Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Mountaintop Motel Massacre Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 4, 2019

1983’s “Mountaintop Motel Massacre” requires a great deal of patience from the viewer. It’s not something that leaps off the screen, with director Jim McCullough Sr. (Jim McCullough Jr. takes care of scripting duties) taking his time building mood with the picture. The first act is slow and relatively uneventful, but once the characters all fall into place, “Mountaintop Motel Massacre” reveals itself to be a different kind of slasher film, at least with its unexpected antagonist and strange acts of menace. There’s no masked killer here preying on coeds, with McCullough Sr. looking for weirder ways to dispatch personalities who’ve made the mistake of stopping to rest at a rural Louisiana motel.

“Mountaintop Motel Massacre” turns to the animal kingdom to help its deranged murderer get the job done. We’re talking rats, cockroaches, and snakes, with one poor sap bitten on the cheek during his wedding night, preventing him from enjoying the carnal delights he was waiting for. Orchestrating all this is a nut, but not a hulking one, with actress Anna Chappell doing very well in the central role of a senior citizen who’s succumbed to mental illness. The performance isn’t entirely frenzied, and McCullough Sr. does well when sticking to creepy crawlies, moving away from typical ultraviolence.

Mountaintop Motel Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" offers a clear view of the feature's limited production achievements. Detail is strong throughout, with defined facial surfaces for the picture's worn down characters, and costuming retains textures, from soiled outfits to sheer tops. The location remains open for inspection, offering dimensional surroundings, and interiors secure decoration. Colors come through as intended, favoring a less vibrant palette for the small town slaughter, but clothing has its highlights, and the blazing red motel signage is memorable. Delineation is strong, preserving shadowy encounters. Grain is film-like. Source is in fine shape, with mild scratches and speckling.

Mountaintop Motel Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix remains fresh and inviting, presenting clear dialogue exchanges that lose nothing to distortion, preserving dramatics and fits of panic. Scoring is supportive, with decent instrumentation and volume, assisting suspense set pieces. Atmospherics aren't advanced, but rainfall is noted, and interior echo is maintained. Mild hiss is detected.

Mountaintop Motel Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Mountaintop Motel Memories" (20:57, HD) chats with production designer Drew Edward Hunter, who shares how Walt Disney's "Fantasia" changed his life. Trying to make movies in the wilds of Louisiana, Hunter created several super 8 epics before attracting the attention of director Jim McCullough Sr., who brought him in to help design "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" and create the special effects. The interviewee discusses the location, where an abandoned fishing camp was transformed into the motel setting, requiring lots of creative work. Hunter covers the cast, sharing a personal connection to Anna Chappell, and he details the reshot ending, put in charge of scripting a more graphic conclusion to satisfy New World Pictures.

• "Under the Influence" (12:30, HD) chats with assistant cameraman David Akin, who was a friend of McCullough Sr., soon pulled out of video school to work on a few of the director's productions. Akin recalls his time with cinematographer Joseph Wilcots, who patiently taught the young man everything about movie production. A history of the feature's troubled distribution is recounted, and another perspective on the reshot ending of "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" is shared. Akin has a lot of gratitude for those who've helped him along the way, sharing particular affection for the McCullough Film School.

• Still Gallery #1 (1:17) presents newspaper ads, review, various articles, and an obituary for McCullough Sr.

• Still Gallery #2 (4:48) collects film stills, publicity snaps, BTS shots, production art, storyboards, and poster designs and final art.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:48, HD) is included.

Mountaintop Motel Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Victims are targeted one-by-one, while community panic grows, leading to a long night in the middle of nowhere. "Mountaintop Motel Massacre" doesn't challenge the genre with anything radical, but it offers the basics with a few twists and turns, with McCullough looking for slightly different ways to creep out the audience, wisely aiming for relatable phobias instead of unreal cruelty.