Fan Still Waiting for Motel Hell Soundtrack on Vinyl
Retro vinyl collector, Marty Whibbons, has anxiously awaited the LP release of his favorite cannibal farmer movie score that will likely never be produced.
Ever year on the anniversary of Motel Hell’s release, Whibbons tries to light a fire under MGM, Arrow Video, Shout! Factory, and Mondo to draw attention to the demand for a legitimate soundtrack release. Using his IMDB Pro account to retrieve industry contacts, he cold calls anyone he can find related to or potentially interested in the production and distribution of the 1980 cult horror film. “Collectors are just clamoring for this,” exclaims the middle-aged vinyl aficionado.
Inquiries with the production and distribution studios, however, reveal that the demand seems to be limited to Marty Whibbons. An unnamed spokesperson from MGM provided the following comment over the phone: “I mean, the movie is fun and all, but he is the only person on the planet that has ever expressed interest in a 180 gram vinyl run of the Motel Hell score.”
Shout! Factory, which put out a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Motel Hell under the Scream Factory label in 2014, empathizes with Whibbons’ unfulfilled dreams for his beloved cult material. “Every quarter we run a pool around the office,” explains a Shout! Factory employee, “Whoever guesses the time Marty calls, or comes closest, gets $20 and a scented candle. He is somewhat of a legend around here. We admire his passion for this super weird movie…and I really like the vanilla cookie candle I won last year.”
Seven years have passed since Marty Whibbons first began his quest and he shows no signs of slowing. “This is something I want to tell my grandchildren about. I imagine a day where they can sit on my lap, listening to a quality pressing of that twangy, folky score,” Whibbons dreams. He is hopeful that his story will inspire others to come forward with their desire to hear the soundtrack on vinyl as well. “I know you’re out there,” he professes, “Let’s make so much noise they can’t ignore us any longer!”
