It may be trashy, low quality, nonsensical and all the rest of it - but the fact is that Motel Hell is pure cult class, and is bound to delight all the right people. People like me. It's nowhere near the true classics of the genre, films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House on the Left; but Motel Hell stands apart as a worthy addition to extreme cult cinema. The plot isn't very clever or original, and doesn't even make a whole lot of sense. Motel Hell also rips off numerous films for several plot points. We follow a farmer named Vincent who makes the best meat in town. His methods of making his meat are questionable, as is implied by his slogan; "it takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters!" This is also shown by the fact that he and his assistant (a fat woman) kidnap, and then plant (yes, plant) unlucky tourists in the surrounding area. The sub-plot comes from a tourist taken into the farmer's home after a motorbike 'accident', which killed the young girl's boyfriend. As you would expect from a film of this sort, Motel Hell isn't entirely serious - with most of the scenes coming off as a parody of the serious genre films. The acting is typically low quality, but Rory Calhoun does well in the lead role as the maniacal farmer Vincent. Kevin Connor, who does a good job of keeping the film weird, directs the film. Motel Hell is constantly bizarre, and if the idea of burying people up to their neck in the ground doesn't strike you as odd - I'm sure there'll be enough other aspects of the film to do that for you. The ending is of particular note, for being one of the most macabre things I've ever seen on film. This part of the film also seems to have been the inspiration for the sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the video game 'Manhunt'. Really, it doesn't get much more perverse than a chainsaw wielding man wearing a pig's head! Overall, Motel Hell won't do much for fans of serious films - but if you like your cult flicks, especially bizarre and gory ones; this one is definitely worth seeing! And, to be honest, I'd much rather have fun with a movie like this than spend my time watching some boring Oscar contender any day of the week

"Motel Hell" is one of those movies that gives a person the same impression of motels that "Psycho" gives people. In this case, bumpkin farmer Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) bury their guests in his backyard to fatten them and turn them into smoked meat. People aren't stopping at the motel anymore? No problem! Just lay bear traps along the road to catch unsuspecting motorists! But when they catch hot young babe Terry (Nina Axelrod), Vincent decides that he REALLY likes her...enough to marry her. I gave the movie 10/10 stars because I assume that you won't read this review unless you've decided in advance that you like the movie. In that respect, the movie won't disappoint. It's typical brain candy, with sardonic comments and a nerdy hero. But what makes this movie especially interesting is the presence of Wolfman Jack as a preacher. Of course, you might say that he's the perfect individual to star in a horror flick, given that he has "wolfman" in his name. All in all, pretty fun.

An elderly motel owner famous for its smoked meat, kidnaps people by setting traps on roads and sometimes by luring people to visit his motel with fake advertisements of orgies and swinger parties. He is aided by his sister while his naive cop brother is unaware. Things are going smoothly until a young girl falls in love with the motel owner which causes a rift between the three siblings. I first saw this in the mid 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. I was laughing throughout the whole film. The traps, the ideas, the secret garden n the confession about the hypocrisy r all darkly comical. We get to see good * of Nina Axelrod for few secs. The setting is very pleasant of that of a farm with a nearby lake. The scene where the survivors r walking thru the fog looked as if zombies approaching.

This movie really seemed like one with a big cult potential. It had the right concept, the right characters and the right approach and style for that but yet "Motel Hell" doesn't really work out as an entertaining cult B-horror flick because simply not enough good or interesting is ever happening within this movie. Of course it's not a movie to take seriously and of course the movie is more of a dark and spoofing comedy than a gory horror flick really. I however just couldn't really enjoy watching this movie, due to a dragging pace and long parts within the movie in which nothing is ever happening. Surely they could had put in some more blood and gore just for the fun of it and to spice up things a little, now couldn't they? Instead now it's just merely a semi-funny and entertaining movie with good intentions. I was quite frankly expecting to enjoy this movie, since it seemed like the type of movie I enjoy watching but it instead turned out to be a disappointment. I missed the gore, I missed the real fun, I missed a good and steady entertainment value. The movie had really potential but it instead chooses to drag on for far too long without ever really paying off with either its comedy or horror. Can I have my money back now? 4/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

