Mountaintop Motel Massacre (1983) Reviews

• Average at Best.

  suspiria102004-03-27

  Synopsis: What do you get when you put a boozing preacher, an out of work carpenter, a just hitched couple, a `record executive' and some cousins wanting to make their mark on Nashville and throw then into a secluded motel in the woods during a dark and stormy night that is run by an ex-mental patient. You get this film that's what. Evelyn has gone off the deep end one last time and we are going along for the ride. Acting: The acting is not bad. But it isn't anything to write home about either. It pretty much runs straight down the line with as much pizzazz as the one dimensional characters could be. The cast is a bunch of amateurs so don't expect great things. Direction / Writing: The direction is good. Not too much visual flare but has the occasional interesting light set up. The writing is a little bland but passable. The characters lack detail and definition and rely heavily on bugs and beasties for scares, so as a result no suspense is generated for their predicaments. Very by-the-numbers set them up for the kill characters. Photography / Editing: The photography is of the dark and stormy type. I kept thinking of Identity (2003) because of similarities. It does get a little claustrophobic toward the end during the final battle but is straight-forward and even a bit stale. The editing is where the production could have picked up the slack of the other departments. But they didn't. They should have cut another ten minutes off this one so it doesn't drag as often as it does. Cheesiness: The cheesiness factor could have helped this out quite a bit but the dialogue for this most part is cut and dried. Seeing that most of the cast had southern accents a little redneck humor could go a long way. The synth score does add a little atmosphere though. Sex / Nudity: None to speak of. You see some bare backs and a little wet t-shirt action for the guys. And some jockey action and shirtless chest action for the ladies. No sex involved. That is unless you consider the snake bite scene sex. Sleaze: No sleaze to report here. Which is pretty amazing for an early ‘80's slasher? Overall / Parting Remarks: A by-the-numbers and rather uninteresting slasher with an interesting location but no suspense or scares. Corny dialogue would have help and some more interesting kills would have been nice. Overall the film is just plain bland.

• Typical '80s New World Pictures slasher

  Drive-In-Freak2005-01-07

  There must have been hundreds of these things made in the early '80s.If you are familiar with this type of film and New World Pictures you almost know what to expect. Typical "B" drive-in slasher film shot in the woods of Louisiana for about $5.27.Falls a bit short on the sleaze and gore you might expect such a film to have,but is still interesting enough to keep your attention.Although I found it watchable,it's just not that interesting.As a "B" film it has a cast and crew are a little too good to make fun of in a "so bad it's good" way.To me this takes away from the fun that can be had looking out for the mistakes that make low budget films so enjoyable.I love bad movies,and this one wasn't bad enough.It falls flat right between too bad to be good and too good to be bad.Recommended for lovers of drive-in cheeze,New World Picture fans,and folks who just can't get enough of the early "80s slashers only. 5/10 on the Drive-in-Freak-O-Meter

• A review from someone who actually likes this movie...

  elliottrainbow2002-10-30

  Yes, this movie has bad acting, a poor plot and no real horror to speak of...but it is also one of the 'so bad it's good' movies. Evelyn (who IS creepy, by the way) goes on a killing spree at her motel. I think the idea of Evelyn going from one cabin to the next through an underground tunnel was a neat idea. I also liked that not all of the likeable characters were killed. There is also some humor. While this movie is surely not of the caliber of Psycho or even Texas Chainsaw Massacre (both favorites of mine!) it is worth a look; if only for the camp value. Rent this off of the 99 cent rack, turn off the lights, and get ready to be scared...a little! But please do not disturb Evelyn...SHE ALREADY IS!

