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6 Degrees Entertainment

'No Tell Motel - 8 Movie Collection' [2-Disc]
(John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Erika Blanc, Judy Geeson, Amanda Peet, Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Arthur Space, John Carradine, et al / 2-Disc DVD / R / 2019 / Mill Creek Entertainment)

Overview: In this brand new 8-Movie Collection 'No Tell Motel,' you can check-in, but you can't check-out!

DVD Verdict: 'Vacancy' (2007) - When a couple's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around, with only the TV to entertain them - until they discover that the low-budget slasher videos they find in their room were all filmed in the very room in which they're sitting.

With hidden cameras now aimed at them - trapping them in rooms, crawlspaces, underground tunnels - and filming their every move, the couple must struggle to get out alive before they end up the next victims on tape.

Our lead performers are Beckinsale and Wilson, both of whom turn in some great performances. Wilson plays the "husband hero" and Beckinsale is the "damsel in distress-gone fighting machine", and both capture this effectively.

Their acting is believable, and I think that the writing has something to do with it as well, because their characters are written really well.

They're not your typical genre morons who drop to the floor when the killer approaches, they are much more real. They make good decisions and the right moves, which makes them much more credible and realistic, winning over the audiences sympathy rather easily.

'Identity' (2003) - Ten strangers with secrets are brought together in a savage rainstorm at a desolate motel. Relief in finding shelter is quickly replaced with fear as the ten travelers begin to die, one by one.

They soon realize that, if they are to survive, they'll have to uncover the secret that has brought them all together.

The set-up is neat (if predictable) and there's a great opening showing how the actions of one of them (Amanda Peet) inadvertently causes some serious damage for the others.

There also is some great acting by Peet, John C. McGinley and Ray Liotta (who REALLY chews the scenery). There are also some moments that will make you jump and there are two neat twists at the end.

The only bad things about this movie is some clumsy exposition (John Cusack tells his whole life story while photographing a corpse), some truly bad lines and a surprisingly lousy performance by Cusack himself!

'Hostel' (2005) - Presented by Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Vol. 1 & 2) and directed by Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), Hostel is a shocking and relentless film in the tradition of Saw about two American backpackers (Jay Hernandez, Friday Night Lights and Derek Richardson, Dumb and Dumberer) in Europe who find themselves lured in as victims of a murder-for-profit business.

'Hostel' begins by introducing us to three pals, Paxton, Josh and Oli (Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson and Eythor Gudjonsson respectively), on a backpacking journey through Europe of sex, drugs and partying.

Horny as can be, they take a newfound friend's advice to check out a Slovakian city that promises to fulfill all their desires for intimate, no-strings attached relations.

But once they get settled in, Oli inexplicably disappears, soon followed by Josh. That leaves Paxton to unravel the brutal truth behind this mystery.

'Hostel' is impossible to sufficiently describe to someone who hasn't seen it. It's not because it's so good (though it is pretty good), but because it's such a creative, unusual film experience.

'Hostel Part II' (2007) - Presented by Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Vols. 1 & 2) and written and directed by Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), Hostel Part II is the shocking and gruesome sequel about the underground torture ring where rich businessmen pay to torture and murder their victims.

As detailed above, the first 'Hostel' took me by surprise and I found it to be more compelling than I had anticipated. This second installment is equally enthralling and grabbed me by the balls!

Although bloody and sadistically violent it is also darkly funny and populated with some of the strangest; menacing and unusual looking characters to grace the silver screen in quite some time.

I felt I was in Argento territory here during some of the sequences and this is most certainly not a bad thing at all.

The design of the film was great and contains some rather excellent cinematography and evocative music that all melded together to create an exciting and tense movie sequel experience.

'Terror at Red Wolf Inn' (1972) - A college student returns to her dorm room after class and discovers she is the winner of an all-expense paid vacation to the Red Wolf Inn.

Before she can share her good fortune with her parents, she and two other girls are whisked away to begin their vacation of a lifetime.

