Now, hear me out. 100 Greatest VHS Covers of All Time # 94 is indeed Motel Hell, and I know you’re thinking that this spot could be used for a much better cover painted by an artist, like Madman or The Stepfather 2. And why would I choose the photographic cover for Motel Hell over the painted cover where the victims of Farmer Vincent can be seen buried up to their necks?

I think that this still used for the VHS cover is a perfect summation of the film. In a way, there is a vibrancy to these actor’s performances that is captured in this image that isn’t quite as radiant in the rest of the movie. It is ahead of its time, a self-consciously goofy slasher film that teetered on the edge of being meta. The knowing smirk of the actors on the cover was a template for zany comedy horror to come. Rory Calhoun and Nancy Parsons are practically saying “come party with us.”

The film itself has several more iconic things about it that make it a must watch for any devoted horror film, even if it never rises above a B+ level. Was this the first film where a serial killer wears a pig mask? I think it perhaps may have been. If there is an 80s VHS cover of the film with a pig mask and a chainsaw, and I find it, there is a chance Motel Hell will be on this list twice.