Terror at Red Wolf Inn (1972) User Reviews

Eating In

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 28 June 2008]

"A college student returns to her dorm room after class and discovers she is the winner of an all-expense paid vacation to the Red Wolf Inn. Before she can share her good fortune with her parents, she and two other girls are whisked away to begin their vacation of a lifetime. When one of the guests suddenly disappears, the young woman doesn't believe the explanation the old couple who run the inn gives her concerning the strange goings on at the Red Wolf," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Offering a delicious slice of low-budget horror cheese; director Bud Townsend and writer Allen Actor, along with a wonderful cast, should absolutely exceed your expectations. There are some flaws, and unanswered questions -- like, what happened to Myrtle? -- but, "Terror House" is too fun to pass up.

Linda Gillen (as Regina McKee) plays a sweet, adorable lead character; and, doesn't she have a great arrangement of The Beatles' "White Album" photos on her dorm wall? John Neilson (as "Baby" John Smith) is just as adorable, albeit touched; love him licking his finger after going for the bottle of after dinner brandy. It's a wonder neither Ms. Gillen nor Mr. Neilson became better known; they certainly had the hair to succeed through the 1980s.

Players in tasty supporting roles include overeating Margaret Avery (as Edwina), hortophile Arthur Space (as Henry), and well-read Janet Wood (as Pamela). But, the best of all may be marvelous "Grandma" Mary Jackson (as Evelyn Smith); her performance definitely is one to savor. Like Ms. Jackson says, "Don't be a party pooper!" Mind your "Grandma", and give yourself a big helping of "Terror House".

****** Terror House (1972) Bud Townsend ~ Linda Gillen, John Neilson, Mary Jackson

Gruesome comedy horror

[vampi1960 · 6/10 · 22 September 2006]

terror house aka;terror at red wolf inn is a very strange black comedy about a college girl(Linda gillen)who gets a letter telling her she won a trip to red wolf inn.so she packs her bags and embarks on a little vacation at a country inn run by an elderly couple with a secret.the print i seen was rated pg most likely edited.but its still a gruesome little chiller and paved the way for Texas chainsaw massacre and last house on the left.the title red wolf inn made me think it was a British film,but its American and from the looks low budget,not a bad little film.i call it a gruesome comedy horror,the actress Linda gillen looks a lot like Allison Hannigan(American pie,Buffy the vampire slayer)6 out of 10.

Ludicrous plot line ruins the movie

[goods116 · 4/10 · 8 June 2017]

There are some good 70s atmospherics, but this is a lesser horror movie only appropriate for 70s film buffs (like me) or students of horror film (ditto). All others should pass. The basic story line of a college student accepting a free vacation and getting on a plane with zero knowledge of where she is headed is simply ridiculous. Who would then have a vacation with a bunch of old people sitting around what appears to simply be a large house. Two other girls appear to have done the same. It is so unbelievable that these girls would stay in this house for more than 2 minutes. This ruined the movie for me.

For those of us that loved the low-budget cult movie horror circus of the early 1970s...

[hegstad9 · 9 March 2001]

The Folks at Red Wolf Inn mixes cannibalism and comedy together surprisingly effectively. Regina (Linda Gillin) is the young student who win an holiday at the Red Wolf Inn, run by a nice old couple (Arthur Space and Mary Jackson). They have a somewhat retarded young grandson, about 18 years old, known as Baby John (John Neilson). It starts out wonderful for Regina, who really enjoys her stay and the wonderful food she is served. When the other young guests starts to disappear, Regina discovers that the nice old couple and Baby John is in fact carnivorous cannibals. She try to escape, but is caught and brought back. Baby John falls in love with the doomed girl and tries to help her escape, but they are caught.

"Baby John Smith," Grandma Evelyn angrily scolds him, "you've been a bad boy, get the belt !!" Baby John gets the belt and hands it over to Grandma Evelyn. Here we quickly understands that Baby John has been through this before... Without being told, as Grandma Evelyn stands with the belt in her hand, watching, Baby John pull down his trousers and pants. He bends over the front of the car they tried to escape in and put his hands at the far edge of the front of the car.

Grandma Evelyn stands beside him, lifts up the tail of his shirt that has been concealing his bare bottom. She raises her arm in the air, then : "SMACK", as she slap the belt down across his bare bottom. She gives him nine slaps. During the spanking scene, the camera shifts from Baby John's embarrassed face as he's looks at the startled Regina, standing in front of him.

After she has spanked him, she orders him to get in the house. He refuses, grabs Regina and runs away. The old couple run after them with their big mean dog, not intent on letting their dinner run away...! I have not given away the ending !! There are more, but this I can't tell...

