I saw this film under the title HEARTBREAK MOTEL. Apparently it's a TV-friendly version of the same story because it excises all of the sex and violence that made POOR PRETTY EDDIE an exploitation redneck movie of the 1970s. HEARTBREAK MOTEL is slow, talky and rather dull, precisely because not a lot happens.
The story involves a young black singer who ends up at the titular abode and falls foul of a psychotic Elvis impersonator who plans to wed her. Bizarrely, the motel is controlled by Shelley Winters in a typically over the top performance as a demented matriarchal-type figure who spends her time wittering about nostalgia for the good ol' days. There's the occasional bad taste moment in the story that follows, but for the most part it's pretty dull.
I did like the look and feel of the movie, which ably captures the '70s grindhouse experience (and more so than many modern attempts to cash in on that retro trend). Winters is typically entertaining, although Michael Christian is rather restrained as the true villain of the piece, and Leslie Uggams makes for a sympathetic heroine. Familiar faces like Ted Cassidy and Slim Pickens flesh out the supporting cast, but whichever way you look at it, HEARTBREAK MOTEL is a boring film with no ending of any sort.
NB. I've recently had the pleasure of watching POOR PRETTY EDDIE, the full, uncensored version of this movie (thanks, Amazon Prime!). It's a different beast entirely, and it's a surprise just how different the film is with the violence intent. Not that this is an insanely gory film, because it isn't, but it does have a harder edge now which puts it firmly into psycho-thriller territory. The film remains a little slow at times, but the kooky characters are interesting and that slow-motion climax is a hoot.
The story involves a young black singer who ends up at the titular abode and falls foul of a psychotic Elvis impersonator who plans to wed her. Bizarrely, the motel is controlled by Shelley Winters in a typically over the top performance as a demented matriarchal-type figure who spends her time wittering about nostalgia for the good ol' days. There's the occasional bad taste moment in the story that follows, but for the most part it's pretty dull.
I did like the look and feel of the movie, which ably captures the '70s grindhouse experience (and more so than many modern attempts to cash in on that retro trend). Winters is typically entertaining, although Michael Christian is rather restrained as the true villain of the piece, and Leslie Uggams makes for a sympathetic heroine. Familiar faces like Ted Cassidy and Slim Pickens flesh out the supporting cast, but whichever way you look at it, HEARTBREAK MOTEL is a boring film with no ending of any sort.
NB. I've recently had the pleasure of watching POOR PRETTY EDDIE, the full, uncensored version of this movie (thanks, Amazon Prime!). It's a different beast entirely, and it's a surprise just how different the film is with the violence intent. Not that this is an insanely gory film, because it isn't, but it does have a harder edge now which puts it firmly into psycho-thriller territory. The film remains a little slow at times, but the kooky characters are interesting and that slow-motion climax is a hoot.