Motel Hell

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Motel Hell

R,

1980,

1h 46m,

Horror/

Comedy

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Watchlist

Watchlist

63%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) run a rural hotel, but they earn most of their cash operating a food stand that specializes in world-famous sausages. After years of success, however, the duo's upstanding brother, Sheriff Bruce (Paul Linke), eventually discovers the grotesque details of his siblings' booming business: Vincent and Ida are actually plumping up their hotel patrons, killing and dismembering them and then grinding them into frankfurters.

Critics Consensus

Eerie and satirical, Motel Hell has no vacancy when it comes to low-brow horror gags.

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Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

Aug 11, 2014

3/5

...a low-budget shocker that's picked up a sizable cult following over the years, thanks in no small part to Calhoun, whose welcoming smile and aging matinee-idol looks made his turn as a villainous madman fond of human flesh all that more effective.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 23, 2004

3/4

Motel Hell is a welcome change-of-pace; it's to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as Airplane! is to Airport.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 23, 2025

4/10

Even though it primarily features gore of the exploitation kind, a handful of concepts are curiously effective in their forthright executions; the ambiguity is just strong enough that it’s never entirely apparent what it's trying to accomplish.

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Phil Edwards

Starburst

Jul 26, 2022

Even though Motel Hell does fall between the two stools of horror and comedy rather clumsily at times, it is an interesting variation in horror cinema.

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Philip French

Observer (UK)

Apr 7, 2022

Motel Hell is a queasy cross between Sweeny Todd and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a camp comedy that could put sensitive people off cannibalism and chainsaws for life.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Aug 23, 2021

.5/4

It's certainly a workable, promising setup that's consistently employed to inept and flat-out unwatchable effect...

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Nov 1, 2018

Motel Hell is a quirky horror film, that in my opinion delivered mostly because of the horrific premise of the film itself. Through all the horrible early 80s acting, the idea of someone going through what the victims in this film go through is utterly unnerving. A true gem of horror comedy that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to be disturbed, and who would also love a good chuckle!

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Mar 5, 2018

A 5 star review for a 10 star movie. Sometimes you should just be looking for a movie that requires no thinking, and just pure slapstick comedy mixed with cheesy low budget horror. Motel Hell is that movie. A sit on your couch with no twisting plot or character development to be concerned with. If you fall asleep its ok. Simply one of my favorite 80's movies of all time.

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Hagrid P

Jan 11, 2018

Oh Lord, what a ridiculous horror movie. i cant say this is good but i did sort of enjoy it. this is one that only a horror fanatic like me would like and it stretched even my patience

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Poe M

Nov 21, 2017

I give this a 86/B+.

Hermione L

Jul 14, 2017

Definitely up there for B-Movies!

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Kevin Connor

Director

Rory Calhoun

Vincent Smith

Nancy Parsons

Ida Smith

Paul Linke

Sheriff Bruce Smith

Nina Axelrod

Terry

Wolfman Jack

Rev. Billy

Motel Hell: Official Clip - Ida Helps Bob Get Ahead

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - You Take Care of My Animals

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Fake Cows

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Chainsaw Fight!

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Gassing the Swingers

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Buried Heads

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Feeding the Heads

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Farmer Vincent Fritters!

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - Ida is Attacked

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Motel Hell: Official Clip - I've Got a Treat For Ya

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Synopsis

Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) run a rural hotel, but they earn most of their cash operating a food stand that specializes in world-famous sausages. After years of success, however, the duo's upstanding brother, Sheriff Bruce (Paul Linke), eventually discovers the grotesque details of his siblings' booming business: Vincent and Ida are actually plumping up their hotel patrons, killing and dismembering them and then grinding them into frankfurters.

Director: Kevin Connor
Producer: Steven-Charles Jaffe, Robert Jaffe
Screenwriter: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe
Production Co: Camp Hill
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Surround

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