For those of us that loved the low-budget cult movie horror circus of the early 1970s....this is black comedy in a manner that quite simply doesn't excist anymore...Thanks mainly to excellent playing by the entire cast and a fair amount of genuine wit, as opposed to gross humour, the film actually works as that most difficult of generic hybrids, the horror comedy. Young John Neilson as Baby John makes a disturbing mix of horror and comic relief, including his hilarious spanking scene. Notice that the final credits are presented in the form of a menu. It`s another forgotten low budget horror classic from the glorious days of the early 70s, the decade when they really knew how to make low budget horror classics.

Worth a look

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 2 September 2009]

College girl wins a trip to the title place. As time goes on and the guests dwindle she begins to have an affair with the grand son of the two owners. Things become complicated when it comes her time to become dinner and the grandson has to choose between his family and his girl. Odd film was a drive in staple for years. Renamed it showed up on the bottom of numerous double features. It was also a perennial in the bargain bin from the early days of home. Its an amusing little film that is done a tad tongue in cheek but yet still manages to generate a bit of tension. Is it the best thing under the sun, oh dear no, but it is an amusing romp that's worth at least the time for a single viewing, especially if you're in a flashback sort of mood.

Terror House

[a_baron · 4/10 · 25 May 2016]

The original title "The Folks At Red Wolf Inn" is just as suitable; one can call any house in which people are murdered a terror house. Having said that, while there is an element of terror, the plot is a bit thin. A student gets a phone call advising her she has won a prize, so she jumps on a plane - as you would do - and ends up at an isolated house ruled by a smiling but sinister matriarch. We are not told what the prize is, but there are two other girls there, one similar to her, and another free-spirited whom it is hinted might have been a prostitute.

These two end up in the walk-in refrigerator, minus their heads, but the grandson of the proprietors - who is a bit simple - takes a shine to our damsel, and she is spared. What happens next? Not a lot, but this is clearly a film that is not to be taken too seriously. As if you would.

Very, Tame, very silly, so Seventies

[pumaye · 4/10 · 21 March 2004]

This is a sort of tame, really tame version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with a young girl winning a voyage to Red Wolf Inn, hosted by a weird couple of elder husband and wife, with a not so bright grandson.

She will find more than she bargained for. For today standards the movie is slow, boring, really silly, but with the usual photography of the movies of that era, a mark of the period, perhaps the only interesting thing of this movie. This is the kind of movie that you are normally unsure if you really want to watch it, but when it is finally the time to watch it you regret it. Definitely

Diner's Club

[BaronBl00d · 7/10 · 5 August 2001]

This is an off-beat horror film produced by Michael Macready(he produced the two Count Yorga films) and directed by Bud Townsend. It stars Linda Gillen as a young college girl going off for a free vacation to an old-fashioned resort on the beach. It turns out to be not much of a resort with only two other attractive female guests(Pamela and Edwina), Baby John, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Evelyn. The owners, it seems, like to butcher the young girls for their food and prepare them in fantastic culinary dishes. Prior to each girl's departure(their supposed last night at the resort), Aunt Evie and Uncle Henry throw a party and a gourmet meal. Regina(Gillen) catches on and the film moves into some chase scenes and bizarre humour. I found this film to be very suspenseful, tense, and chilling. Many reviewers seem to label it as a comedy-horror film, but there really is not a whole lot of humour other than that of a very underlying subtle kind. The most haunting aspect of the film has to be the performances of Mary Jackson(of Walton's fame) and Arthur Space as the kindly-looking couple that run the inn. They really seem so very nice and normal in many regards, but there is always an underlying sense of something not quite right. This is first evident in a scene which has to be one of the most orgiastic food scenes ever filmed as all the guests and hosts eat a crowned rib roast on Regina's first night at the inn celebrating Pamela's departure. The way all of them attack the food with wild abandon and seem to be lost in pure ecstasy is amazing and horrifying at the same time. Another scene with the somewhat mentally-challenged Baby John catching a shark in the surf and then beating it against a rock is a well-shot scene. Still another wonderful scene is when Edwina's night has come and you see the three hotel folks, dressed in butcher smocks, travel upstairs as a lullaby plays. Quite effective and innovative camerawork here. The film is not particularly gory. It plays things pretty straight until the end, which is really not simpatico with the rest of the film. The end seems a bit rushed and forced, and there is even an attempt at some much broader comedy. It doesn't really work, yet the film as a whole is a very chilling...even disturbing about the nature of madness and trust.

