“Motel Hell” (1980) – Vincent (Roy Calhoun) and Ida Smith (Nancy Parsons) are a brother and sister team who run a motel in the countryside. Vincent sports a southern accent of sorts, but Ida’s might be placed somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic.
Anyways, their lodging doesn’t sit off a busy highway, but a winding road with a marsh close by, and the accommodations look low budget. In fact, the second “O” flickers on the MOTEL HELLO sign, so it reads MOTEL HELL.
For folks who unfortunately attempt to drive by, Vincent sets up road hazards that cause car crashes, and he spools in his victims for nefarious purposes.
On a side-note, Vincent and Ida run a slaughter house, and they’ve prepared their meats to a welcoming community (within a 100-mile radius) for 30 years.
Mmm…I wonder if there’s a connection?
Director Kevin Connor’s horror film harbors a demented premise, but he carries out the semantics in a folksy, a-matter-of-fact manner, so the sicko lunacy feels subdued and can be mistaken for a bizarre comedy.
Well, the third act delivers a frolicking duel for the ages with visuals you won’t soon forget, and to boot, a famous “Cheers” (1982 – 1993) regular makes an appearance too.
The moral of the story: Sometimes you want to avoid a place where no one knows your name.
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: 4
Nancy Parsons stars in “Motel Hell” (1980)
Nancy Parsons stars in “Porky’s” (1981) with Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall stars in “Mannequin” (1987) with Andrew McCarthy
Andrew McCarthy stars in “St. Elmo’s Fire” (1985) with Demi Moore
Demi Moore stars in “A Few Good Men” (1992) with Kevin Bacon
Directed by: Kevin Connor
Written by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe, Tim Tuchrello
Starring: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod
Runtime: 101 minutes
Rated: R
Image credits: United Artists
