63 reviews
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.
- Maciste_Brother
- Jun 3, 2003
- Permalink
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
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
- Drive-In-Freak
- Jan 6, 2005
- Permalink
- BandSAboutMovies
- Mar 4, 2020
- Permalink
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.
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.
- suspiria10
- Mar 26, 2004
- Permalink
"Mountaintop Motel Massacre" will appeal to those horror fans like myself who often have to see a movie just because of the ridiculous title. Sometimes we get snowballed and the movie sucks but other times, we are treated to a semi-entertaining gem that stands out from the rest. "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" stands out.
The whole setting of the movie is creepy as hell, kind of a mix between Tobe Hooper's "Eaten Alive" and "Motel Hell." Mountaintop Motel is in the country, off a dirt road, itself a collection of small 'cabins' and they are all linked together by an underground passageway. The lady who runs the joint is a psycho, she offs her kid in the beginning of the flick and then proceeds to off some guests in her cabins.
My only complaint is that this movie takes way too long to get going. If it had the pace of the final twenty minutes during the entire movie, it would have been amazing. But hang in there, you won't be disappointed in this one. Some nice, genuinely creepy scenes and some decent gory killings.
5 out of 10, kids.
The whole setting of the movie is creepy as hell, kind of a mix between Tobe Hooper's "Eaten Alive" and "Motel Hell." Mountaintop Motel is in the country, off a dirt road, itself a collection of small 'cabins' and they are all linked together by an underground passageway. The lady who runs the joint is a psycho, she offs her kid in the beginning of the flick and then proceeds to off some guests in her cabins.
My only complaint is that this movie takes way too long to get going. If it had the pace of the final twenty minutes during the entire movie, it would have been amazing. But hang in there, you won't be disappointed in this one. Some nice, genuinely creepy scenes and some decent gory killings.
5 out of 10, kids.
- coldwaterpdh
- Dec 11, 2008
- Permalink
Anna Chappell stars as the elderly Evelyn, who's let out of a mental hospital and starts running the Mountaintop Motel, a scuzzy string of run-down shacks out in the sticks that would have me sleeping in the nearest ditch. She snaps again and on a dark and stormy night kills people stranded at her hotel. Guests include a honeymooning couple, two reverends, a record executive and a pair of Barbara Mandrell clones who don't wear bras (a rainstorm and flimsy white shirts help to prove this).
Funny sounding cosmic music plays whenever Evelyn is up to something devious. She lurks around in underground catacombs spying on victims with her bulging eyes, hears her dead daughters voice, sneaks snakes, roaches and rats into rooms and hacks people up with a sickle. This is no PSYCHO, just a silly regional concoction from Louisiana with a few laughs and some blood. Larry Buchanan fans will recognize Bill Thurman as an alcoholic reverend.
Score: 4 out of 10
Funny sounding cosmic music plays whenever Evelyn is up to something devious. She lurks around in underground catacombs spying on victims with her bulging eyes, hears her dead daughters voice, sneaks snakes, roaches and rats into rooms and hacks people up with a sickle. This is no PSYCHO, just a silly regional concoction from Louisiana with a few laughs and some blood. Larry Buchanan fans will recognize Bill Thurman as an alcoholic reverend.
Score: 4 out of 10
- Nightman85
- Aug 4, 2005
- Permalink
I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs.
The old lady's face, her sadistic smile n the creepy music stayed with me for a long time.
Revisited recently.
The movie is a bit boring n the effects ain't good.
Apart from the creepy music n the old lady's facial expressions, the movie has oodles of atmosphere.
The isolated hotel, the woods n the constant rain, all add up but in the entire movie we never get to see any mountain.
Now lets talk bah the lol moments.
How conveniently the old woman comes up from the basement without Prissy noticing her inspite of being in front of the mirror.
How she was able to take the body down into the basement all by her self is beyond me.
Later she pulls the tall n heavy built Reverend.
The movie has one very brutal scene, a scythe piercing thru d cheeks.
The big built cop gets beaten by the old lady.
Now some irritating moments.
Lots of titillating scenes but not an ounce of nudity.
They shud have reversed Hitchcock's Psycho by making the mad lady keep the dead body of her daughter.
I feel Keanu Reeves' Knock Knock borrowed the element of two stranger gals n one man on a rainy nite stuff from this movie.
I also feel that John Cusack's Identify too borrowed from this movie.
Complete strangers coming together on a rainy nite in a motel n later getting killed off.
The old lady's face, her sadistic smile n the creepy music stayed with me for a long time.
Revisited recently.
The movie is a bit boring n the effects ain't good.