Hey, Gradma! What's for Dinner

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 17 April 2007]

A couple of the people in this movie can act. The rest are just abysmal. There are so many unresolved issues and so much lack of information that the whole thing drops from its own weight. It's the kind of story that might have been featured in one of those Creepshow episodes or some old anthology thing. As a movie, it gets caught in the sludge. A young college student is tricked into going on a vacation, all expenses paid. She even gets to travel in a private jet. Where do these people get all the money. Unfortunately, when she gets there, she is staying with a group of people who eat their guests. About one third of the movie takes place at a dinner table. Of course, our being in on it makes it repulsive. The young woman tries to get away, but does a bad job of it. Of course, the grandpa cares about his plants a bit. There's also the handsome psychotic grandson who likes girls but doesn't want to mess up the menu. If this sounds dumb, I'm not giving it half its due. There was a certain atmosphere about late sixties/early seventies schlock horror. Maybe it's the smell of cheap. Anyway, nothing much to recommend this.

Congratulations, you've won a horror-day

[Chase_Witherspoon · 7/10 · 18 March 2012]

Brad Pitt look-alike John Neilson plays Baby John, the twenty-something grandson of elderly couple Evelyn (Jackson) and Henry (Space) who run a quaint seaside bed & breakfast sinisterly named the "Red Wolf Inn" where the menu is expansive in both volume and origin. Baby John takes a liking to one of the three nubile young house guests invited to holiday at the inn after supposedly winning a competition. Mysteriously, two of the girls disappear without saying goodbye leading the third (Gillen) to suspect that the overly gracious hospitality is not all as it seems.

Director Townsend has fashioned a reasonably taut thriller with a capable cast led by newcomer Gillen, as the perky yet naive college student duped into the darkest depravities of a twisted old couple and their behaviourally immature grandson. Jackson and Space manage their quirky characterisations with seasoned professionalism, Neilson is a twisted yet somewhat sympathetic man-child, and the supporting cast including Margaret Avery and Michael MacReady add familiarity, but it's Gillen's engaging personality that is the real surprise package.

While no longer an original concept, and not quite a masterpiece, in 1972 it was a pioneering concept, well handled with enough drama, humour, horror and realism to punch above its relative bantam weight. My only gripe is with the farcical conclusion, by which I felt somewhat cheated; despite the curious ending, it's not a comedy, which more than a few chilling moments will attest, and entertain.

Viewed as "Terror At Red Wolf Inn"

[ARRGH! · 8/10 · 26 October 1998]

The first time I saw ANY footage of this film was when I was looking through junk reels of 35mm film. There were only two reels of it, but I figured with a title like "Terror at Red Wolf Inn", it had to be worth sampling. At 40 minutes, the film ran out through the projector and I was hooked. It was almost an entire year before I tracked down a copy of this film on video.

This film has a great nutty charm that, if you're not careful, you may take too seriously. It involves a lonely girl who gets a letter saying she's won a vacation to the titular resort. All of the arrangements are laid out for her, down to a private plane to fly her there. Upon arriving, she meets the inhabitants of the Inn. There's an old couple, their semi-retarded grandson and two cute fellow guests. They're treated to three hearty squares a day and incredibly bizarre parties. The girls are encouraged to eat and eat, but they're not allowed to help serve the food or enter the always locked walk in cooler...

The film is a black comedy with a lot of style. It's extremely easy to see where the film is headed (I caught it in the first reel), but I don't think that's supposed to be an extremely clever plot twist, just a framework to let know-it-all horror fans revel in their superiority. Thing is, once the average horror film viewer thinks he/she knows what's coming, THAT'S when the rug is pulled out from under them. I could never quite guess exactly what was going to happen. The film alludes to things constantly while delivering plot points that don't turn out exactly as one may think they would.

The acting is great and the cast seems to be having a lot of fun in their roles, especially Linda Gillin, who nails her character fabulously as a lonely college girl eager to make friends and find romance.

The scenes to watch out for are the screamingly funny "shark" scene, the abduction of the character of Edwina, which uses a music box lullaby to an extremely creepy extent and the climax/punchline of the film, a denouement that, while totally implausible, is quite unexpected.

It's funny that no one talks about this film much considering how much "Motel Hell" has ripped it off. Worth finding and savoring.

Last note, take special attention to the end credits. They compliment the film to a "T"!

Strangeness

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 19 June 2019]

Whatever you call it - Terror House, Terror at Red Wolf Inn or Folks at Red Wolf Inn - this 1972 horror comedy is one strange film. It makes a nice double or triple feature companion for a few other movies from the early 70's like The Baby and Messiah of Evil. They're horror, sure, but they also all feel like they've come from some other planet, somewhere beyond the walls of our normal plane of existence.

Regina (Linda Gillen) is a young college student with no money, friends or plans as the rest of her class leaves for spring break. That said - her luck is about to change, as she gets a letter informing her that she's won a free vacation to the Red Wolf Inn.

She even has a plane ready for her and a handsome young man named Baby John Smith to pick her up when she arrives. Their ride to the inn is wild, as he races the police, but instead of reacting with fear, she enjoys the ride.