• It's all about the atmosphere

  Samhainfire92005-09-18

  Never have I seen a film that invokes as much moribund atmosphere as Mountaintop Motel. Everything about this film, from the lighting, the sound, and the set design, is totally drenched with macabre imagery. Notice how I refer to this film as simply Mountaintop Motel. That is because that is the original title! Simplistic, foreboding, and to the crux of the matter. But those silly New World Pictures execs needed a campy hook to reel people looking for campy product. Presto! Let's add "Massacre" to the title! And not only that, let's create new cover art! Forget the original art done by Production designer Drew Edward Hunter which perfectly captures the dark somber essence of the film! We need something cheesy that will lure the unsuspecting popcorn-munching mainstream masses! That ladies and gentleman, is why you see such vitriol heaped at this powerful, creepy movie. People see the New World Pictures cover art, with the stupid lady who is not even in the film, they read the funny tag line, and think "Gee, this will be a real entertaining fast-paced cheese fest, golly won't this be fun." But the art is misleading. This is a serious horror film with an eerie supernatural undertone. The movie concerns a middle-aged woman named Evelyn. It seems that Evelyn has spent time in a mental institution. It is never revealed why. Evelyn runs the Mountaintop Motel with the help of her daughter Lorri. The only trouble is that Evelyn does not appear to be fully recovered from her insanity, and worse, Lorri does not seem to be the best person to have around when you are struggling with a mental disturbance. Lorri looks to be like any other girl her age, but underneath her innocent facade lies a dark force that is never fully explained or understood. To Evelyn's chagrin, Lorri has a fascination in the occult, and her favorite avocation seems to be the holding of séance's and other dark ritualistic behavior. It should be noted at this point that Evelyn's husband is no longer in the picture. The audience is made aware that he departed but we never learn how or why. Lorri obviously pines for her father as she has a portrait of him that she has present at her séance and which she makes conversation with. The séance that we see take place is Lorri's last as Evelyn catches her in the middle of summoning a spirit. This pushes Evelyn over the edge once again and in a swirling rage she kills Lorri. And this is what sets the rest of the film in motion. Because when Evelyn killed Lorri all she did was free her spirit from her earthly shackles. Now Lorri's spirit is free to roam and urge her already unstable mother to fulfill her sinister directive. So in essence the rest of the film is about the unfortunate souls who happen to check into the Mountaintop Motel unaware of the hell that they will pay. Every element that a well crafted horror picture needs is present here in abundance. First we have the music score and sound design by Ron DiIulio. The score that this man conjured to earth is first-rate eeriness put to tape. There is an overwhelming spine-tingling feeling that will pass over you when you hear this music. And the vocal intonations and whispering voices create a perfect atmosphere of horror. Then we have the Production and set design by Drew Edward Hunter. From the bizarre baby doll shrines, the ever-present glowing candles, and overall moody set dressing, this is superb work done by Mr. Hunter. And the direction by Jim Mcculough Sr. is quite stylish for an American horror film. Some really off-kilter sequences owe a lot to some innovative camera work. Especially the scene in which Evelyn is lurking around with a lit candle reading cryptic passages from the Holy Bible. One scene in particular, which I consider the best in the film, if not in all of horror cinema, is the moment late in the film when Crenshaw and Al venture into Lorri's room. This scene, in a moment of powerful realization, perfectly encapsulates to me the meaning of horror and what a horror film is supposed to accomplish. The aura of this scene with the shadows dancing morbidly up the wall is something that once you see you will never forget. At this moment you realize that this movie has created it's own alternate universe that you have stepped into, the atmosphere is so suffocating it's unreal. The acting in this movie is decent. Definitely not as bad as some reviewers on here would have you believe. There is no Al Pacino caliber talent on display among the male leads, but what do these people expect? This is a low budget horror film from Shreveport Louisiana. The people that write the most damning reviews are the same people who do not normally venture out of the cozy confines of mainstream cinema. They are not connoisseurs of low budget independent cinema so their comments stem from ignorance. Just go back to watching The Matrix please. I would also like to say that the strength of this film owes a lot to the performance by the talented stage actress Anna Chappell. She gives a great, fragile portrayal of insanity that really works wonders for the movie. So in summation I would just like to say that I love this film. It has had a profound impact on how I view the horror genre. Anytime a movie is touted as being "scary", Mountaintop Motel is the stick by which all horror films I watch are measured. I never get tired of this film and I highly recommend it to all fans of atmospheric horror.

• Almost but not quite

  Maciste_Brother2003-06-04

  MOUNTAINTOP MOTEL MASSACRE has everything going for it: good atmosphere, good setting, good lead actress, okay score. But the thing that almost kills MMM is the pacing. It's very slooooooooooow. Had the film's pacing been better I believe this would have been fun. But instead, everything happens at a snails pace. And the acting in some moments was really amateurish and watching boring scenes with amateurish actors don't make for compelling viewing. Also, the way Evelyn kills her victims is, for the most part, dull. She tries to kill with a snake, rats or cockroaches(?!?!). Yes, she does start killing people with a sickle after a while but the killings should have been more interesting. MOUNTAINTOP MOTEL MASSACRE had potential but it missed it with its super slow pacing.