Apart from the creepy music n the old lady's facial expressions, the movie has oodles of atmosphere.
The isolated hotel, the woods n the constant rain, all add up but in the entire movie we never get to see any mountain.
Now lets talk bah the lol moments.
How conveniently the old woman comes up from the basement without Prissy noticing her inspite of being in front of the mirror.
How she was able to take the body down into the basement all by her self is beyond me.
Later she pulls the tall n heavy built Reverend.
The movie has one very brutal scene, a scythe piercing thru d cheeks.
The big built cop gets beaten by the old lady.
Now some irritating moments.
Lots of titillating scenes but not an ounce of nudity.
They shud have reversed Hitchcock's Psycho by making the mad lady keep the dead body of her daughter.
I feel Keanu Reeves' Knock Knock borrowed the element of two stranger gals n one man on a rainy nite stuff from this movie.
I also feel that John Cusack's Identify too borrowed from this movie.
Complete strangers coming together on a rainy nite in a motel n later getting killed off.
- Fella_shibby
- Feb 16, 2024
- Permalink
When I saw the cover art for this poor excuse for a horror movie I was excited! I was expecting to have a "Rabid Grannies" or a "Flesh-Eating Mothers" type of good time that most horror fans love. Instead, I was bored to tears! The woman on the cover of this box is not even in the movie, instead the audience is forced to watch a drab, untalented, older actress try to play the role of an insane person but instead she comes across more like Grandma Moses on qualudes...not at all scary or even campy just dull and ineffective. The "motel" that this film takes place at more resembles a collection of cardboard boxes on the street...the only redeeming quality that this film has is an eerie soundtrack but that is not necessarily effective because the film goes nowhere fast! Avoid this stinker, watch the aforementioned flicks or better yet...the ultimate motel slasher flick..."Motel Hell".
- Samhainfire9
- Sep 17, 2005
- Permalink
Mountaintop Motel Massacre is surprisingly good; it's not your typical standard fare 80s slasher in my opinion. It's extremely atmospheric with a haunting score, decent acting, and just enough blood and gore effects to keep most horror fans entertained. And maybe it's just me, but I think it would be great paired together with Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive as a late night double feature. My vote is 7/10. Definitely give it a shot if you are a fan of 80s slasher films, or enjoy atmospheric b-horror movies.
- Mister-Creeper
- Jul 18, 2021
- Permalink
This movie is at the exact opposite end of the spectrum of campy cheesy sleazy horror motel-themed fun and greatness that Motel Hell is on. Motel Hell is a great movie whereas Mountaintop Motel Massacre is one of the slowest, worst, most boring movies ever made. There is nothing entertaining about watching an old lady scamper about extremely slowly putting bugs in people's motel rooms to kill them, that's just ridiculous and stupid. The makers of this movie should have just given her an axe and had her go around chopping up all her guests, and this movie would have been so much better. Instead they went the BAD WEIRD STUPID route and made one of the dumbest slowest and boringest horror movies ever. If your looking for a good, fun, entertaining motel-themed horror movie check out Motel Hell.
- UltimateDarkness
- Mar 8, 2004
- Permalink
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!
- elliottrainbow
- Oct 29, 2002
- Permalink
When watching this "movie" you might ask yourself: is this a joke? But after about 15 minutes of this "horror-movie", you will make the indeed horrifying discovery: that it IS NOT!!! There is the horror in this film... it might very well be the worst of it's kind... it really might. To comment on the plot itself will bring back to many painful memories, but if you don't believe me, you can see for yourself...
- jeppegrunberger
- Nov 26, 2000
- Permalink
- Scarecrow-88
- Mar 6, 2007
- Permalink
Need a movie to watch on a Saturday night with all your friends in a drunken stupor? Here's your movie! The hokey acting and special effects will give you and your friends nearly two hours of entertainment. Forget plot, acting, or decent movie sets...just enjoy this cinematic gem for what it is: Crap.
There are four pages of comments for this trash. What are you people, gluttons for punishment or something? Why anybody would sit through such a worthless timewaster and then bother writing about it is beyond me. But here I am doing exactly what I'm chastising you for. *SLAPS WRIST* Call it therapy if you will, but I have to take this opportunity to get back at the studio for unceremoniously ripping 90 minutes from my life and not refunding it. Just a small bit of payback, but better than nothing..
An mad old lady murders her daughter and the poor girl's pet rabbit. She claims it was an accident and everybody believes her, but as usual in these films one policeman gets suspicious. She also owns a hotel by a small town, and after the funeral she has a particularly busy night with the predictable assortment of guests e.g: A fat guy, two hot chicks, the loving couple, an old black dude etc. Most destined to be wormfood, but can our doubting Thomas copper save the day before things get TOO bloody?