Once they arrive, Regina meets the owners of the inn, Henry (Arthur Space, who played veterinarian Doc Weaver on TV's Lassie) and Evelyn (Mary Jackson, Sister Felice in Airport and Emily Baldwin on TV's The Waltons), who are also Baby John's grandparents. Plus, there are two other contest winners, Pamela (Janet Wood, Angels Hard as They Come) and Edwina (Margaret Avery, who years later woud be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work as Shug Avery in The Color Purple; she's also in the made for TV movie Something Evil that Steven Spielberg directed before Jaws).

That night, everyone sits down to an extravagant meal where they're encouraged to indulge themselves. The next morning, Pamela has gone, but her dress has stayed behind.

Baby John and Regina's feelings for one another are noticed by everyone in the house. This leads to my favorite scene in the movie, where they share a moment on the beach, flirting with one another before they embrace and kiss. Then, Baby John catches a small shark and loses his mind, smashing it over and over again before punching it, all the while screaming "Shark!" before confessing that he loves Regina. It's incredibly disconcerting, like the way that beings from another dimension would act thinking that they were fitting in with humanity.

Before you know it, it's time for another party, this time celebrating Edwina's last night. After everyone goes to bed, the Smiths go to her room, knock her out with chloroform and then slices her to ribbons inside the refrigerated meat locker. After Regina worries that Edwina left without saying goodbye, she tries to run away, but even the police are members of the Smith family.

A prisoner inside the Red Wolf Inn, she soon discovers that she's been eating human flesh the entire time there. She tries to run one more time, but is caught and finally admits that she's in love with Baby John. Despite the fact that she believes that his grandparents want to kill and eat her, she thinks that they'll come to accept her. There's a test later that night where they try to get her to eat human flesh, now that she knows what she's been devouring, but she runs away.

Baby John is smitten, but will he save the woman he's fallen for? Will he eventually eat her too? Or is there an even stranger ending poised to blow your mind?

Linda Gillen is my favorite dish, and the condiments "ain't bad" either

[borg1005 · 8 July 2003]

This is one of those `B' movies that can be seen again and again because you keep picking up on little vignettes that slid by before. I just found a copy that I had taped off the air back in the 80s - one of those midnight groaners that in this case, did not turn out to be one. I'm trying not to be a spoiler, but some unmentioned nuances need to be commented upon.

Kudos to the cast, and especially to Linda Gillen (Regina), the heroine. Right off the mark there's a poignant scene where she wants to share her good news (winning the vacation) with SOMEONE in her apartment complex, only no one is around. There's a nice long distance shot of her almost lost in the tree-in-the-forest maze of balconies shouting `Hey, everybody, I'm a winner!' You're not five minutes into the film before you LIKE the kid - cute, infectious smile and just plain NICE. She makes you want to put your arm around her.

Check out her facial expressions as Baby John (John Neilson) drives her from the airport and does a mini Dukes of Hazard chase scene with the sheriff. She gives a GREAT reaction, reflecting a scared-but-excited young girl who knows she's doing something naughty. At first I didn't pay much attention to John but when I watch reruns of this movie, I realize he does more than a creditable job of a grandma-whipped kid who has only one oar in the water. He also does a fine job of asserting a newfound independence after flashing some embarrassed Daffy Duck type grins in the spanking scene.

You also like Margaret Avery (Edwina) -- another charmer who develops a great rapport with Regina during their brief acquaintance. You feel pretty bummed when she `goes home'. Janet Wood (Pamela) does a fine job of being the `model' - pretty, ripe, and succulent. Once you discover what's going on, you can see why she went first, and I suspect some viewers would be asking for seconds. The problem is - she's stuck on herself and shows it and you really don't really feel THAT bad when she goes missing early in the film.

Since this is billed as a horror movie, you know something's going to happen to the girls at the lonely house on the beach. (The low angle shots of the Victorian home look suspiciously like the "Psycho' house at Universal Studios.) Arthur Space and Mary Jackson (the old couple) seem friendly enough - until the pig out `going home' dinner for Pamela.

That sensuous routine is backgrounded with `Pomp and Circumstance' - the old graduation music, and greatly compliments the scene. The dessert scene tipped me off -- the already stuffed girls had to make room for just a bit more. Regina licks her fingers and says `If I keep this up, I'll get as fat as a pig.' The priceless calculated and approving look Mary gives her just REEKS of menace and impending doom.

