Motel Hell is aptly titled because the malfunctioning neon "O" in said sign flickers on and off at will. Dark comedy drives the narrative and the performances here are both funny and scary.
We follow siblings Vincent, Ida and brother Bruce. Farmer Vincent and Ida are bad, while Bruce, ironically enough, is the Sheriff. There is a subplot involving Bruce and would be victim Terry who instead becomes part of the family.
Vincent and Ida appear to be relatively normal and somewhat innocuous at first... but by 1980, I'm sure that horror audiences knew that looks can be deceiving. Both brother and sister ultimately prove to be as lethal as two spiders in a web.
There is also an amusing scene in which a BDSM couple welcome Vincent and Ida into their room - instead of expressing concern at the owners for letting themselves in, which would be a perfectly normal reaction. Here, the couple actually beckon them closer, hoping that they'll join in. Little did they know that they would soon be the "special meat" in Farmer Vincent's fritters - which he sells by the roadside.
While Motel Hell is it's own animal, it can't avoid the shadow cast upon it by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the controversial slasher that hit six years previous. There's no denying that the formula is quite similar, e.g. victims meet their end by a psycho killer Ed Gein-esque family, get turned into tasty BBQ, there's a chainsaw... you get the idea.
The process of victim to fritter is an interesting one - the victims are buried up to their necks in a secret "head" garden and pumped full of fodder until they are plump enough for butchering. This gruesome sight features on the poster but it still has to be seen to be believed.
The ending pays off as we are treated to a chainsaw duel to the death between Vincent and Bruce. Vincent dons an actual pig's head and laughs maniacally until his last breath. This disturbing image actually made it onto the cover of Fangoria #9 which was subsequently banned in the U.S. and is now a sought after collectible.
How Vincent could see out of the pig's head, let alone breathe, is anyone's guess but hey, it's a movie, it doesn't have to make sense. If anyone saw this contraption in real life, I'm guessing they'd mess their drawers!
This is such a maniacal, over the top and amusing take on the genre that it deserves repeat viewings.
5½/10.
We follow siblings Vincent, Ida and brother Bruce. Farmer Vincent and Ida are bad, while Bruce, ironically enough, is the Sheriff. There is a subplot involving Bruce and would be victim Terry who instead becomes part of the family.
Vincent and Ida appear to be relatively normal and somewhat innocuous at first... but by 1980, I'm sure that horror audiences knew that looks can be deceiving. Both brother and sister ultimately prove to be as lethal as two spiders in a web.
There is also an amusing scene in which a BDSM couple welcome Vincent and Ida into their room - instead of expressing concern at the owners for letting themselves in, which would be a perfectly normal reaction. Here, the couple actually beckon them closer, hoping that they'll join in. Little did they know that they would soon be the "special meat" in Farmer Vincent's fritters - which he sells by the roadside.
While Motel Hell is it's own animal, it can't avoid the shadow cast upon it by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the controversial slasher that hit six years previous. There's no denying that the formula is quite similar, e.g. victims meet their end by a psycho killer Ed Gein-esque family, get turned into tasty BBQ, there's a chainsaw... you get the idea.
The process of victim to fritter is an interesting one - the victims are buried up to their necks in a secret "head" garden and pumped full of fodder until they are plump enough for butchering. This gruesome sight features on the poster but it still has to be seen to be believed.
The ending pays off as we are treated to a chainsaw duel to the death between Vincent and Bruce. Vincent dons an actual pig's head and laughs maniacally until his last breath. This disturbing image actually made it onto the cover of Fangoria #9 which was subsequently banned in the U.S. and is now a sought after collectible.
How Vincent could see out of the pig's head, let alone breathe, is anyone's guess but hey, it's a movie, it doesn't have to make sense. If anyone saw this contraption in real life, I'm guessing they'd mess their drawers!
This is such a maniacal, over the top and amusing take on the genre that it deserves repeat viewings.
5½/10.