Now Streaming: ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK Reminds Why the 80s Were So Tough

Oh, Elvira, I've missed you.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1986)
Now streaming on Shudder. It's also heading to home video, courtesy of Arrow Video.

As a streaming service, Shudder has proven to be exceptional in its variety of offerings for genre fans of a certain age (i.e. those who are more than 18 years old).

Initially focused on horror titles, the service has steadily expanded its reach to include an avalanche of demented, disturbing, and disgusting films from around the world, with a welcome attention to international (mostly, non-English language) cinema, as well as hard-edged thrillers, action movies, supernatural mysteries, outrageous comedies, and genre-flavored documentaries, among others that defy easy categorization.

They also offer a terrific collection of series, including podcasts and episodic television shows, not to mention their original productions.

But what can I watch with my kids?

Since I don't have any children myself, I have no idea. I think the easy answer is: 'That's what a million other streaming services do!' Parents and adult guardians will make their own viewing decisions for their very young ones, of course, especially considering that the rating system probably doesn't align absolutely with your own values and standards.

For young people who are over the age of 13, however, many more options are available. As it happens, a movie rated PG-13 -- "Parents strongly cautioned ... some material may be inappropriate for pre-teengers," in today's language, per CARA in the U.S. -- has recently been added to the service.

Cassandra Peterson stars in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, which was released in 1988. The character first appeared in late 1981 on television in Los Angeles, hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre, and I have fond memories of tuning in more for her humor than for the movies, which she often lightly ridiculed, as appropriate and needed.

Directed by James Signorrelli (known for his great parody skits on Saturday Night Live), the movie version sends her to Massachusetts after the death of her great-aunt, where she hopes to inherit money that will allow her to start her own act in Las Vegas. Her apparently inherent, cheerful optimism eventually wins over many in the town, though the more staunchly conservative folks resist her charms.

It's easy enough to read the story as a reflection of the cultural strains that were pulling Reagan's America apart. Beyond any real-life mooring, however, it's a good jumping-off point for Peterson's fun-loving sense of humor.

Looking back, it's a bit alarming to realize -- and come to terms with -- the rampant sexism in the film, although Elvira is (mostly) in control of her own agency. That too is a reflection of the era.

Mostly, though, the movie is a pleasant, lighthearted experience that we could call "horror-adjacent." Happily, the new season of The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs kicks off on Shudder tonight, which should satisfy the modern thirst for witty, rambunctious horror hosts.

Now Streaming covers international and indie genre films and TV shows that are available on legal streaming services.