There are lots of little goodies to pick up on. Except for a few instances, the horror, and humor, is understated. In these days of buckets-of-blood movies, this one stands out for what it doesn't show. Like: The Mystery of the Freezer. Well, we all KNOW what's in there but there's only one instance later on, when Regina has her epiphany, that we actually see anything gruesome. Earlier, when Edwina is chloroformed, to the tune of a lullaby, and taken in there (`Careful Baby Joe, that's Choice Grade A'), the camera lingers on the door while you hear a knife being sharpened, some muffled noises, a chopping sound and an admiring, `Oh look at that!' You can imagine how a remake of that would be done today.

Evelyn carries a miasma of malevolence about her. There is always a hint of horror in everything this woman does, from weighing the girls (and beaming at the weight gain) to making sandwiches for an oceanside picnic. When Regina bites into one, she says, `This is delicious. What is it?' Evelyn smilingly replies, `It's filet, dear, filet.' You get the feeling she's licking every letter as she speaks. You want to yell out `RUN, Regina, RUN!' (She does later, only to run into the old couple and told, in a disapproving manner, to get in the truck. Totally demoralized by now, she does. Another great scene.)

That beach scenario has an awkward-first-time-they-kissed routine between Regina and Baby John. A nice tender scene that neatly counterpoints the horror that is always lurking in the background. Then, still at the beach, there's a routine where Baby John kills a shark. After Baby John leaves, Regina performs a touching burial of the battered remains. Why this talented young woman never became a bigger name is beyond me.

Arthur plays the somewhat befuddled kindly old Henry to a `T'. He talks lovingly to his plants but thinks nothing of butchering the girls. Near the end, when he discovers his trampled plants, he goes into a crooning soliloquy that makes you think he is talking to his dead children. At Regina's `going home' party (by now we all know what THAT leads to) everyone is ravenously attacking their large serving of meat, except Regina. From the shape, you have no doubt it is the rear deck of the recently departed Edwina. Chewing a mouthful in front of Regina, who knows SOMETHING is up, Henry muses, `We'll cure the next one.' and gets a dreamy look on his face. Regina keeps refusing to eat and does so only when she is warned one last time by Mary to `EAT, DEAR!' The intimidating words drip with evil and have that club-in-the-closet tone to it.

One last kudo for Linda. Watch her face when she runs up to the visiting sheriff (Michael Macready, the producer), who has arrived with siren howling and lights blazing. He is surrounded by the old couple and Baby Joe when she breaks in and starts babbling that `Something is going on here!' and mentions the missing girls. About then the sheriff looks at Evelyn and says `Hi grandma.' Linda's stunned look is priceless.

You might conclude that I like this unappreciated little gem. The older actors were already well established and Arthur kept making movies until the 80s (he started in the 40s). I'm still doing the `Whatever happened to' routine on the others. Linda had parts in movies and TV shows up until the 80s but I can't find out what she's doing now. Linda, if you read this, I wish you well.

Get ye a copy and watch some great entertainment. Dang! I think it's about time for yet another rerun!

Yummy!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 23 March 2010]

It's really enchanting to see how simple-minded the set-up of certain 70's horror movies is. "Terror House", for example, is so incredibly charming but simultaneously effective and even a bit disturbing. Regina is a college girl who one day receives a letter claiming that she has won a holiday in the Red Wolf Inn resort and, boom, she's off no question asked. She receives a warm welcome from the elderly landlady and her husband, and the son Baby John is quite the cute wild-child who likes to drive over people's fences and chases away from cops for fun. There are two other young female guests and the food is absolutely delicious! The film illustrates the "yumminess" of the food through filming six people feasting from a buffet for five whole minutes. Naturally the clue of the film is revealed at that point already, but you won't mind too much because everything is so cheerful and the performances are so vivid! Regina has the time of her life, stuffing herself with excellent food and falling head over heels in love with Baby John even though he jumps out of refrigerators holding butcher knives in his hand from time to time, and she doesn't pay any attention to the little things that aren't kosher around the house. Isn't it a bit odd that the landlady insists for the girls to weigh themselves after each breakfast? Or that the phone is out of order all the time? Only when the second girl leaves the Red Wolf Inn without saying goodbye, supposedly like a thief in the night, Regina finally becomes suspicious and tries to use her charms to her away from the place. "Terror House" is a pleasantly deranged early 70's shocker with a nice twist on the typical crazy family plot. The film is very low budget, but this is largely compensated through the enthusiasm, goodwill and energy provided by everyone involved in the production. The last supper sequence is terrific and suitably macabre, with chopped off feet floating in the soup bowl and that sort of stuff. Stay seated also for the cute and original menu-styled end credits!

Bon appetite, dear!

