Starring - Luc Merenda (Hostel: Part II, Tough to Kill) Leonora Fani (Giallo in Venice, Born for Hell), and Francisco Rabal (Dagon, Nightmare City)
Release Date - 1978
Genre - Horror/Mystery
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I've been more open to international films in recent years but I'm still learning a lot and thanks to companies like Mondo Macabro I'm able to check out some seriously underrated and obscure films that I would have normally skipped over. However, as fun as it is to check out an international film I had never heard of before I sometimes don't enjoy the film. I can't like them all and I simply refuse to lie. I'm always honest but respectful. When Mondo's release of the 1978 murder mystery Hotel Fear arrived for review I figured I wouldn't care for it. It just didn't look like something I would find interesting. However, after I watched Strangler vs. Strangler I decided to go ahead and dig into it. Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro and CAV for sending this one over.
The film follows a young woman who finds herself in charge of a hotel during the tail end of World War II when her mother mysteriously dies. Problems with her sexually aggressive tenants are the least of her problems when someone starts killing the guests when they cross the line.
I was fully expecting to hate Hotel Fear. It just didn't look like a film I would enjoy but I quickly found myself liking it. It was entertaining and it's a movie I could see most genre fans, especially those that enjoy giallo and period pieces, getting behind. I'm glad I took the chance and I'm even more grateful that Mondo Macabro was able to bring this one to us. The acting in this one is very enjoyable. I really liked the characters that the movie brings us and the cast is brilliant. I really enjoyed how well the cast worked with one another and how far they went with their characters. There were a few awkward scenes but I blame that on the language barrier instead of the actual acting. The story for this one is a solid murder mystery but I did find it to be a bit of a dull ride at times. I loved the story setting, the location, and the backstory. However, the film spends too much time focusing on the tenants of the building and their overactive sex drives. It would have been just as effective if half the time was spent on it. Also, the dialogue is a bit dull at times. The entertaining characters make up for it mostly but most of the dialogue is dull. It doesn't take away from the entire film but you will catch yourself wanting to check social media as the film rolls on. Finally, this is not a bloody flick. The kills fit the themes of the film but it doesn't really offer up anything red or fun for horror fans. Overall, Hotel Fear is a fun World War II entered horror film that focuses more on the murder mystery aspect than it does the war. It's fun and the cast makes it enjoyable but if you are looking for a gruesome horror flick then this is not for you. Honestly, I recommend this one and highly recommend snagging this Mondo Macabro release.
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