When I was pretty young, my father and I would peruse the aisles of the local movie rental shop, in hopes of finding the perfect movie for the weekend.
At one point, this particular store had a promotion of “5 Movies for 5 Days for 5 Dollars”. From that point on, I pestered my dad into taking me to rent movies every single weekend. It didn’t matter if it was Halloween or not. I had been bitten by the horror movie bug and I was going to drive my mother insane with cheesy movies.
It was there that I saw the cover for Motel Hell for the first time. What was this ridiculous looking movie? I had to have it, and the rest is history. My obsession had begun!
We watched Motel Hell that weekend and I’ve never forgotten it.
The incomparable Rory Calhoun (The River of No Return) portrays Farmer Vincent. He and his sister Ida are quite the unsuspecting duo. Ida is perfectly played by Nancy Parsons – known to many for her superb role as Beulah Balbricker in Porky’s. Personally, I have a hard time separating Nancy Parsons the person with Beulah Balbricker the character. In my mind, she is “Beulah, Beulah, Beulah!”
The duo live on a farm and love to catch weary travelers in their most vulnerable moments. The farm just so happens to have a motel on the property, curiously named Motel Hello. It’s perfect for luring unsuspecting motorists in for the evening or for some of Farmer Vincent’s famous smoked meats.
This movie gives a whole new meaning to the term, “Secret Garden”. Farmer Vincent and Ida will make sure you are acquainted with their little plot of land. In fact, you may never look at a farm the same way again.
The next time you drive by a quaint little farm, just remember Farmer Vincent and Ida. They’d love it if you would spend the night.
“It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters” – Farmer Vincent