Motel Hell

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Motel Hell

R

1980

1h 46m

Horror

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

55%

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.

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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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Craig W

@CJWolfe27 Oct 2, 2026

Movie was funny and entertaining, 80s horror movie

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Keith B

@Okbullard Oct 1, 2026

Whoa what a dumb movie. I remember people at work talking and joking about this in the early 80s. Obviously I'd never bother watching this one ever again.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 4, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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David G.

@RT25716413 Jun 1, 2026

Terrible acting, terrible script but so much fun lately night with some chips and salsa after being out all night

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Jeepers C

@RT12312147 Dec 24, 2025

What a classic horror movie this is. This is a favorite late night movie, that I still watch.

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Maksim S

@MaksimusMovies Nov 28, 2025

Motel Hell is a darkly comic horror that blends genuinely creepy moments with sharp satire. The film thrives on its bizarre premise—a seemingly quaint roadside motel that hides a gruesome secret—and its combination of practical gore and offbeat humor keeps viewers both unsettled and entertained. The villains are memorably twisted, and the film leans into grotesque yet creative body horror that will satisfy fans of classic ’80s gore. While the tone occasionally wavers between horror and camp, this balance adds to the film’s charm rather than detracts from it. Clever, gory, and often hilarious, Motel Hell is an underrated gem that delivers a hearty slice of horror with a darkly comedic bite, earning a solid 3.5/5.

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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

1:39

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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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