When you’ve got a craving for the best meat around, you have to stop by Motel Hello and get some of Farmer Vincent’s Fritters. Once you’re there, you will probably find that you cannot leave. Such is what happens to every single person in this film.
On the surface, Vincent (Rory Calhoun) and Ida (Nancy Parsons) look innocent enough, perhaps a bit odd to the more civilized person, but Vincent and Ida have a family secret that I don’t even think they could explain to the audience. They use elaborate traps to sabotage vehicles that are passing by, then drug and kidnap the occupants.
Now, you’ve got a creepy old man and his even creepier looking sister. Fresh, smoked meat that people just can’t get enough of. Add to the fact that this is a horror film and what do you come up with? Unless you’re Charlton Heston, you probably got it right away. It’s people!
The film makes no effort to keep this secret from the audience. In fact, we find out almost immediately and have a front row seat to the entire process of the family business.
Vincent prides himself on using the freshest product available as well as not using any preservatives. How does he keep his meat so fresh? Well he plants people in the ground like turnips, cutting their vocal cords and sticking a potato sack over their heads. The most obvious solution I know. The process seems to turn them into some kind of zombie-like creature, something that is never explained at all.
Although considered a cult classic, this film lacks several key features elevating it to that category. The first is common sense. Granted, you have to go into this film with the right mind-set, something that I don’t think I was expecting. Of course you don’t plant human beings in the ground, but the fact that he does and treats them like any animal being led to the slaughter only demonstrates the sick and twisted nature of this family. To Vincent, he is doing good, feeding people and keeping the world in balance. Cruel as he seems, he goes to great lengths to ensure his ‘crop’ feels no pain when it is time for the harvest. Is this a commentary on ‘humane’ methods of meat production? More likely it is just a frightening prelude to cannibalism.
Another problem with the film that I had was the lack of any protagonist whatsoever. Although one of the special features listed on the package reads: Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at MOTEL HELL’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith, this is just not the case. I don’t consider Ida a protagonist in the least! As far as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ people go in the film, the only good ones we have end up being Vincent’s brother Bruce (Paul Linke), a POLICE OFFICER who has no idea what his family is up to, and who tries to rape innocent women. We also have Terry (Nina Axelrod) who never lives up to the potential she could have had, and, for all intents and purposes is simply a female in distress the entire film.
The movie drags quite a bit, but makes up for that in the end with an intense chainsaw battle. I thought it was really well done, very effective in its intensity and tension. You don’t get a lot of cringe worthy moments, but you get plenty here.
Video
Motel Hell is presented in 1080p 1.85:1. For the most part, the transfer looks pretty good. Colors are nicely saturated with few blemishes here and there. Some scenes, however, suffer from intense graininess. This is definitely a step up from any previous releases, but it still far from perfect.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The sound is decent, and the score comes through nicely.
Extras
NEW Audio Commentary with director Kevin Connor, moderated by filmmaker Dave Parker
NEW It Takes All Kinds: The Making of MOTEL HELL featuring interviews with director Kevin Connor, producers/writers Robert Jaffe and Steven Charles Jaffe and actor Marc Silver
NEW Shooting Old School with cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth
Another Head on the Chopping Block: An interview with actor Paul Linke
From Glamour to Gore: An interview with actress Rosanne Katon
Ida, Be They Name: A look back at MOTEL HELL’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith
Original Theatrical Trailer
Photo Galleries
With the right mind-set, Motel Hell can be a lot of fun. For me, it has its moments, but doesn’t quite live up to that cult classic status that I was expecting. Scream Factory gives it a good treatment as usual, worth picking up if you’re a fan of the film or a collector of Scream Factory titles.