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 16 May 2022]

Now we know what happened to Baby John. It's very campy and funny horror movie that has Emily Baldwin from "The Waltons" as you've never seen her before. Mary Jackson is the polite but domineering grandmother of the sexy but nutso John Neilson who falls in love with Linda Gillen, the young recipient of a weekend getaway at it's beautiful but deadly island getaway that Jackson runs with her husband, Arthur Space, serving up scrumptious recipes for her guests that have a secret ingredient. When Gillan realizes what's going on, she's desperate to get off the island, but it may be too little, too late. Rule of thumb, never take the offer of a free vacation especially when it's only an invitation for one.

That's a young Margaret Avery from "The Color Purple" as one of the guests, who along with Janet Wood, gets the ultimate case of indigestion from all the gourmet food that is seasoned and served by The eccentric Jackson. Everybody seems to be having a very good time lampooning the horror genre, although a scene with a small shark that John Neilson catches is very disturbing. I had a good time laughing at and with this film, maybe not one of the great horror films of the 70's, but certainly one of the most delightfully silly. The ending of the film is definitely worth staying for. You'll never look at rack of lamb the same way again.

Loss of Horror comedy classic

[ferranfrancisco · 9/10 · 9 June 2005]

I saw Terror House as it's called when living in New Jersey in the early 1980's on television. For some reason television in New York and New Jersey as I saw back then was more liberal and showed much more gore and nudity unlike what I have experienced while living here in California. When I first saw this movie it was called Terror at Red Wolf Inn. Even though it was a horror movie laced with comedic touches I found it gross and unsettling at the time. There was a scene in the movie that no longer exists in present prints and I don't understand why it was cut as I realize the movie was re-rated from R to PG later. This was an innocent scenario where the girls were weighed in the kitchen on what appeared to be a meat scale by the owner of the resort to see how much weight each had gained from their gluttonous feasts at the hotel. Another scene now missing was when Margaret Avery's character 'Edwina' after being drugged is carried into the walk-in meat locker and placed on a butcher's table. That's as far as I go with that description. Arthur Space and Mary Jackson I had known before as veterans of movies and television. I now realize that the movie was much more violent than as shown now and would like to see the original uncensored or R-rated version. It is a forgotten 1970's camp classic and should be restored. Compared to today's movies it is much more subtle and disturbing.

The food at the Red Wolf Inn is to die for.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 2 June 2019]

To her surprise, winsome redhead Regina McKee (an engaging performance by Linda Gillen) receives a letter telling her that she has won a vacation at a beach-side resort; packing her stuff, she is whisked away by chartered plane, but forgets to tell her mother where she is going. Arriving at the Red Wolf Inn, Regina settles in for a few days rest, relaxation and good food in the company of fellow guests Pamela (Janet Wood) and Edwina (Margaret Avery), elderly hosts Henry and Evelyn Smith, and their weird grandson Baby John (John Neilson). But as the days pass, Regina begins to suspect that something is amiss at the Smith residence.

A low budget horror with a touch of dark humour, Terror at Red Wolf Inn is an interesting and entertaining obscurity that touches on an idea that would be explored further by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, that of a cannibalistic family in our midst. This is a much gentler movie than Hooper's classic, but its still very twisted at times, director Bud Townsend delivering several scenes guaranteed to delight fans of the macabre: the seemingly innocent weighing of the girls by Mrs Smith, Regina's discovery of severed heads in the walk-in freezer, and a very TCM-like final supper.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the hilarious scene that sees Baby John awkwardly trying to kiss Regina, quickly followed by a spot of frantic shark bashing (NOT a euphemism), and for the equally amusing 'belt spanking' (also NOT a euphemism).

Bed and Breakfast and Barbaric Barbeque

[J-Russell · 7 September 2001]

Welcome to the Red Wolf Inn, where men are men and women are well-marbled!

If the cook at the Red Wolf tells patrons to eat more, it's only to make them bigger. And if the men at the Red Wolf ogle the attractive female guests, it's only to determine how much ham and rump roast they can get from their shapely haunches.

Healthy, young women are singled out and invited to the resort, where they are fattened (unknowingly) on the meat of previous guests. When they reach sufficient beefiness, they are harvested by the owners of the inn and served up to the current crop of guests. The unwary diners find the long pig most delicious, but with every bite, they're sealing their own fate.

Regina, the heroine of the story, is one of the guests at the inn. Will she end up like the others? Watch this weird, wacky movie and find out. Oh, and while you're at the Red Wolf, don't forget to try the drumsticks...they're fantastic!

Tasty Morsels And Devilish Delights Await... Come On In And Pull Up A Seat...

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 26 April 2020]

Would you go on a vacation you'd won in a contest... even though you don't remember entering any contest?

This is the quandary Regina (Linda Gillen) finds herself in. She decides to take a long study break from the college, and heads off to Red Wolf Inn. After the chartered plane lands, Baby John (John Neilson) drives her to the Inn. Because of his fast driving, they have to escape a pursuing cop car on the way. So begins the strange events.

