Motel Hell

Motel Hell is a 1980 American comedy horror film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod. The plot follows farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith, who, with the help of his sister Ida, traps travelers and harvests them for his human sausages. The film's screenplay was written by brothers Robert and Steven-Charles Jaffe, who also served as producers. Connor was hired to direct Motel Hell based on his previous directorial credits in the horror genre, namely his feature film debut, From Beyond the Grave (1974). Principal photography of Motel Hell took place in the spring of 1980, mainly at the Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, California. Released by United Artists in the fall of 1980, Motel Hell received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its elements of comedy and satire, while others found its violence distasteful. The film went on to develop a cult following, and has been cited by film scholars as a satire and parody of contemporary horror films such as Psycho (1960) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).