The Daily Dig: Moutaintop Motel Massacre (1983)

A menacing proto-slasher, “Mountaintop Motel Massacre” succeeds on many levels but falls short of what’s needed to become a cult classic.

A former asylum patient now runs a motel where her illness leads her to pick off her guests. Let’s dig into 1983’s MOUNTAINTOP MOTEL MASSACRE, directed by Jim McCullough Sr.!

As I See It

I’m not going to lie: I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

I had to keep looking at the age of the production, confirming that they were trying out some concepts that would later become tropes in the slasher genre and horror as a whole. It’s a gritty slasher that also incorporates some psychological elements. That doesn’t mean there isn’t gore. It’s not overflowing with Karo syrup, but there are a few gory beheadings, utilizing the scythe from the cover image.

It might be my own Heebie-jeebies, but roaches and rats evoke the same reaction as body horror for me. Having the landlord of sorts, planting them in the rooms is a great touch. I have to admit, it was kind of fun watching her mess with them.

They were successful in setting up a realistic reason for the women to be a killer; she’s a former asylum patient who’s been released. They also pose a deep, serious societal question. Yes, asylums were exploitative of the patients, but why wasn’t a better plan set up besides just dumping them back into a fast-paced society?

They pose that question and then don’t bother to bog the film down with an abundance of poignant moments. It makes for a more palatable watch—just enough salt.

The whole movie is a testament to why it’s so important to build interesting characters. It’s the difference between a good movie and a great movie. Can you imagine if Rob Zombie got his hands on the script for a pass? We’d have a ton of Mountaintop Motel Massacre tattoos.

Famous Faces

Bill Thurman (Reverend Bill McWilley) has bit parts in a couple of Spielberg films: The Sugarland Express and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

James Bradford (Sheriff) played the magician, Shandu, in a few episodes of the 90s classic TV show Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Of Gratuitous Nature

There is scant reason to have people changing so often in films other than to show off their nude bodies, even for a frame or two.

Heartthrob

I vividly remember my out-of-order introduction to the Friday the 13th series. The first hockey mask-wearing killer tape I got my grubby hands on was Part VI – Jason Lives. The RV scene stuck with me. I was barely seven years old and did my best to see as many of the early installments as possible. When I was introduced to the first one, my mind was blown that the killer not only wasn’t wearing a hockey mask but was a sweater-wearing, “nice” lady.

Mountaintop Motel Massacre isn’t quite as clever as reverse engineering how we got to Jason Vorhees as we know him, but it still struck a similar note in my nostalgic, black heart.

Ripe for a Remake

I think there is a fun (for us, not the characters) story here. A nightmarish hotel with a torturous proprietor? Sign me up.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Vinegar Syndrome released a limited-edition Blu-ray with a new 2 K scan from 35mm negative elements. You can stream it on Hoopla, Plex, Amazon Video, or Apple TV.