Arriving at the Inn, Regina meets the owners, Henry (Arthur Space) and Evelyn (Mary Jackson), and their other two guests, Pamela (Janet Wood) and Edwina (Margaret Avery).

Everything appears perfect. Henry, Evelyn, and their grandson Baby John are excellent hosts. Evelyn excels in the kitchen, and her tender morsels are devilishly delicious. Everybody wants not just seconds but thirds. Even the guests, Pamela and Edwina, are faultless. They are honest, open, and kind. It's easy to see why all three women become fast friends.

It's these characters that drive the story and enhance the film. Writer Allen Actor does an outstanding job making the characters believable. Because the film's classed as a horror, you try to figure out what will go awry. If this wasn't the case you'd be wanting to move into Red Wolf right away... I know I would.

Bud Townsend was the right director for the story. What Townsend gives the audience is a near-perfect film. He has a great eye and there are lots of excellent camera work throughout the movie. Not once does he take his eye off the ball.

He uses everything in his toolbox to create the movie's different atmospheres. To make the place homely and welcoming, he lights the rooms fully and uses vivid colour. While he uses defused colour and soft focus for romance; we see this in the beach scene with Regina and Baby John. And when he wants you at unease, he darkens the shadows and uses pools of light; used best at the last dinner table scene, which is very eerie.

All these scenes are further enhanced by the cast and their performances. Whoever cast this picture did a wonderful job. Arthur Space and Mary Jackson are the grandparents you want. They come across as both interesting and interested in their guests. You can't help but like them. We can equally state this for the guests. It's particularly nice to see everybody getting along. This enriches the homely mood; which further amplifies the creepiness when it creeps in.

However, it's Neilson as Baby John who steals the show. Suffering from anxiety, I have to say both the writer, Actor, and Neilson get the mental illness correct. Neilson has two wonderful scenes where he melts-down. Each time he nails it. I find I can relate and believe in Baby John more because of Neilson's portrayal.

I'd recommend this to all fans of Chillers... and those people who believe psychos &.... (no spoilers) ...should be in the Horror genre. This is a good story, well filmed, and nicely acted. There is every chance I'll be revisiting this title in the not too distant future.

Ratings: Story 1.25 : Direction 1.5 : Pace 0.75 : Acting 1.25 : Enjoyment 1.25 : Total 6 / 10

Take a trip over to my Killer Thriller Chillers and see where this slice of pie landed in the charts.

Take Care and Stay Well.

Well worth your time, if you enjoy exploitation/horror/B-movies from the 70's!

[talisencrw · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

Growing up in Canada in the 70's and 80's, my mom always told me I always had to clean my plate, because of all the children starving in other parts of the world, and of course this way of thinking was further imbedded in me from Roger Waters' saying I couldn't have dessert without eating all of my meat. Such underlying thoughts readily came to mind when watching the surreal dinner party scenes in the early stages of Regina's stay at Red Wolf Inn. I have to admit that I should have come across this before, but I had never previously come across it, and in fact hadn't seen any cannibalistic horror film until in my undergraduate days, when 'Silence of the Lambs' hit the theatres.

I really enjoyed watching this, though I wish it wasn't the made-for-television cut that's in my Mill Creek 'Nightmare Worlds' 50-pack. The three girls who were invited were gorgeous, 'Baby John' reminded me of a cross between a very young Robert Redford and 'Thelma and Louise'-era Brad Pitt, and even though the direction is uneven and it is a tad slow in spots, the big reveal with 20 minutes to go is very well-done, and the end sequence is one of the most enjoyable I have ever seen. Well worth your time if you like exploitation/horror/B-movies from the 70's, even in the slightest.

Campy!

[edgina · 8/10 · 29 May 2005]

Don't take this movie too seriously. Its funny, yet creepy! Its one of the 1970's horror flicks that ranks right up there with "Children Shouldn't play with dead things" as well as "Don't look in the Basement". However, this one has definitely more humor to it. I recommend it during a Halloween party to be shown, or just sit back and enjoy it! Its nice to let loose and laugh a little!! I don't think its available at stores yet, or even online. If you taped it years ago from WOR, you are in luck! The plot is simply that Regina "wins" a trip to an inn. But she never entered the contest! A seemingly nice old couple are really luring in young women to serve them up at dinner time! I guarantee that you will get ill just from all the food that is being passed around at the table!! Other movies like this are "Corruption" (Peter Cushing), and "The Baby" (Anjanette Comer). I believe "The Baby" is available to purchase. Check out other movies with Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee.

