film is alright, the story is OK & to be fair it's watchable I suppose but the script misses the mark more times than it hits it.I will say that Elvira's Haunted Hills has pretty good production values & it looks quite nice, the CGI effects are used sparingly & are alright, the sets are decent enough as are the costumes & period decor. There are plenty of horror film references & spoofs like obvious ones from The Shining (1980), House of Usher (1960), Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Dracula (1931) & oddly Titanic (1997). There's really not much in the way of proper horror here & the PG rating doesn't help either, there's a brief shot of a decapitated head & a skeleton & that's your lot.With a supposed budget of about $1,500,000 this was filmed in Bucharest in Romania which is helpful since the film is set there anyway, the film looks nice enough although the low budget does occasionally show. The acting is over the top & everyone hams it up, Peterson is pretty good & she still looks OK even at 50 when she shot this although if you look at the film you will notice there aren't any close-ups on her as medium & longs shots are mostly used.Elvira's Haunted Hills is more of a comedy than it is a horror, unfortunately it's just not very funny. It's not a complete disaster & is watchable I suppose but I can't really recommend a silly horror comedy that is neither scary nor funny.

JohnZoidberg I was a big fan of the original Elvira film, but this one was just terrible. This time the lame jokes weren't even lame, they were pathetic.I can honestly say that Elvira's Haunted Hills hurt my brain.Stick with the original, this does nobody any good, not the actors, the film makers, the viewers, small furry animals running in a meadow somewhere...nobody.Also, it is dedicated to Vincent Price...who is CERTAIN to have rolled in his grave as a result.How about this, put the TV on, insert the DVD into the player and press play...then, pick up your car keys and go to the movies instead.

spoogy It seems that all of the negative comments about this film are based on the fact that most of the jokes are old. That's the point, isn't it? Elvira is supposed to be campy, and so is this movie.This movie shines because Peterson's performance is, as always, superb. Her timing and gleeful delivery make the film impossible for anyone with an appreciation for the subject matter to resist. The only possible complaint that a fan may have is that, by placing the character out of the ordinary, she becomes somehow less extraordinary, and feels almost normal in comparison to her surroundings. Even then, though, she's hilarious.As for claims that it was too bad for a major studio, well, that's really an impossibility, isn't it? The films Elvira hosts are nearly always major studio releases. The problems with shopping this movie around to studios and distributors is that the movie is completely built around the character, but the industry would likely only have been able to pay Peterson as an actress and writer, in spite of the fact that her copyrights are the basis of the film.