The episode of The Test of Time covering Motel Hell was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Copycat movies have been a thing forever. You can look at the broader scope and consider that most slasher movies became copycat in one way or another. A supernatural killer, excessive gore and nudity, and even the high body counts. That style of horror movies could become a dime a dozen. Twin films are similar, but they are made at roughly the same time and actually trying to release first to beat the other to market so as to not be seen as an attempted clone of the other studios idea. Boiling it down even further, some copycats go beyond just the themes and even try to take direct elements from the previous movie that made money.
Copycat movies have been a thing forever. You can look at the broader scope and consider that most slasher movies became copycat in one way or another. A supernatural killer, excessive gore and nudity, and even the high body counts. That style of horror movies could become a dime a dozen. Twin films are similar, but they are made at roughly the same time and actually trying to release first to beat the other to market so as to not be seen as an attempted clone of the other studios idea. Boiling it down even further, some copycats go beyond just the themes and even try to take direct elements from the previous movie that made money.
- 9/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
This article contains spoilers
Alfred Hitchcock almost blew it. For most of Psycho’s runtime, the master of suspense lived up to his name, turning Robert Bloch’s pulpy novel into a thrilling mystery with shocking twists. But then, after the revelation of Norman Bates emulating his mother, now a rotting corpse, the movie stops for a psychiatrist to lecture the audience on Freudian theory. Were it not for the chilling closing voiceover by Virginia Gregg as Norma Bates, and Anthony Perkins’ proto-Kubrickian stare at the camera, Psycho may have gone out with a whisper.
As ill-advised as the lecture scene surely is, it did help establish a key element of the slasher genre that followed. Slashers aren’t just about serial killers who pick off victims one by one. They also need to have deeply weird storylines, dealing not only with the killer’s personal hang ups, but also...
Alfred Hitchcock almost blew it. For most of Psycho’s runtime, the master of suspense lived up to his name, turning Robert Bloch’s pulpy novel into a thrilling mystery with shocking twists. But then, after the revelation of Norman Bates emulating his mother, now a rotting corpse, the movie stops for a psychiatrist to lecture the audience on Freudian theory. Were it not for the chilling closing voiceover by Virginia Gregg as Norma Bates, and Anthony Perkins’ proto-Kubrickian stare at the camera, Psycho may have gone out with a whisper.
As ill-advised as the lecture scene surely is, it did help establish a key element of the slasher genre that followed. Slashers aren’t just about serial killers who pick off victims one by one. They also need to have deeply weird storylines, dealing not only with the killer’s personal hang ups, but also...
- 6/16/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Scream Factory sure loves director Kevin Connor’s 1980 oddball horror classic Motel Hell (which you can watch Here). They gave the film a special edition Blu-ray release from back in 2014, then a steelbook release with a 4K transfer back in 2020. Now they have announced that they’ll be giving Motel Hell a 4K Uhd release on June 27th – and copies are available for pre-order at This Link! While supplies last, fans who order the 4K Uhd release through the Scream Factory site will also receive an exclusive 18″ X 24″ rolled poster featuring the original theatrical artwork.
Written by Robert Jaffe and Steven-Charles Jaffe, Motel Hell stars Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod, Wolfman Jack, Elaine Joyce, and John Ratzenberger. The synopsis: It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters! You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror...
Written by Robert Jaffe and Steven-Charles Jaffe, Motel Hell stars Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod, Wolfman Jack, Elaine Joyce, and John Ratzenberger. The synopsis: It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters! You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror...
- 4/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
I am sure that we have all been affected in one way, or in a lot of ways, because of the current global pandemic. So, with that, I would like to say to anyone reading this that I hope you are safe and healthy. One of the ways that I was affected by the lockdowns came in like a wrecking ball that I could not have anticipated—I lost a connection to not only myself, but my dreams—which included my passion for horror. When it came time to watch Motel Hell (1980) for our Class of 1980 retrospective, I panicked, as I couldn't get out of bed let alone watch a movie and write coherent thoughts on it. That was until about two and a half weeks ago when I decided to face problems again and give it one more try, and it was the best decision that I could have made.
- 7/12/2020
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
“Meat’s meat and a man’s gotta eat!” Heed the battle cry of Farmer Vincent Smith, maker of the finest smoked meats around. People would come from far and wide to purchase his delectable fritters, unaware that his special ‘ingredient’ was plain folk, like you and me. 35 years ago, Vincent and his Motel Hell cut off a slice of Americana and served it up in theaters, with a heaping help of humor for good measure. Cannibalism was never this down home friendly.