What A Great Little Movie :D

[Steve_Nyland · 8/10 · 15 November 2006]

Wow. Haha, this one rulez. The version I saw was called TERROR ON THE MENU and made me think twice about that Subway sandwich I had squirreled away for a late night snack ... Eww. This is a nice, subtle little Regional Horror/Comedy effort who's nuances may elude modern day audiences (re: the morons who liked stuff like CHAOS or SAW) but movie fans with a taste for the bizarre and a morbid sense of humor will be well served. Ladled in pun.

THE PLOT: A young circa 1972 era Earth Mother type college babe finds out on the last day of classes that she has been selected the "winner" of an all expenses paid getaway vacation to the Red Wolf Inn, a picturesque Bed & Breakfast on the coast run by an older couple who are the very definition of Ma & Pa Kettle. Some other young ladies are also staying as guests, and after a very elaborate dinner party one of them vanishes. Then another. She starts to get the idea that something is wrong, especially when the grandson of the family catches a shark at the beach one day and proceeds to beat the thing to death against a rock.

That's all I am going to reveal, except to heap praise on that first dinner party, one of the most outrageous cinematic eating experiences since the Eyeball Soup and Chilled Monkey Brains gags from Indiana Jones. The best part of it is the way that the characters chew their food. They don't just masticate, they linger over every mouthful with Pa Kettle stuffing his jowly cheeks with bite after bite of fresh rib tenderloin to the point where he starts to hyperventilate. He chews and chews and chews with an almost orgasmic pleasure that is not just disturbing, it is obscene. They eat and eat and eat until everyone is stuffed and exhausted from the effort ... And then it is time for a slice of that special Key Lime cake. Oh yeah.

This is one of those movies that you are either going to get or you won't. My favorite bit of dialog is when Ma Kettle brings the young guest a plate of sandwiches. She bites down, savoring the special flavor and asks, "What is this?" "Fillet, my dear. Fillet." Lead Linda Gillen is also a bit of subtle mastery, having a kind of quiet sexiness about her that is extremely infectious + kissable, and Ma & Pa Kettle are just the spittin' image of wholesome Americana. They are all about sit down dinners, Sunday afternoon drives, garden chores and old fashioned telephones. Everything in the movie is the perfect display of harmless tradition right down to their grandson and his cousin, the local sheriff. Some folks these days might not understand but if you bring your appetite and finish your plate, I am sure you'll feel right at home. It's like David Lynch crossed with that old TV series V.

The only problem I had with the film is the last 2 seconds after the hilarious closing credits: The filmmakers decided to try and have their cake and eat it too, so to speak, though any movie this perversely good natured gets a pass for not knowing when to quit. Pass the salt.

8/10

* * out of 4.

[brandonsites1981 · 1 June 2002]

This review applies to the 83min. version released by Academy Entertainment titled Terror at Red Wolf Inn.

Young college student wins a free vacation to a country inn, but the weird behavior of the owners and the fact that the guest keep disappearing cause her to suspect something is going on. Amusing early entry in the Cannibalism genre. Film never takes itself too serious, but is too tame to be effective.

Rated PG; Mild Violence, Adult Themes.

Tasty horror comedy.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 12 September 2012]

"Terror House" by Bud Townsend follows a young college girl named Regina as she heads out to a bed and breakfast inn where she thinks she's won a free vacation.The owners of Red Wolf Inn are crazed Grandma and Grandpa,who enjoy butchering their pretty female guests for dinner.Their son Baby John is a total loon too.We see him screaming madly as she smashes a small shark repeatedly on a rock.Will Regina survive the night of terror?"Terror House" is a deliciously fun and blacker than black horror comedy which predates "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".The production is grimy and there are some unsettling scenes of weirdness.If you like bizarre cannibal flicks grab some tasty meat and eat "Terror House" as soon as possible.8 meat-cleavers out of 10.

Extremely weird, especially for its era

[SusieSalmonLikeTheFish · 9/10 · 11 October 2014]

I saw this film as Terror House, though it has gone by other names in its "legacy". Yes, it's low-budget, yes it's old and yes the acting isn't exactly perfect. Still, Terror House deserves a better rep.

Regina is a college student home for the summer, and she gets a letter in the mail telling her she's won a vacation. Thrilled, she calls everyone and is on her way, but when she arrives at the inn she notices how strange the family is. Henry and Evelin and their adult grandson "Baby-John" have also invited over a few other girls. When the girls leave without saying goodbye, Regina believes the worst, but will she be next?

I loved the soundtrack, the acting wasn't too bad, there were funny scenes such as Baby-John's reaction to the shark, not to mention the secluded and creepy house. You could also call this film the Mini-Fridge of Doom.

I highly Recommend this film, but watch it with an open mind. If you grew up in the age of technology you may not appreciate it, but it's very nostalgic and funny and disturbing all at once. It has that Seventies TV movie feel to it as well.