Thursday, May 14, 2020

Collectible Time: Motel Hell Lobby Cards


My friend, Mel, came through again, surprising me with a trio of mail-order finds: original, 11" x 14" lobby cards from the greatest splatter spoof of all time, "Motel Hell".


The 1980 cult classic stars Rory Calhoun as the charismatic but deceiving Farmer Vincent Smith. Along with his sister Ida, played by Nancy Parsons, our affable antagonist captures folks and uses 'em as ingredients for his marketed sausages. ("Motel Hell" also stars Nina Axelrod, Paul Linke, Eliane Joyce, John Ratzenberger and Wolfman Jack: a tasty cast if ever there was one.)


The first card is a cropped version of the theatrical poster, which features Vincent and Ida (in a Grant Wood/American Gothic stance), along with several planted, gurgling victims, just itchin' for grindin'.

The second spotlights Vincent and Ida preparing Ivan and the Terribles for their gruesome fate. It only goes to reason. After all, "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters."

The third card captures the movie's playful picnic scene, which brings to mind another Vincent adage, "Meat's meat, and man's gotta eat." So bloody true. 


These are sensational collectibles and most impressive for their sterling condition. (Though I used stock images to convey clarity for this post, the quality of my set is no less crisp, enough to keep me on a "radical, hypno high", as Vincent would also say.)

I thank Mel from the bottom of my hungry-for-sausage heart for donating these terror-ific collectibles to my horror-movie museum.  

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