My initial memories of Motel Hell formulated around two images: The front cover of Issue #9 (November 1980) of Fangoria magazine, the new horror monthly that specialized in the kind of gruesome images that it’s gentler forefather, Famous Monsters of Filmland, wasn’t comfortable delving in to. Upon the cover was a picture of a man in bib overalls, wearing a pig’s head and brandishing a blood...
My initial memories of Motel Hell formulated around two images: The front cover of Issue #9 (November 1980) of Fangoria magazine, the new horror monthly that specialized in the kind of gruesome images that it’s gentler forefather, Famous Monsters of Filmland, wasn’t comfortable delving in to. Upon the cover was a picture of a man in bib overalls, wearing a pig’s head and brandishing a blood...
- 10/19/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Reviewed by Jesse Miller
MoreHorror.com
It’s called Motel Hello, a rather sunny and welcoming name, but this decrepit hotel is anything but sunny and welcoming. For one thing, the hotel is falling apart so much that the O in the hotel sign fades to reveal Motel Hell. At Motel Hell, the rooms are very much vacant but the owner has it deliberately switched to read No Vacancy.
Welcome to Motel Hell, a jet black comedy-horror that tells the story of Farmer Vincent (Ray Calhoun) and his famous smoked meats, the secret ingredient of which is the people he traps and hunts on a backwoods road late at night. From there, Vincent and his maniacal sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) take the victims and bury them up to their necks in their ‘secret garden’ where they will rupture their vocal chords so they can’t scream and feed them pig pellets so they fatten up.
MoreHorror.com
It’s called Motel Hello, a rather sunny and welcoming name, but this decrepit hotel is anything but sunny and welcoming. For one thing, the hotel is falling apart so much that the O in the hotel sign fades to reveal Motel Hell. At Motel Hell, the rooms are very much vacant but the owner has it deliberately switched to read No Vacancy.
Welcome to Motel Hell, a jet black comedy-horror that tells the story of Farmer Vincent (Ray Calhoun) and his famous smoked meats, the secret ingredient of which is the people he traps and hunts on a backwoods road late at night. From there, Vincent and his maniacal sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) take the victims and bury them up to their necks in their ‘secret garden’ where they will rupture their vocal chords so they can’t scream and feed them pig pellets so they fatten up.
- 9/28/2015
- by admin
- MoreHorror
For any horror fan who has longed to experience Kevin Connor’s darkly comedic tale of Farmer Vincent and his tasty fritters in high definition, adding Scream Factory’s recent Blu-ray release of Motel Hell to your collection is pretty much a no-brainer. And for the uninitiated, you may be surprised by how well this zany backwoods tale of murder and cannibalistic mayhem holds up almost 35 years since the film was first released.
Motel Hell transports us back to a simpler time when roadside motels were commonplace, young girls on vacation could go missing and no one would ever notice. Unsuspecting travelers would come from near and far to get their hands on some of Farmer Vincent’s (Rory Calhoun) delicious meat products, made from his own special (and quite sinister) blend of ingredients that he and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) create fresh each and every day for all their loyal customers.
Motel Hell transports us back to a simpler time when roadside motels were commonplace, young girls on vacation could go missing and no one would ever notice. Unsuspecting travelers would come from near and far to get their hands on some of Farmer Vincent’s (Rory Calhoun) delicious meat products, made from his own special (and quite sinister) blend of ingredients that he and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) create fresh each and every day for all their loyal customers.
- 8/20/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Motel Hell is an odd film. It’s packaged as a horror-comedy hybrid, but in reality, it takes itself far more seriously than most movies within the same category. Though the film does have an oddball quality, it steers clear of satire, and never reduces itself to slapstick. Motel Hell was produced during a time where all studio horror output was expected to be dead-teen slasher flicks, and while the film has a slasher quality to it, it has a lot more going on for it than that. Another thing Motel Hell is good for, is forcing you to create a lot of the violence in your own mind, as much of the gorier death scenes happen off-screen in a clever sort of way. Much like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you walk away from Motel Hell feeling like you just watched a gorier film than you actually did. What...
- 8/12/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
For the second week of August, horror fans can look forward to a fun array of titles arriving on DVD and Blu-ray this week, including the Troma classic The Toxic Avenger, the cult classic Motel Hell from Scream Factory and the recent indie horror film Proxy.
Also arriving this week are the latest animated Batman feature, A Haunted House 2, a few more indie slasher films, including Crawl or Die and Bunnyman Massacre, as well as the long-awaited re-release of Santa Sangre on DVD from Severin Films.
