Rory Calhoun plays Vincent, a farmer that specializes in smoked meat. He's been feeding his specialty meats to the surrounding towns for years. What no one knows is that Vincent and his sister Ida (played by Nancy Parsons) have been using human meat in their recipes. Vincent causes car accidents, kidnaps the motorists, and stores them in a secret garden buried up to their necks until they are fattened up for harvest.

When Terry (Nina Axelrod) barely survives a motorcycle wreck that Vincent caused, he sees it as a sign from God and falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Vincent's brother Bruce (Paul Linke), who happens to be the town sheriff, also has a crush on Terry and becomes jealous. Bruce starts looking into his brother's suspicious behavior and discovers just why "it takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters".

The bottom line is that Kevin Connor has created a damn near classic. Motel Hell is one of the most bizarre horror movies you'll ever see. This kinky, grim, and hilarious flick is truly a product of the early 80s. It's even unsettling at times (check out the gurgling, inhuman sounds of the victims buried in the ground if you don't believe me). Even though the plot may be a little unwieldy, the dialogue is sharp as a tack and isn't serious for a second.

Rory Calhoun delivers his amazing dialogue with the utmost conviction that only a character as ridiculous as Farmer Vincent could. The outrageous Ida Smith plays Vincent's more or less psychotic and eerily childlike sister perfectly. I couldn't imagine a better duo to handle this kooky script.

Of course, when there are two scene-stealing roles like this pair in a film, some of the other actors might not be able to compete. It's no fault of the actor but Paul Linke's character, Bruce, is poorly developed and very difficult to either love or hate in a movie of no gray areas. Nina Axelrod is very good at playing the damsel in distress but her character of Terry never gets much deeper than that.

What makes this film so great is that it knows how to have fun while still delivering the goods. There are some hokey gore setpieces and plenty of blood to go around. The whole thing plays as a spoof of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which Tobe Hooper would do himself six years later). Hell, you've even got Wolfman Jack playing Reverend Bill! If that ain't fun...

So please, do yourself a favor and watch Motel Hell. If you're looking for a fun horror movie that doesn't neuter itself with a PG-13 rating, then you'll love this one. The wild and over-the-top conclusion alone is worth the watch.