Inspired by my love for the 1980 horror comedy “Motel Hell”, here are 15 more essential drive-in movies similar to this genre gem that you need to see.
“It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters.”
Motel Hell is one of my all time favorite films. Released around Halloween in 1980, this 1980 horror comedy bucked the slasher trend of the time to serve up a heaping helping of horror satire and black comedy. Directed by Kevin Connor, it stars Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, and Nina Axelrod. The plot follows a farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith, who traps travelers and harvests them for his human sausages.
Vincent runs the Motel Hello (the “o” in the sign has burned out, giving the motel an unfortunate new moniker) with his sister Ida. The two also have a side hustle selling the best smoked meat in the county, made from a secret ingredient “grown” in a garden out back. When a beautiful young woman named Terry begins an unexpected stay at the motel and develops a fondness for Vincent, the mystery of just how he makes his tasty “fritters” threatens to come to light.
This is one of the rare horror films that has yet to be remade (surprisingly). So if you’re like me and find yourself hungry for more of this tasty genre fare, you’ll have to settle for the smorgasbord of films that either helped inspire or were inspired in some way by this satisfying cult classic.
15 GREAT HORROR FILMS LIKE MOTEL HELL
#15 Blood Feast (1963)
This 1963 Herschell Gordon Lewis film is the first in the splatter genre and has gathered a well-deserved cult following. It centers around a caterer who kills women and sacrifices them to an Egyptian Goddess. Blood Feast immediately became notorious for its explicit gore and violence. A belated sequel was released in 2002, also directed by Lewis, titled Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat.
#14 Hillside Cannibals (2006)
This 2006 film was directed by Leigh Scott and released by Asylum. Like the much better known film this mockbuster emulates, The Hills Have Eyes (2006), it focuses on the real life Sawney Bean family, a family of cannibalistic inbreds. In this film, a group of teenagers come face to face with the murderous, cave-dwelling descendants of Sawney Bean in the Mojave Desert. This film hasn’t reached a wide audience, but it delivers genuine horror.
#13 The People Under the Stairs (1991)
From mastermind Wes Craven, this is one of his coolest movies ever made — with a unique story line, several twists and a plot that keeps growing. Two burglars and a boy break into the wrong house and discover what’s under the stairs. The film was a surprise commercial success and is considered influential due to its satirical depiction of gentrification, class warfare, and capitalism.
#12 Wrong Turn (2003)
This 2003 film by Rob Schmidt has already spawned 6 additional films in the franchise (two sequels and three indirect prequels), with Wrong Turn 7 coming out this year. The series follows a group of cannibals from West Virginia who trap unsuspecting tourists and terrorize reality show contestants. Wrong Turn 6 was recalled due to an illegal use of a picture of a real missing person.
#11 Deranged (1974)
This movie was directed by Alan Ormsby and was originally released in 1974. Eventually, Midnite Movies released it as a double feature along side Motel Hell. The film is loosely based on real life serial killer Ed Gein and follows Ezra Cobb, a middle-aged man in a rural Midwestern community who begins a string of serial murders and grave robberies after the death of his mother, a religious fanatic who raised him to be a misogynist.
#10 Hatchet (2006)
This 2006 film by Adam Green pays loving homage to the classics of the slasher genre. The main antagonist of the film is a deformed, supernatural serial killer who lives deep in the swamps and hunts anyone unfortunate enough to trespass near his home. The film spawned three sequels, including the recently released Victor Crowley, and a comic book series.
#9 Mountaintop Motel Massacre (1983)
Directed by Jim McCullough Sr., this is a drive-in classic. It tells the story of an elderly psychotic woman who returns to her Mountaintop Motel with murder on her mind. It was filmed in 1983, but it did not receive a widespread theatrical release until 1986 when it was picked up by Roger Corman's company New World Pictures. Though it was largely panned upon release, it has since picked up a cult following.
#8 Cabin Fever (2002)
Eli Roth wrote the script for this film, which he also directed, while working as a production assistant on the Howard Stern Show. This story about a deadly flesh-eating virus was inspired by Roth's own experience with a skin infection he transmitted while traveling abroad. Paying homage to slasher classics while still remaining original and authentic, the film has spawned a sequel, an indirect prequel, and a 2016 remake.
#7 House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
This 2003 film from horror/rock legend Rob Zombie in his directorial debut is an exploitation horror film classic. The film stars Zombie's wife Sheri Moon, alongside true horror legends like Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, and Karen Black as members of the twisted Firefly family. Set on Halloween, the film follows the murderous clan as they torture and mutilate a group of teenagers on a road trip. It spawned a direct sequel, The Devil's Rejects (2005), with a third film called 3 from Hell currently in production.
#6 Two Thousand Maniacs (1964)
This 1964 splatter film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis takes place in a fictional confederate ghost town called Pleasant Valley. In it, a group of Northern tourists are savagely tortured and murdered during the town's centennial celebration. Heavily cut by the MPAA before its release, the film was a lost drive-in classic for some time before it experienced a revival thanks to a DVD release by Something Weird Video. The film was remade in 2005 as 2001 Maniacs.
#5 31 (2016)
Another film from director Rob Zombie, this 2016 modern day slasher featuring killer clowns was partially crowdfunded to allow Zombie creative control to make the film on his own terms. It plays like a classic drive-in flick and follows five carnival workers who are kidnapped and forced to play a sadistic game of survival called 31. Rob's wife Sheri Moon once again stars, alongside horror icons like Meg Foster and Malcolm McDowell.
#4 The Toolbox Murders (1978)
This 1978 crime mystery/slasher directed by Dennis Donnelly features a psychopathic, ski-mask wearing antagonist who uses his toolbox for all the wrong reasons. It was marketed as being based on a true story when it was released. Tobe Hooper directed a 2004 remake of the film called Toolbox Murders that shares some similarities but differs considerably from the original. Hooper's version ended up being better received than the 1978 film that inspired it.
#3 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
A direct sequel to his landmark 1974 film, Tobe Hooper co-wrote and directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 about a radio host who gets victimized and captured by Leatherface and his cannibalistic family. Focusing much more on black comedy than the visceral horror of the original, the film was met with mixed critical reception. But it has since gone on to achieve a huge cult following, thanks in large part to Bill Moseley's iconic portrayal as Chop Top as well as its famous chili cook-off sub plot heavily inspired by Motel Hell.
#2 Psycho (1960)
This essential horror classic directed by Alfred Hitchcock spawned 4 sequels, 1 remake, and a popular television series — and it has inspired countless other films. It is credited for spawning the slasher flick and redefining the genre in many ways. Truly a groundbreaking film whose influence is undeniable, this movie basically kick-started the long list of slashers that use a motel setting.
#1 Eaten Alive (1977)
Eaten Alive is another film on this list that directed by Tobe Hooper. Written by Kim Henkel, this film reunites the same team that made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre three years earlier. The story centers around a crazed killer named Judd and his Starlight Hotel. Judd also has a pet crocodile that lives in a swamp pit in front of the hotel. With the debut of Robert Englund in the horror genre and his first collaboration with Hooper, this is a drive-in masterpiece!
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