Motel Hell: Collector’s Edition
“Meat’s meat and a man’s gotta eat” is the kind of line that makes this an offbeat horror treat. Some moments are satirical of other horror films, yet they carry a horrific impact, so you may not have much time to laugh before fright sets in. From the opening, in which the final O in the neon sign MOTEL HELLO is flickering, director Kevin Connor creates a rural Americana setting that turns into nightmarish terrain. Farmer Vincent, the villain, seems like a wonderful guy when you first meet him. Played by onetime cowboy star Rory Calhoun, he’ll win you over with his charm until you realize that the dude who co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in “The River of No Return” is now playing a sadistic murderer. He traps passersby and takes them to his garden. He and his greedy sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) bury them up to their necks. Then our “friendly farmer” cuts their vocal cords and slides burlap sacks over their heads. Later, the corpses are carefully hung in the smokehouse to cure. Parsons is a classic villainess, and adding to this bizarre family is the local sheriff (Paul Linke), who just happens to be Vincent’s brother, who is falling in love with one of the soon-to-be victims (Nina Axelrod). Watch forWolfman Jack in a cameo role. Bonus features include new interviews with Connor and other behind-thecamera figures, along with a fascinating look at bad girls in the movies, and cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth discussing “shooting old school.” — John Stanley