Motel Hell (1980)
Directed by: Kevin Connor
Written by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe, Tim Tuchrello
Starring: Nancy Parsons, Paul Linke, Rory Calhoun
MOTEL HELL (1980)
In the Deep South, brother and sister Vincent and Ida Smith run a motel alongside their business Farmer Vincent’s Smoked Meats, the best darn meats in the whole of the county. People come from far and wide to sample their delicious meat, but very few check-in to the motel and those that do don’t check out! After ‘rescuing’ a young woman named Terry, Vincent feels for the first time he can share his work with someone but little does Terry know just what exactly the secret family recipe contains!
Motel Hell is a tongue-in=cheek take on the slasher film and is rather a cutesy one at that. There’s not much blood to be seen with most of the horrifying acts done off-camera but the talk of ‘meat’s meat and a man’s gotta eat!’ will surely turn you vegetarian once you see what this simple, charming farmer has up his sleeve. Is it horror? Hmm…not entirely, it’s more of a mash between horror and comedy and definitely does not take itself seriously. In many ways it plays out almost like a drama, with the siblings capturing their prey, feeding and nurturing them until they’re prime to be harvested. Once Terry comes into the equation and it’s clear of Vincent’s intention to reveal his family secret, Ida becomes jealous that she may be ousted from the family trade as the only female. The relationship between her and her brother is almost incestual despite there being no romance or sexual chemistry between them. In fact, I thought they were a married couple for the vast majority of the film!
Whilst the film is entertaining of a fashion, there’s not really much to it. The performances in Motel Hell are decent enough, but I suppose the plot isn’t deep enough for my tastes. Saying that, there are some genius bits to the movie that will have you smiling and a catchy little ditty that somes up their work: “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters”. A few of my favourite scenes include a visit from a kinky couple who mistaken the motel for a swingers inn and the psychedelic method in which Vincent and Ida harvest their ‘crops’. The film is certainly an interesting take on the cannibalism genre, one which for the most part doesn’t feel wrong or intrusive as some due to the almost normal nature of the killer siblings who hide their side-line slaughter work in a secret garden, away from prying eyes.
Arrow Video have released Motel Hell on Blu-Ray for the first time in the world and the transfer is remarkably crisp, something which most, if not all of their releases I’ve reviewed I’ve found to be. Along with the high definition presentation, the Blu-Ray contains extra features including audio commentary from director Kevin Connor, a handful of special features, reversible sleeve artwork and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kim Newman among other treats.
If you enjoy a good slasher film, you’ll find plenty to like here, even if it is more of a humourous take on the genre.
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