Boredom kicks in early during a long irritating sequence in which the crazy old bat hears her dead daughter's voice in her head and continues it's steady progress as the unlovable stereotypical characters get picked off one by one. This is a genre movie of the worst kind, and whenever anything interesting starts to happen (a teen being hacked up, the beginning of a sex scene) the camera decides to cut away to a pointless unrelated moment, and all sense of excitement is lost. In fact, the only buzz I got from the entire mess was when the ending credits arrived, and the torture was over. HURRAY! Don't bother. 2/10
An mad old lady murders her daughter and the poor girl's pet rabbit. She claims it was an accident and everybody believes her, but as usual in these films one policeman gets suspicious. She also owns a hotel by a small town, and after the funeral she has a particularly busy night with the predictable assortment of guests e.g: A fat guy, two hot chicks, the loving couple, an old black dude etc. Most destined to be wormfood, but can our doubting Thomas copper save the day before things get TOO bloody?
Boredom kicks in early during a long irritating sequence in which the crazy old bat hears her dead daughter's voice in her head and continues it's steady progress as the unlovable stereotypical characters get picked off one by one. This is a genre movie of the worst kind, and whenever anything interesting starts to happen (a teen being hacked up, the beginning of a sex scene) the camera decides to cut away to a pointless unrelated moment, and all sense of excitement is lost. In fact, the only buzz I got from the entire mess was when the ending credits arrived, and the torture was over. HURRAY! Don't bother. 2/10
- anxietyresister
- Apr 8, 2008
- Permalink
I must say, this movie most appeared to me as a bad "Psycho"-inspired B-production... or maybe C...
A crazy older lady kills her daughter (by mistake, in rage, I don't know), an by some reason, she starts to kill every single person who comes to the motel (oh yeah, she owns a motel by the way) because she hears voices, which I think is the daughters voice, telling her that she must kill them ("you have to kill them, they know etc.). And that's about it. The movie is one big "Mountaintom Motel Massacre". I don't have much more to say, except; Don't waste time on this movie! If you like scary movies check out "The shining" instead.
A crazy older lady kills her daughter (by mistake, in rage, I don't know), an by some reason, she starts to kill every single person who comes to the motel (oh yeah, she owns a motel by the way) because she hears voices, which I think is the daughters voice, telling her that she must kill them ("you have to kill them, they know etc.). And that's about it. The movie is one big "Mountaintom Motel Massacre". I don't have much more to say, except; Don't waste time on this movie! If you like scary movies check out "The shining" instead.
- Masterstroke90
- Jul 23, 2009
- Permalink
After borrowing it off a friend and not expecting much, "Mountaintop Motel" aka "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" turned out to be a nice little surprise from the 80s (which was originally shelved for a couple years before its "86" release). While being on the cheap with limited resources, its low-key approach doesn't hamper the fun of this dark rural psycho shocker. Well it didn't for me. After getting off to a glum, slow start, it gradually grows suspenseful in its taut layout (secluded backwoods setting) where its creepy, twisted underlining breaks out (although that eerily offbeat music score provides an unnerving tone throughout). Leading to some savage attacks (despite some tacky gore) and a collected, spaced out performance by Anna Chappell as the motel owner who uses the tunnels beneath the motel rooms to terrorise her guests.
The solemn, paper-thin story probably could have made much more of the situation (ending on a lacklustre cat and mouse climax) and especially its supernatural angle/ or maybe it was the emotional breakdown into insanity, but its conventional structure conceals many strange surprises. Nothing is really brought up about the central character's unstable mind; especially why she was had spent time in a mental hospital. We just watch her slowly lose it, after accidentally killing her daughter she begins to hear her whispering voice in her head. The methodical direction grinds away, but there are some effectively lit set-pieces. There's okay bunch of performances by the cast; led by actor Bill Thurman as a boozy Reverend.
The solemn, paper-thin story probably could have made much more of the situation (ending on a lacklustre cat and mouse climax) and especially its supernatural angle/ or maybe it was the emotional breakdown into insanity, but its conventional structure conceals many strange surprises. Nothing is really brought up about the central character's unstable mind; especially why she was had spent time in a mental hospital. We just watch her slowly lose it, after accidentally killing her daughter she begins to hear her whispering voice in her head. The methodical direction grinds away, but there are some effectively lit set-pieces. There's okay bunch of performances by the cast; led by actor Bill Thurman as a boozy Reverend.
