Motel Hell (1980)

Director:

Kevin Connor

Writers:

Robert Jaffe (written by) and
Steven-Charles Jaffe (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

18 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

You might just die...laughing!

Plot:

Farmer Vincent kidnaps unsuspecting travellers and is burying them in his garden. Unfortunately for his victims...

Plot Keywords:

Farmer | Slasher | Hypodermic Needle | Maniac | Grindhouse

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rory Calhoun	...	Vincent Smith
Paul Linke	...	Bruce Smith
Nancy Parsons	...	Ida Smith
Nina Axelrod	...	Terry
Wolfman Jack	...	Reverend Billy
Elaine Joyce	...	Edith Olson
Dick Curtis	...	Guy Robaire / 1st T.V. Preacher
Monique St. Pierre	...	Debbie
Rosanne Katon	...	Suzi
E. Hampton Beagle	...	Bob Anderson
Everett Creach	...	Bo Tulinski
Michael Melvin	...	Ivan
John Ratzenberger	...	Drummer
Marc Silver	...	Guitarist
Victoria Hartman	...	Female Terrible
Gwil Richards	...	Mr. Owens
Toni Gillman	...	Mrs. Owens
Shaylin Hendrixson	...	Twin #1
Heather Hendrixson	...	Twin #2
Margot Hope	...	Dixie
Barbara Goodson	...	Voice #1 (voice)
Kim Fowler	...	Voice #2 (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Max D. Adams	...	Big Gyna (uncredited)
Tony Agee	...	Blue Cochster (uncredited)
Rob Farrier	...	Norm Wester (uncredited)
Kerith Ann Hersey	...	Penelope (uncredited)
Donna Lee Miller	...	Barbara (uncredited)

Directed by
Kevin Connor

Writing credits
Robert Jaffe		(written by) and
Steven-Charles Jaffe		(written by)
Tim Tuchrello		uncredited

Produced by
Herb Jaffe	....	executive producer
Robert Jaffe	....	producer
Steven-Charles Jaffe	....	producer
Austen Jewell	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Lance Rubin

Cinematography by
Thomas Del Ruth		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bernard Gribble

Casting by
Stanzi Stokes

Art Direction by
Joseph M. Altadonna

Set Decoration by
W. Joe Kroesser		(as Joe Kroesser)

Makeup Department
Patricia Burck	....	hair stylist
Marie Carter	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Austen Jewell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Allen	....	second assistant director
Jack Barry	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Art Dudley	....	construction coordinator
George Hamilton	....	assistant property master
Bill Hudson	....	property master
Mel Johnson	....	leadman
William James Teegarden	....	set designer (as Jim Teegarden)
Steven Curtis Husch	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don J. Bassman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Don Bassman)
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pat Egan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph Holsen	....	dialogue editor
Craig Huxley	....	special sound effects (as Craig Hundley)
Jerry Jost	....	production sound mixer
William Manooch	....	cable person (as Bill Manooch)
Joseph Melody	....	sound effects editor
Malcolm Rennings	....	boom operator (as Mel Rennings)
Jay Wertz	....	supervising sound editor
Martha Burns Holsen	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound loader (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Adams Calvert	....	special effects (as Adams R. Calvert)

Stunts
Richard E. Butler	....	stuntman (as Richard Butler)
Bill Catching	....	stuntman
Laurie Creach	....	stuntwoman
Vicki Creach	....	stuntwoman
Gene Hartline	....	stunt coordinator
Gene Hartline	....	stuntman
Leslie Hoffman	....	stuntwoman
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Chris Howell	....	stuntman
Gary Jensen	....	stuntman (as Gary Jenson)
John Moio	....	stuntman
Sharon Schaffer	....	stuntwoman
John Sistrunk	....	stuntman

Camera and Electrical Department
Danny Buck	....	gaffer
Bob Coburn	....	still photographer
Buzz Feitshans IV	....	second assistant camera (as Fred Feitshans IV)
Cary Griffith	....	key grip
Henry M. Lebo	....	first assistant camera (as Henry Lebo)
Bradford May	....	camera operator (as Brad May)
Greg Guillo	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (uncredited)
Don Nesmith	....	best boy (uncredited)

Casting Department
Victor J. Kubitschek	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Hudson	....	costumer: women
Bernie Pollack	....	costumer: men (as Bernard A. Pollack)

Editorial Department
Cheryl Ross	....	apprentice editor
Julian Semilian	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jerry MacDonald	....	music editor
Lance Rubin	....	conductor
Dan Wallin	....	music recording mixer

Transportation Department
Jay Coffman	....	transportation co-captain
Jack Lloyd	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Benita Allen	....	production assistant
Oga Danylo	....	secretary to executive producer
Jan Dennehy	....	production auditor (as Janice Elan)
Debra Leventhal	....	assistant to producers
John Moy	....	craft service
Lillian Neidenberg	....	paymaster
Bonne Radford	....	post-production auditor
Lina Shanklin	....	script supervisor (as Linda Shanklin)
Cassandra Wilson	....	production coordinator
Earl Wingard	....	unit publicist

Thanks
Richard Berres	....	special thanks
Christopher Outwater	....	special thanks (as Chris Outwater)
Colorado Pridham	....	special thanks
Frank Vacek	....	special thanks
Vera Vacek	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Camp Hill

Distributors

• United Artists (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1983) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  opticals and titles
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera
• Technicolor  color

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | France:-16 | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (Approved No. 26113) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

High Street, Moorpark, California, USA

Company:

Camp Hill

Trivia:

Cameo: [Everett Creach]The stuntman turned actor as Bo Tulinski. This picture was Creach's final film as an actor.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Toward the end, when the saw is turned on during the fight, the object on the "conveyor" would not index toward the saw. That is a "skatewheel" conveyor, it just has a series of rollers that only allow a person to easily push something down the line. There are no motors, belts, etc. to automatically drive or feed anything down the line to the saw.

Quotes:

[Vincent uses human flesh to spice up his meat]
Vincent Smith:It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Motel Hell" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Hungarian Rhapsody No.2

Surprisingly enjoyable black comedy. Lots of fun!

I love a good horror movie, and I love a good comedy, but very rarely do I enjoy a blending of the two. I expected 'Motel Hell' to disappoint for that reason, but much to my surprise I found it was an extremely enjoyable mixture of black humour and genuinely creepy scenes. One of the reasons the movie works so well is because of the excellent casting choice of Hollywood veteran Rory Calhoun in the lead role of eccentric farmer and Motel manager Vincent Smith. Calhoun was best known for his Westerns, though he made one of two genre movies in his long career including the very silly 'Night Of The Lepus', and the nutty 'Hell Comes To Frogtown'. 'Motel Hell' is quite different to those two, and mostly played straight, which makes it all the more effective. Calhoun is well supported by the less well known Nancy Parsons ('Porky's'), as his equally unbalanced sister. I really liked 'Motel Hell' a lot, and highly recommend it to viewers with a sick sense of humour. Fans of early Tobe Hooper movies, or some of Garth Ennis' comics will especially appreciate it. This movie is a lot of fun! Dig in!