Synopsis
"Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" is a 1988 comedy, horror movie - upon arriving in a small town where Elvira has inherited a rundown mansion, the famous horror host must battle an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
Scores
Overall Score
60.9
Popularity Percentile (Year)
71.3%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
46.5%
Review Aggregate
62.8
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 64% of 22 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize funny, dark, macabre. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
funnydarkmacabrecharacter-drivenscaryemotional
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassandra Peterson | 1988 | $391,000 | $1,037,000 | (est) |
| W. Morgan Sheppard | 1988 | $241,000 | $639,000 | (est) |
| Daniel Greene | 1988 | $181,000 | $481,000 | (est) |
| Jeff Conaway | 1988 | $148,000 | $393,000 | (est) |
| Susan Kellermann | 1988 | $127,000 | $336,000 | (est) |
| Edie McClurg | 1988 | $112,000 | $296,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score58.0
RT critic review count26
Rotten Tomatoes audience score66.0
RT audience rating count10,000
IMDb rating6.6
IMDb votes23,061
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1988 | $5,596,267 | $14,839,805 |
| International | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1988 | $5,596,267 | $14,839,805 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1988 | $2,798,134 | $7,419,903 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1988 | $14,661,000 | $38,877,056 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1988 | $7,669,000 | $20,336,139 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1988 | $1,343,104 | $3,561,553 |
| Total Revenues | 1988 | $26,471,238 | $70,194,651 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1988 | $7,500,000 | $19,887,997 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1988 | $2,415,000 (est) | $6,403,935 (est) |
| Participations | 1988 | $1,059,000 | $2,808,185 |
| Residuals ? | 1988 | $1,708,000 | $4,529,160 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1988 | $1,500,000 | $3,977,599 |
| Total Expenses | 1988 | $14,182,000 | $37,606,876 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1988 | $12,289,238 | $32,587,775 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Gremlins | 1984 | Shared genres: 2 | 93.6 | $106,400,152 |
 | Zombieland | 2009 | Shared genres: 2 | 92.3 | $47,905,432 |
 | The Menu | 2022 | Shared genres: 2 | 91.4 | $9,025,674 |
 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 2024 | Shared genres: 2 | 91.3 | $80,449,339 |
 | Shaun of the Dead | 2004 | Shared genres: 2 | 89.7 | $44,643,639 |