Fucking Motel Hell. What a fun movie. Released in 1980, this movie has been treated unfairly for decades. Finally, it’s getting the love it deserves. This was released around the time when Slasher films were starting to take off. This movie got lumped in with them. I always here Return of the Living Dead gave birth to the Horror/Comedy merger. That’s bullshit. Don’t get me wrong. I love ROTL, but it simply is not true. After Seventies Savage Cinema came and went, Motel Hell came out and combined both Horror/Comedy very well.
Just like The Wicker Man, Repo Man or even Clockwork Orange, it’s really hard to label this movie. It’s funny, it’s creepy, it’s just plain odd. That’s also why it’s brilliant. Premise is pretty simple: Farmer Vincent and sister Ida kidnap travelers and bury them in their human garden (with head sticking out of the ground), and fatten them up to make Vincents famous smoked meats. Vincent rescues a young blonde from a bike wreck (and buries her old man), and allows her stay with him and Ida.
Such an untraditional Horror film. They throw all the rules out the window. From the 2 twin girls finding a man with a pig head, to the rock band (a young Cliff Claven from Cheers), to the S&M couple that want to swing with Vincent and Ida, the cardboard cows (which you can find a hommage type scene in Rob Zombie’s 31), to the blondes sexual preference to much older men, to the final showdown with pig head, and the cop having themselves a Texas Chainsaw sword fight.
The humor isn’t knee slapping funny. It has a morbid sense of humor that only a devoted Horror fan would find hilarious (…like me). There was this crossover visually between 1980 and probably 1983, when Horror films still had that dark, almost sleazy seventies look. Around ‘83 it started to get more colorful. Motel Hell still has that dark 70’s look, which is why I think this movie still works. Has the same visual charm similar to Tobe Hooper’s Funhouse.
As usual Scream Factory doesn’t hold back. Picture is beautiful, sound could be better, but I believe this was a tough film to remaster. Loaded with extras, including interviews with the cast and film makers, and a great little piece on the history of Female Villains.
Motel Hell is that necessary little Horror film. I find this popping up a lot in Horror documentaries, and is starting to get recognized as a more important Horror film than it was credited for when released. This was definitely one of those treasures I saw on HBO when the grown ups went to bed. I also remember owning the poster. When I was a kid, there was this small video store called “Video Store of Stockton.” It was owned by a really sweet Asian family. The reason why I mention their race, is because they were unfamiliar with which American films were blockbusters. What the demand was for the common movie goer. So they were getting a lot of posters from independent Horror companies, or major studios that were promoting the under dogs. Those were the posters the owners were putting up, and that’s why their store fucking rocked. I had to put my name and number on the poster, so when they were done with it, they’d give it to me. Motel Hell was one of those posters.
If you’re determined to be a serious Horror collector, then this has to be in your collection. It’s a goofy little movie, with a lot of Hillbilly charm, and some good scares. It’s a movie that sat back in 1980 and let the others have their 15 minutes, knowing that some day it will get the love it deserves.
A must own.
– G.R.E.E.N.B.A.N.K.
MORBID MOVIE MEMOIRS: VHS GENERATION 