Movie Reviews: Motel Hell

Motel Hell

directed by Kevin Connor    

This is another relatively low budget 80s horror movie that has probably become a cult movie in the years since its release. 

Motel Hell is obviously inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, though it is not as over the top bloody and gory as some installments in that franchise. Motel Hell stars a serious actor, Rory Calhoun, from the classic Hollywood era who had been in various Westerns and romantic comedies with people like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable. 

Although Calhoun is likely less remembered today, two decades past his demise, he may have well had have had enough residual fame at the time of this film's 1980 release to give this film some gravitas that it probably didn't deserve. 

Although it seems that Calhoun is having a good time, I wouldn't say he's mugging for the camera or chewing up the scenery. He plays his role straight. 

Some might view this film as a satire or parody of the better known slasher film it references. I don't think it is. At least I don't think it's doing that deliberately. There are some moments of bleak humor and a few self-referential genre jokes. 

Although the film's direct antecedent is the aforementioned Texas Chainsaw Massacre it's worth pointing out that legends of isolated lower class rural roughnecks with non-forking family trees and dangerously wide-ranging palates go back to authors H.P. Lovecraft (The Lurking Fear), H.G Wells (The Time Machine), and beyond them to at least as far as 16th century Scotland (Sawney Bean) and arguably 13th century Germany (Hansel and Gretel). So perhaps there's a reason these legends keep popping up in our collective subconscious?  If your car breaks down at night in Nowheresville, can you say that none of these underlying themes ever come to your mind?

Famer Vincent (Calhoun) and his rather large and always hungry sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) live together on a farm. They make their living by renting out their motel and selling their famous smoked jerky. It's the best meat in the county. Vincent takes pride in his meat. Vincent refuses to sell any meat until it's just the right time to sell it.

Quality is important to Vincent. But as a man of a certain age who is unmarried, Vincent does get lonely. And who is going to keep his business going after he's gone? Vincent is proud of his ecologically sustainable organic meat production. 

Someone should be around in later years to oversee his legacy. By golly it's time for Farmer Vincent to plant some seeds! Vincent thinks it's a sign from God when a young beautiful woman Terry (Nina Axelrod) and her boyfriend have an accident near his farm. The boyfriend doesn't survive but Terry does. 

Vincent and Ida, offer, really more insist, that Terry should stay with them while she recovers. Vincent's hapless much younger brother Bruce (Paul Linke), the local sheriff, also has eyes for Terry and is nonplussed to discover that Terry apparently likes the older Vincent. Bruce can't understand why. 

Honestly, neither will the viewer. Calhoun is twenty-six years older than Linke and thirty three years older than Axelrod.  And he looks it. It's not believable that Bruce and Vincent are siblings.

Neither Bruce nor Terry know where Vincent and Ida are getting their oh so tasty meat. Hijinks ensue. This movie does not adhere to current ideas on humor around the dance of life between men and women. There is a fair amount of toplessness along with some expected violence. The camera doesn't linger on the violence. If you don't like horror movies then this is not for you. If you are a horror movie fan this movie is worth seeing for Calhoun's performance.