Spotlight Titles:
Motel Hell Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD Combo)
You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror yarn that ’packs a punch that goes way beyond mere terror’ (Boxoffice). Vincent’s popular products contain a special ingredient that the psychotic farmer and his sister would literally kill to keep a secret! Starring...
Also arriving this week are the latest animated Batman feature, A Haunted House 2, a few more indie slasher films, including Crawl or Die and Bunnyman Massacre, as well as the long-awaited re-release of Santa Sangre on DVD from Severin Films.
Spotlight Titles:
Motel Hell Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD Combo)
You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror yarn that ’packs a punch that goes way beyond mere terror’ (Boxoffice). Vincent’s popular products contain a special ingredient that the psychotic farmer and his sister would literally kill to keep a secret! Starring...
- 8/12/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Since the mad scientists behind Scream Factory, Jeff Nelson and Cliff MacMillan, announced several months ago that Motel Hell was coming out in Blu-ray, we've been waiting rather patiently. With the day finally upon us, we are rewarded with another fantastic giveaway from Scream Factory!
In this contest you can win a Motel Hell Blu-ray and a limited edition exclusive poster. On top of that, there will be three (3) winners. So your chances just increased threefold!
Dread Central readers can enter this contest by sending an email to contests@dreadcentral.com, including your Full Name and Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.
If the above link doesn't work for you, email us directly at contests@dreadcentral.com with the subject line "Motel Hell Blu-ray." Don't forget to include your Full Name and Mailing Address.
Please note that this contest is open to residents of the Us and...
In this contest you can win a Motel Hell Blu-ray and a limited edition exclusive poster. On top of that, there will be three (3) winners. So your chances just increased threefold!
Dread Central readers can enter this contest by sending an email to contests@dreadcentral.com, including your Full Name and Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.
If the above link doesn't work for you, email us directly at contests@dreadcentral.com with the subject line "Motel Hell Blu-ray." Don't forget to include your Full Name and Mailing Address.
Please note that this contest is open to residents of the Us and...
- 8/11/2014
- by KW Low
- DreadCentral.com
It’s finally happening. This is one of the bad boys right here. This is one of Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition releases that I have been dying for, and one that will finally make its way onto the space on my shelf(5 foot stack), designated for Scream and Shout Factory Blu-rays. If you haven’t seen Motel Hell yet, your first time is going to be great, as Scream Factory have stacked the disc with extras and awesome new cover art. The disc drops on August 12th, and if you’d like to pre-order your copy now, do so by clicking right here, and you will receive an exclusive 18×24 poster featuring the commissioned cover-art. Check out the official press release below for a listing of the newly-revealed special features, hot off the press.
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Twisted Horror Comedy from Celebrated British Filmmaker Kevin Connor
Finally Arrives...
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Twisted Horror Comedy from Celebrated British Filmmaker Kevin Connor
Finally Arrives...
- 6/18/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Originally announced on Dread Central Live, we now have the official details and more for The Scream Factory's upcoming Blu-ray release of the Eighties classic, Motel Hell. Read on for details.
From the Press Release
People come from far and wide to sample Farmer Vincent's distinctively flavored dried, smoked sausages, but one might well ask why there are so few people staying at the nearby kitschy Motel Hello. Also, have you ever wondered about the secret ingredients that make his meats taste so darn good? The ‘80s cult classic horror-comedy film Motel Hell, directed by Kevin Connor (At The Earth's Core, The House Where Evil Dwells) takes on a frighteningly funny look into the different kinds of critters that make up Farmer Vincent's fritters with plenty of surprises. On August 12, 2014, Shout! Factory is bringing Motel Hell Collector’s Edition Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack to home entertainment shelves in the U.
From the Press Release
People come from far and wide to sample Farmer Vincent's distinctively flavored dried, smoked sausages, but one might well ask why there are so few people staying at the nearby kitschy Motel Hello. Also, have you ever wondered about the secret ingredients that make his meats taste so darn good? The ‘80s cult classic horror-comedy film Motel Hell, directed by Kevin Connor (At The Earth's Core, The House Where Evil Dwells) takes on a frighteningly funny look into the different kinds of critters that make up Farmer Vincent's fritters with plenty of surprises. On August 12, 2014, Shout! Factory is bringing Motel Hell Collector’s Edition Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack to home entertainment shelves in the U.