- lost-in-limbo
- Feb 4, 2011
- Permalink
So this is where the makers of last spring's Vacancy got the idea for their film! Well, maybe not but you cannot avoid recognizing the similarities of the plot. Moutaintop Motel Massacre is a title that pretty much sums things up. Atop one of the many pine-covered bluffs of western Arkansas sits a rundown motel run by a strange old woman. Early in the film, she kind of has an "accident" in the basement that results in the death of her daughter. Apparently, the daughter has been performing some kind of witchcraft that she may have learned from her mother. Anyway, the old woman sees what her daughter is up to and goes nuts. After her tantrum, the daughter is dead, and the old woman goes off the deep end. Matters also aren't helped by the fact that the old woman has recently been released from a mental institution. With this setup, it's a pretty safe guess that the next guests at her motel are not going to get much sleep.
For such a rundown motel, there sure are a lot of visitors that show up. We have a kindly old drunken preacher, a nice old carpenter, a couple of newlyweds, a phony record company exec, and two girls he picks up along the side of a rain-soaked highway. And I must say it's a good thing its raining, because these two nubile young women have forgotten to wear bras underneath their plain white tee shirts! As soon as the guests arrive, strange things begin to happen to them. First off, the old woman begins releasing various critters into their rooms. She uses a tunnel beneath the rooms to move about and enter each room when she likes. Just like in Vacancy. You can only do so much damage with one rattlesnake, a few rats, and a bag of roaches, so eventually the old woman breaks out her sickle and begins chopping these guests up. Will the law arrive in time to stop her, or will all rooms be vacant for the next night? The film really could have been worse. True, it has some dull spots that think they're suspenseful. And yes, some of the acting is awful. The newlyweds are particularly bad. But the film is really creepy. The music and lighting help this atmosphere, and its a good thing they do. The old woman just isn't that scary on her own. She really doesn't look like the picture on the DVD cover. The conclusion seems to be trying to leave room for a sequel, but this film was likely never even in theaters so that would have definitely been a reach. The film was actually sitting on someone's shelf for three years before it was even seen on cable. It will give you an unsettling feeling, but don't expect any huge scares. Few of these actors ever appeared in anything else! Psycho, this is not! 5 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
For such a rundown motel, there sure are a lot of visitors that show up. We have a kindly old drunken preacher, a nice old carpenter, a couple of newlyweds, a phony record company exec, and two girls he picks up along the side of a rain-soaked highway. And I must say it's a good thing its raining, because these two nubile young women have forgotten to wear bras underneath their plain white tee shirts! As soon as the guests arrive, strange things begin to happen to them. First off, the old woman begins releasing various critters into their rooms. She uses a tunnel beneath the rooms to move about and enter each room when she likes. Just like in Vacancy. You can only do so much damage with one rattlesnake, a few rats, and a bag of roaches, so eventually the old woman breaks out her sickle and begins chopping these guests up. Will the law arrive in time to stop her, or will all rooms be vacant for the next night? The film really could have been worse. True, it has some dull spots that think they're suspenseful. And yes, some of the acting is awful. The newlyweds are particularly bad. But the film is really creepy. The music and lighting help this atmosphere, and its a good thing they do. The old woman just isn't that scary on her own. She really doesn't look like the picture on the DVD cover. The conclusion seems to be trying to leave room for a sequel, but this film was likely never even in theaters so that would have definitely been a reach. The film was actually sitting on someone's shelf for three years before it was even seen on cable. It will give you an unsettling feeling, but don't expect any huge scares. Few of these actors ever appeared in anything else! Psycho, this is not! 5 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
- TOMASBBloodhound
- Mar 11, 2008
- Permalink
Only a horrifying film should be refered to as a "horror" film, and this movie certainly goes above and beyond what i expected. It contains everything that a horror movie should have; a creepy atmosphere (you have that feeling where you know there's just something not right about it from the get go), eerie music (this is what ties it all together so perfectly and keeps you looking over your shoulder. You can still hear the sound effects and demonic voices when you go to bed), the characters (you have to have good actors that are convincing in a serious film. With the presence of the two main characters in the intro, you know what you're instore for. You have the psychotic mother who was previously released from a mental ward, and a little girl who decievingly appears to be "normal", but is either possessed by evil spirits or just plain morbid), and last but not least an original story. Even to give a summary of the plot would not do the movie justice. But one thing is evident, this film is too abstruse for your general viewer of todays standards.....you know who you are. This wonderful creation just goes to prove you don't have to be a hollywood writer to be remarkable.....actually you should stray as far from hollywood as possible.
- heathera85
- Sep 28, 2003
- Permalink