When one of the guests suddenly disappears, the young woman doesn't believe the explanation the old couple who run the inn gives her concerning the strange goings on at the Red Wolf.

This is an off-beat horror film produced by Michael Macready(he produced the two Count Yorga films) and directed by Bud Townsend.

It stars Linda Gillen as a young college girl going off for a free vacation to an old-fashioned resort on the beach.

However, it turns out to be not much of a resort with only two other attractive female guests(Pamela and Edwina), Baby John, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Evelyn.

The owners, it seems, like to butcher the young girls for their food and prepare them in fantastic culinary dishes.

Prior to each girl's departure(their supposed last night at the resort), Aunt Evie and Uncle Henry throw a party and a gourmet meal. Regina(Gillen) catches on and the film moves into some chase scenes and bizarre humor.

'It Happened at Nightmare Inn' (1973) - Two spinster sisters run a small inn that caters towards young foreign female tourists. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to the sisters that rises up to punish the young women they deem immoral.

Many a traveler comes to stay but never end up leaving the inn. When the sister of one patron comes in search of her missing sibling, it threatens to expose the truth behind the inn and its owners.

Though obviously inspired by Psycho, this truly deranged Spanish shocker features several gruesome sequences which makes the film way ahead of its time.

In truth, the atmosphere is quite sinister and very threatening throughout. Judy Geeson (of To Sir, With Love fame) does well in her role as the pretty blonde heroine, and Aurora Batista and Esperanza Roy are indeed the most menacing inn-keepers since Norman Bates!

'The Devil's Nightmare' (1971) - A busload of tourists is forced to take refuge at a castle due to a blocked road and inclement weather.

The Baron and staff of the castle welcome the visitors but do not reveal to them the curse over the household.

It seems that Satan has control over the estate and demands the new visitors be sacrificed to him in the form of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Erica Blanc is superb in this role and her transformation from sexy seductress to ghastly succubus is a highlight. Another highlight is Daniel Emilfork as the Devil.

His performance is a real stand out when compared to the rather wooden performances delivered by some of the other cast members.

Director Jean Brismee also deserves kudos for several delightfully imaginative flourishes during the death scenes.

Indeed, this is an above average example of the type of metaphysical horror film that seemed to proliferate in Europe in the 1970's.

It's simply the story of the Devil, his minion (the succubus) and seven tourists (each representing one of the seven deadly sins) who are forced to spend the night in a sinister castle.

The first hour is rather plodding due to an over abundance of exposition and very little action. Viewer patience is rewarded however during the final half hour when Ilse (the succubus) starts doing what she does best!

'Legacy of Blood' (1978) - An aged millionaire passes on and leaves his four children his large fortune. According to his will, the four heirs must spend one week at his estate in order to split up the fortune.

If any of the heirs leave or die before the week is out, the remaining children will receive the money and if all the heirs are gone, the servants will gain the inheritance.

Once everyone has arrived at the estate and settled in, strange things begin to happen and the heirs begin to turn up dead.

Who is killing them and can the remaining heirs find out before it's too late?

Andy Milligan has something of a twisted reputation among bad film buffs as producing inept low-budget gore. This flick is a slightly more competent remake of an earlier film Milligan conceived called 'The Ghastly Ones'.

As aforementioned, the plots both films share is this: A trio of sisters, along with their husbands, travel to the family mansion for the reading of the late father's will.

The sisters stand to inherit a substantial fortune, but someone plans to kill them before they can stay the prescribed weekend in the house, and various gory murders ensue.

Milligan tried both with period settings, 1905 for the first and circa 1920 for the latter, and the remake fares better in terms of accurate period detail. These are all Widescreen Presentation's (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and 'Terror At Red Wolf Inn,' 'It Happened At Nightmare Inn,' 'The Devil's Nightmare' and 'Legacy Of Blood' all include digital access on movieSPREE!

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