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Another 80s B classic that had a run at the drive-ins before drive-ins went out of style. Rory Calhoun and Nancy Parsons run a roadside motel that likes to slaughter it's guests and turn them into sausage. They have a neat little slaughterhouse and smoke room out the back where they take their victims after planting them in a garden (with only their heads exposed) and fattening them up for the slaughter. And when the guest attendance at the motel falls off, Calhoun sets traps out on the highway for passing motorists so that he can add them to his garden. It also has Nina Axelrod as the girl that Calhoun and Parson take pity on and 'adopt' as one of their own, and Paul Linke as the dumb sheriff who bumbles his way into finally ending Calhoun's operation, once and for all. There's a clumsy little fight sequence in the smokehouse at the end involving knives and cleavers, with all the action taking place surrounding a vat filled with body parts. Worth a one-time look. Brainless fun. 6 out of 10

Having been increasingly disappointed by the recent slew of 'horror' films that have bee released I was greatly cheered when I caught this at a late night show recently. It was a timely reminder that there is good horror out there - even if it is over 20 years old!! For once, the blending of horror and comedy really works. The film is played dead straight (most of the time) and that is why it succeeds where so many recent horror/comedies fail. By not constantly tipping it's hat to the audience and pointing out how clever it's being it allows the audience to really appreciate how ludicrous it is - without the frequent reminders that the filmmakers think they're cool. In the space of 90mins we get nudity, cannibalism, amateur surgery, a hilarious 'love' story, creepy characters, a dumb policeman, a chainsaw duel, lots of gore and some very spaced out characters. What more could you ask for? It's this movies overwhelming sense of fun that really works. You can imagine the filmmakers laughing their asses off making this - and that enthusiasm comes right of the screen and is very infectious. The audience I saw this with laughed, clapped and some gave it a standing ovation at the end. Do you need a better recommendation?

This is one of the best horror movies ever made! With just the right blend of comedy, suspense, gore and horror "Motel Hell" is a real treat and the kind of film that can be watched over and over again. Nancy Parsons and Rory Calhoun's performances in particular are outstanding but the entire cast is brilliant...there's even a cameo appearance by the legendary radio personality Wolfman Jack as a preacher of all things! Parsons and Calhoun play Ida and Vincent Smith, a bizarre brother and sister duo who run the local motel in town. They also have a side business known as "Farmer Vincent's Smoked Meats". These meats consist of pork mixed with "Secret Spices"...the kind of spices that Vincent and Ida keep in the Secret Garden buried up to their necks with their vocal cords slit but as Granny used to always say "Meat's Meat and Man's Gotta Eat!". You cannot call yourself a horror fan without first checking into "Motel Hell"...this film is a MUST!

Farmer Vincent (Rory Calhoun) runs Motel Hello with his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons). He also causes accidents for unsuspecting motorists, buries them up to their necks in a secret garden...and periodically kills them to make his delicious famous meat. There's also unsuspecting Terry (Nina Axelrod) and bumbling sheriff Bruce (Paul Linke). This is a failed attempt at a cannibal comedy. The basic idea of the script is decent but it's ruined by terrible dialogue and stupid comedy. To make things worse Axelrod and Linke have to be two of the worst actors I've ever seen. Axelrod is beautiful but has zero acting ability. Linke is somewhat handsome but acts like an idiot most of the time. Also Parsons goes WAY over the top in her role. It's amusing at first but gets tired pretty quickly. The only thing that saves this is a few--very few--comedic and horror bits do work (LOVE the homage to "Night of the Living Dead" near the end) and Calhoun. He has an easy-going charm that suits this role perfectly and does what he can with his bad dialogue. His casual explanation about why he's doing this is very funny and his final line is a classic. So it is worth seeing for him and the final chainsaw fight is kind of fun. Still I was bored more often that not. I can only give it a 4.

Apparently, "Motel Hell" has something of a cult following among horror enthusiasts (at least some of them), though I cannot begin to understand why. Bundled together with the far superior Gothic shocker "Deranged," "Motel Hell" comes across as a poorly calculated campfest trying to capitalize on the success of Tobe Hooper's subtly menacing "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," what with the emphasis on dry humor stemming from macabre incidents. Trouble is, Hooper's cult classic was an incidental horror sidetrip with a raw realism; "Motel Hell," by comparison, is a constantly winking parody that is neither funny nor scary (save for the genuinely nightmarish "pig-mask" imagery near the end), just interminably annoying. Rory Calhoun seems out-of-place as the grinning Farmer Vincent, never quite conveying the right amount of malevolence to be a convincing psychopath; the rest of the cast contributes embarrassing amateur-hour performances that hinder the already anvil-heavy humor. Side note: did anyone inform director Kevin Connor of the wonders of -lighting- during the course of this little venture?