By BILL REICK
Starring Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke and Nancy Parsons
Written by Robert Jaffe and Steven-Charles Jaffe
Directed by Kevin Connor
United Artists
In the 2020s, the horror genre sometimes seems like a very serious, dour affair. The critical praise awarded to solemn, meditative horror raises the demand for those kinds of films. And while it’s important for art to reflect the times, not every horror movie needs to carry with it the weight of the world. Cultural relevance shouldn’t be the only goal of the entire horror filmmaking community. Sometimes, it’s just as important to have a silly, good time at the movies. Escapism can be radical defiance, too!
This isn’t a recent phenomenon either. Critics have always favored the super-serious when it comes to horror. The Silence of the Lambs and The Exorcist, the most formally acclaimed horror movies, are tonally intense. But if you know where to look, there are a few laughs in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Do we lose out on terror when we allow for humor? Is the sacrifice worth it if we’re still thoroughly entertained, if not totally scared?
A great argument for silliness in horror is MOTEL HELL from 1980. It’s somehow light and fun while also being gross and dark all at the same time. It has such a unique tone that you’ll know if you’re in or out pretty quickly. This movie’s not for everyone. It’s got some gags and goofs in it, but it’s also gory enough to warrant the horror label. That could alienate some people. There is a lot of disturbing imagery, but there are also full-on, well-written jokes. And it’s effective both ways. It confidently walks a very fine line – and it works.
Our heroine, Terry, is played by Nina Axelrod (she’s also in Critters 3), and she’s the real audience surrogate here. Her story is a descent into the strange and terrible world of Vincent and Ida Smith. Farmer Vincent is the proprietor of a regionally famous smoked meats company, and his sister Ida is his right-hand woman. The only problem is that “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters,” with emphasis on all kinds. It turns out “all kinds” includes humans. This isn’t a spoiler. It’s right there on the poster, the gape-mouthed victims in their vertically dug graves, face-up, with only their heads above ground. Farmer Vincent and his sister Ida are planting their victims like crops and then harvesting them when they’re ready to fire up the smoker. It’s great.
Rory Calhoun plays Farmer Vincent, and he’s incredible. This guy made his feature film debut way back in the 1940s, and for the next two decades, he did around three movies each year. The guy worked a lot. By the time MOTEL HELL comes along, he can reliably carry the whole picture. Vincent is so crucial; If we can’t feel drawn in by his charm, then the movie doesn’t work. Luckily, Calhoun is more than capable, and we fall for Vincent’s charisma. He’s a very effective salesman. It’s still creepy when Terry falls in love with him, but we’re charmed, too.
The comedic core of the movie is Vincent’s sister Ida, played by Nancy Parsons. Parsons was most famously in the Porky’s movies, and eagle-eyed Trekkies might recognize her from the Season 3 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Vengeance Factor.” Ida is at the center of most of MOTEL HELL’s laughs. Her dynamic with her brother Vincent leads to some of the most memorably funny moments in the movie. Paul Linke rounds out the Smith family as Bruce, the youngest sibling and the town’s Sheriff. Initially, his off-putting demeanor suggests he will be the source of Terry’s torment, but little does she know the hell that awaits her at the motel.
The movie’s called MOTEL HELL, but it’s more about a farm and a slaughterhouse. The Smith siblings do own the cleverly named Motel Hello, but it’s a front for their meat-smoking business. The motel only exists for the name. The second “O,” the one at the end, flickers on and off, and voila… MOTEL HELL. Good stuff.
Kevin Connor directed MOTEL HEL, and stalwart genre fans may recognize his name from the credits of From Beyond the Grave, an Amicus Productions anthology film from 1974. Connor has a distinctive style, and he nails it with MOTEL HELL. He would return to the genre for the final time in 1983 with The House Where Evil Dwells. Safe money says that you haven’t seen that one, a Japanese-American production about a haunted house in Kyoto. But, hey, comment below if you have!
Look for a fresh-faced John Ratzenberger a full two years before Cliff sat at the bar in Cheers. Ratzenberger is a motorcycle punk who is duped and captured by Vincent. It’s particularly brutal. When farmer Vincent plants his “crops” (still-living people), we get these wonderful glimpses of rows and rows of the victims’ heads peeking out above the soil. Vincent and Ida slit their prey’s vocal cords so they can’t scream for help. It’s this kind of detail that separates this one from other movies that strike a similar tone.
For the most part, horror comedies tend to favor one over the other. Your Shauns of the Dead and Cabins in the Woods are always rooted primarily in the world of comedy. MOTEL HELL, however, provides enough brutal imagery to be a full-on horror movie. The fact that you’re laughing the whole time is a side effect.
MOTEL HELL is available to stream for free on Tubi and PlutoTV and is also available for rent or purchase through Fandango and Vudu. Give it a shot, and while you’re at it, be sure to try Farmer Vincent’s famous smoked meats. If it tastes funny, it’s probably a clown.