- 6/18/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Scream Factory recently announced that Motel Hell will be joining their Collector’s Edition series in August and they’ve shared more details on the upcoming release, including the list of new bonus features:
“People come from far and wide to sample Farmer Vincent’s distinctively flavored dried, smoked sausages, but one might well ask why there are so few people staying at the nearby kitschy Motel Hello. Also, have you ever wondered about the secret ingredients that make his meats taste so darn good? The ‘80s cult classic horror-comedy film Motel Hell, directed by Kevin Connor (At The Earth’s Core, The House Where Evil Dwells) takes on a frighteningly funny look into the different kinds of critters that make up Farmer Vincent’s fritters with plenty of surprises. On August 12, 2014, Shout! Factory is bringing Motel Hell Collector’s Edition Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack to home entertainment shelves in the U.
“People come from far and wide to sample Farmer Vincent’s distinctively flavored dried, smoked sausages, but one might well ask why there are so few people staying at the nearby kitschy Motel Hello. Also, have you ever wondered about the secret ingredients that make his meats taste so darn good? The ‘80s cult classic horror-comedy film Motel Hell, directed by Kevin Connor (At The Earth’s Core, The House Where Evil Dwells) takes on a frighteningly funny look into the different kinds of critters that make up Farmer Vincent’s fritters with plenty of surprises. On August 12, 2014, Shout! Factory is bringing Motel Hell Collector’s Edition Blu-ray+ DVD combo pack to home entertainment shelves in the U.
- 6/18/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
One of the many reasons "Prometheus" was eagerly anticipated by so many was the director's track record in the sci-fi genre. Ridley Scott had only made two science fiction pictures before this year's blockbuster, and both are considered classics (and arguably his best two films). The first was 1979's "Alien," the direct inspiration for "Prometheus." And the second? 1982's "Blade Runner," the noirish mystery adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep," which has been one of the most talked about and influential science fiction films of all time, particularly in terms of its grim look at Los Angeles in 2019.
The film, which follows Harrison Ford's "blade runner" Deckard as he's tasked with tracking down four murderous "replicants" (life-like robots) who've escaped from an off-world colony and are hiding out on Earth, wasn't a success when it first arrived, partly thanks to the tumultuous,...
The film, which follows Harrison Ford's "blade runner" Deckard as he's tasked with tracking down four murderous "replicants" (life-like robots) who've escaped from an off-world colony and are hiding out on Earth, wasn't a success when it first arrived, partly thanks to the tumultuous,...
- 6/25/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Directed by: Kevin Connor
Written by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe
Cast: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod, Paul Linke
I just finished watching the wonderful 1980 horror flick Motel Hell and it made me think. Now, I doubt this is the reaction the filmmakers were looking for when they made this witty little treat, and it’s definitely not the reaction I had when I saw it originally as a teenager. But as one ages and the body begins to break down, the mind begins to assert itself. So bear with me. Watching Motel Hell as a kid, I delighted in seeing former western star Rory Calhoun playing a murderous, cannibalistic farmer. But as an adult, I realized that this flick holds an interesting place in the history of horror movies: Motel Hell might well be the true last gasp of '70s horror.
In the 1970s, horror flicks were more...
Written by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe
Cast: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod, Paul Linke
I just finished watching the wonderful 1980 horror flick Motel Hell and it made me think. Now, I doubt this is the reaction the filmmakers were looking for when they made this witty little treat, and it’s definitely not the reaction I had when I saw it originally as a teenager. But as one ages and the body begins to break down, the mind begins to assert itself. So bear with me. Watching Motel Hell as a kid, I delighted in seeing former western star Rory Calhoun playing a murderous, cannibalistic farmer. But as an adult, I realized that this flick holds an interesting place in the history of horror movies: Motel Hell might well be the true last gasp of '70s horror.
In the 1970s, horror flicks were more...
- 12/23/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
The hits just keep on comin’ from the Graves camp; today another new character/teaser poster arrived, depicting Lamb of God screamer D. Randall Blythe as Deacon Luke, the ferocious henchman of Skull City’s Reverend Stockton (Tony Todd). Check out the graphic below. We also got some exclusive comments from Brian and Dean Ronalds (pictured left), who produced the movie through Ronalds Brothers Productions along with writer/director Brian Pulido’s Mischief Maker Studios.
Having been longtime fans of Pulido’s comic-book work, the Ronaldses first met him when they both had movies entered in the Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival in 2005. “After hanging out and appreciating each other’s achievements and sensibilities, we decided to make a picture together—a Brian Pulido picture,” the brothers tell us. They were able to use the connections made over the course of four years touring the...
Having been longtime fans of Pulido’s comic-book work, the Ronaldses first met him when they both had movies entered in the Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival in 2005. “After hanging out and appreciating each other’s achievements and sensibilities, we decided to make a picture together—a Brian Pulido picture,” the brothers tell us. They were able to use the connections made over the course of four years touring the...
- 5/5/2009
- Fangoria
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