Just off the highway is a motel called “Motel Hello”. The place is run by Farmer Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his younger sister Ida (Nancy Parsons). The hotel is attached to a farm and smokehouse. Vincent is known for making the best smoked meat products in the area. Everybody loves them and many people come from miles around to buy his smoked meats. Among Vincent’s secret ingredients in his proprietary blend, are people.
Vincent supplements his product line by causing accidents on the local highway. He uses knockout gas to subdue the accident victims. He then takes them back to his farm. In a fenced off area of the farm referred to as the “Secret Garden”, Vincent and Ida cut the vocal cords of the victims. Vincent digs holes using an industrial auger and buries his human crop up to their necks in the ground. The crop is fed until they are ready to be harvested and smoked. Vincent’s sister Ida helps with the process.
Vincent causes a motorcycle to go off the road and hit a tree. The driver of the car is gassed and put in the back of Vincent’s pick-up truck. When Vincent sees the passenger of the bike he pauses. Instead of planting her in the garden he takes her into the motel and has his sister tend to her injuries. The next day Vincent finds out that the girl’s name is Terry (Nina Axelrod). Vincent tells her that the man she was with, Bo Tulinski (Everett Creach), died in the accident. He shows her a grave marker in a nearby cemetery. With nowhere to go, Terry ends up staying at the motel.
Believing that Vincent saved her life, Terry becomes romantically interested in the older man. Vincent’s younger brother Bruce (Paul Linke) is a sheriff. When he meets Terry, he becomes interested in her. As Vincent and Ida continue to harvest people, Terry, not knowing about the Smiths’ cooking methods becomes more attracted to Vincent. Ida becomes jealous of, and Bruce becomes more infatuated with, Terry. In the meantime, things in the garden are becoming restless.
“Motel Hell” was released in 1980 and was directed by Kevin Connor. It is an American horror comedy. The film is a sort of redneck slasher film and a satirical look at redneck or hillbilly horror. The film is a low budget independent black comedy. It has been referred to as the comedy version of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” 1974.
There is some gore but not as much as you would think. There are, however, a lot of cringe worthy scenes. The best part of the movie is the chainsaw fight, especially since one of the duelers is wearing a pig head and laughing hysterically. There are a lot of moments that are over-the-top, and they are what makes the movie so much fun to watch.
The movie is supposedly based on the true story of German cannibal Karl Denke. Wolfman Jack plays the televangelist Reverend Billy. He is also the voice of the radio announcer.