CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

JoeB131 I watched this film not knowing if I was watching a comedy or a horror movie. It wasn't funny nor scary, so it seems to have not hit either goal. The plot is, a guy named Farmer Vincent is killing passer-bys to his hotel in order to kill them for meat. But for some bizarre reason, he needs to bury them in his garden up to their necks for a month. And apparently, no one notices anything is amiss. Not even the town sheriff who is his younger brother. The movie piled improbable actions on top of improbable actions, with scenes that are supposed to be funny, I guess, but the comedy falls flat.the thing is, the actors in this aren't bad. They just have to repeat garbage that makes no sense.

geminiredblue Okay, how's this for a novel idea? What do you get when you combine THE Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE, PSYCHO, and THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES? Why MOTEL HELL, of course! Add to that mix film and TV veteran Rory Calhoun and radio personality Wolfman Jack (as a kooky televangelist, no less) and you've got a recipe for wacky, insane, blood-drenched fun! The story: Farmer Vincent (Calhoun) and his pudgy sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) are the most well-loved purveyors of meat in the area. Steaks, ham, jerky, you name it, they've got it. But, what is the secret to their success? Well, it involves shooting out the tires of passing motorists, bear traps, and a special kind of laughing gas. And what's going on in that fenced off area with the weird gurgling sounds? I'll leave it to you to discover. But let's just say "Meat's meat and man's gotta eat!" The movie is a terrific blend of horror, drama, and comedy. The actors attack their roles with such gusto that it's hard not to like them, even when they're doing horrendous things. Farmer Vince's homespun wisdom and sense of humor make for some of the most memorable lines ever. So gather together your group of bloodthirsty friends, grab some jerky, and get ready to watch!

JohnnyPHreak Motel Hell is a film I have been dying to see. In some circles it's a cult 80's horror movie. I had only seen bits and pieces of the film on TV. It seemed very interesting with the chainsaw and Saw-like pig masks. When this Halloween Extravaganza came up I jumped at the chance to finally checked it out. I seems to get caught in the hype, which I need to stop. It ruins the film experience for me. But this film ended up being nothing I expected it to be. In the end, I think this film definitely doesn't fit in the horror genre. But I don't know where else to categorize it. Rory Calhoun stars as farmer Vincent. He's famous for his meat in the area. You can't get it anywhere other then 100 mile stretch from his farm. What makes his meat so good? He kidnaps humans and cultivates them. So yes, he's selling human meat. This is no spoiler. The film opens with Vincent building one of his traps in order to get his next victims. But after the trap works, he is overcome with emotion for one of his victims. Terry (the beautiful Nina Axelrod) wakes up in his and his sister Ida's care. Vincent tells her that she had an accident but she was spared. The man she was riding with has died. But the viewers know better of his demise. Terry is grateful for being saved. She takes a liking to both Ida and Vincent but even more so Vincent. Vincent is kept in check by his brother Paul who has grown up eating the meat but knowing nothing of what the meat actually is. Paul takes a liking to Terry but Terry has eyes for his brother. What follows is Vincent coming to terms with what he is doing and Terry coming to realization that not everything is what it seems. First and foremost this is not a horror movie. There is killing but it mostly bloodless. I get the idea and the concept is in the horror family. The film plays out like a late 70's very early 80's dark comedy. At moments it's goofy like 80's comedies then it will switch gears to become trippy and odd. The performances are okay. Calhoun give Vincent more depth that he should have in a film like this. You can see there more at work then what he is showing. It's interesting to watch his slow downfall. Nancy Parsons plays his sister Ida and she is best known as the crazy gym teacher from Porky's. She plays just about the same part here but with a more fun and sinister nature. Nina Axelrod may not be the best final girl in horror movies but she's definitely one of the most attractive final girls in 'horror' film history. Being in an 80's movie she is put in all the horror situations including the final battle and the obligatory topless nudity. Speaking of, way to go for the filmmakers to be forward thinking even back then with a goofy Drive-In make out scene that sports some full frontal male nudity. I didn't see that coming at all. The rest of the performance are basic for a film of this nature.The film is full of tons of oddball characters but Vincent is the only that standout. There is an interesting scene with an S&M couple that would fit better in Police Academy then this film. Motel Hell is one of those odd films that just doesn't fit anywhere conventional. It's not a horror film that's for sure. The only moment of horror would be the final chainsaw battle. It was kind of cool to see a film end like that. But this is a film for one of those late night Netflix viewings, nothing more and nothing less.

Scott LeBrun As far as horror comedies go, "Motel Hell" is good, not great. It goes on a little long, and could have used more energy and better pacing, but when it does hit, it scores a bulls' eye. It does manage to often be genuinely funny in a dark way as well as creating some memorable bits of creepiness. It also gives its viewers a gem of a big finish: a chainsaw duel. It's a flavourful, atmospheric down-home flick that does populate its story with characters with whom one won't mind spending their time.Much of the credit should go to Western veteran Rory Calhoun, who's wonderful as demented good ol' boy farmer Vincent Smith, who both operates a backwoods motel (it's actually the Motel Hello, but the O in the neon sign burned out) and manufactures the best smoked meat within a 100 mile radius. It ain't exactly hard to figure out Vincent's secret ingredient, but it takes his lawman brother Bruce (Paul Linke of 'CHiPS') a while to catch on. Meanwhile, Vincent takes a shine to Terry (lovely Nina Axelrod), a sweet young thing who falls prey to one of his traps.Capably supporting old Rory is amiable Nancy Parsons, the character actress known best to most people as Balbricker in the "Porky's" series. There's also the curiosity value of seeing the legendary raspy voiced DJ Wolfman Jack in an acting role, as he plays Reverend Billy (and can also be heard on the radio, naturally). Keep an eye for Monique St. Pierre, Playboy Playmate of the year in 1979, and future 'Cheers' cast member John Ratzenberger, as two of the victims.Certainly the audience won't forget the sight & sound of Vincents' prey buried up to their necks in the ground and making horrible gurgling noises after getting their vocal cords slit. That's the creepy part. Overall, the movie is likable and not without style, thanks to director Kevin Connor ("The Land That Time Forgot"). It's got some memorably quotable dialogue and a priceless final line from Vincent.Mixing comedy and horror can be a hard thing to get right but at least "Motel Hell" strikes a reasonable balance throughout.Seven out of 10.