‘Please do not disturb Evelyn. She already is.’
Mountaintop Motel Massacre is a 1983 American horror film written and directed by Jim McCullough Sr. (Video Murders) from a screenplay by Jim McCullough Jr. (Creature from Black Lake). The movie stars Anna Chappell, Bill Thurman, and Amy Hill.
The film was originally titled Mountaintop Motel and opened in one theater in Opelousas, Los Angeles, on July 15, 1983. It received another minimal release as Horrors of Mountaintop Motel at the Meadowbrook 6 in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 14, 1984.
In 1986, the film was picked up for a wide distribution via New World Pictures and ‘Massacre’ was added to the title (see below for more release information).
In the UK, the film is released on Blu-ray by 88 Films on 28 March, 2017.
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Plot:
Set in 1981, Evelyn (Anna Chappell) has spent the past three in an insane asylum. Upon her return home, Evelyn brutally murders her daughter, but lies to the authorities and is not held criminally responsible.
Shortly after, Evelyn returns to the dilapidated Mountaintop Motel— a series of individual cabin suites— that she ran prior to her incarceration.
Evelyn attempts to return to business as usual and opens the motel to the public, but it isn’t long before she begins to succumb to psychotic episodes, and, during a severe rainstorm, she begins to murder the guests of the motel by way of an underground tunnel connecting each of the individual cabins…
Reviews:
“Yes, there is a lot of room for improvement and plenty of missed opportunities, but it still manages to hold interest throughout. I would have liked more occult elements, perhaps a glimpse into Evelyn’s past, but as is, it manages to include some eerie settings, some great use of tunnels, and a nice alternative to the usual knife bladed weapons.” Critical Outcast
“The story is too silly, the murders too predictable and unimaginative, the blood too phony and the acting too much on the level of a bad high school play to send so much as a shiver down anyone’s spine.” Nina Damton, The New York Times
“While it is pretty tame considering its title I still think that it is a good movie. If you go into it expecting only a few cool death scenes as opposed to a total bloodbath of a film that features death after gruesome death you will enjoy it. I think that it has a fairly original premise and that the character of Evelyn (due mainly in part to Chappell’s portrayal) is excellent.” HNN
“Surprisingly fun and creepy backwoods flick…” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990
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“Evelyn Chambers isn’t necessarily a great movie villain, the story can become eye-shutting, and like I said, the climax is weak. Those cheap, but lovable jump scenes are missing from Mountaintop Motel Massacre, yet the simple slasher formula keeps you interested.” Oh, the Horror!
Digital releases:
Mountaintop Motel Massacre was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2001. It was re-issued by Image Entertainment’s “Midnight Madness” series in September 2011.
Cast and characters:
Anna Chappell … Evelyn
Bill Thurman … Reverend Bill McWiley
Will Mitchell … Al
Virginia Loridans … Tanya
Major Brock … Crewshaw
James Bradford … Sheriff
Amy Hill … Prissy
Marian Jones … Mary
Gregg Brazzel … Vernon
Filming locations:
Caddo Parish and Shreveport, Louisiana
Info and image credits: Retrospace | Temple of Schlock
