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Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely Fantastic

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The Australian born Dame Judith Anderson returns to her homeland for this Gothic horror thriller that has potential but sadly doesn't meet its expectations thanks to a convoluted back story, an extremely violent structure, and sadly even more, a very slow pacing. The only hint which the audience is given to understand the murderous actions of country inn owners Anderson and Alex Cord is a dream sequence Anderson has which shows a maniacal man rushing into a cave with two children. This disturbing sequence is also explained through portraits of children whom we are lead to believe are paintings of the children in Anderson's dream that the audience is supposed to assume are hers and Cord's. What leads them onto the murderous path they take isn't really clear except that their guests include obvious prostitutes and their clients and some less than law abiding men. The method is quite gruesome, with a canopy bed that literally comes down to crush the victims to death, their screams echoing through the entire inn as the realization of their fate becomes clear to them.Another victim is continuously stabbed by Cord, and when he doesn't pass away quickly, Cord screams out in anguish, "Would you just die already?" before grabbing an axe to finish the job. The aging but still obviously tough Anderson also gets in on the violence, shooting a visiting American lawman who obviously is aware of something going on. Her stalking of this wounded man is scarier than even the crushing sequences. However, while you certainly want to feel sympathy for her possibly having lost her children in such a way, Anderson and Cord's need for revenge on everybody who spends an evening in their inn of the damned really doesn't make sense other than to explain that in their grief they would commit such violent acts.As a huge Dame Judith Anderson fan, I was looking forward to this back in the mid 1980's when she was under contract (but barely on) the daytime soap opera "Santa Barbara". This was shown on Saturday afternoon T.V., hosted by none other than Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) who sardonically remarked that the film looked more like a western than a horror movie. There's some unnecessary comedy bits which throw the mood off at the very beginning and a lush musical score which doesn't aid in the film's horrific theme. Still, Anderson is excellent, plays her role with much subtlety, but Cord appears a bit too young to be her husband. I wanted to like this one a lot more, but the lack of cohesion is really what destroys it.

Crap of the highest order. I (thankfully) missed the beginning and end of this turkey. I could only endure about 15 minutes of it. It was shown recently on late night Australian television. I was watching a scene where someone got shot by the Kincaid (Alex Cord) character, and couldn't believe the atrocious dialogue, acting, and direction which was inherent. It didn't get better when I returned from another channel a few minutes later. There were some decent actors in it (Michael Craig, the late John Meillon), and I can only assume that Inn of The Damned goes MIA from their résumés. I'm giving this a score of one, and that's for the naked sheila.

I watched an old VHS copy of this film. The box suggested a Night of the Western Dead, but the film is actually an Australian Western. Turns out director Terry Bourke is pretty good at it. Its about a hotel run by Dame Judith Anderson and her husband(?) weirdo doing the Psycho hotel number. Alex Cord plays an American bounty hunter looking for a sex pervert that is on the run. His story is the most interesting. The film could have left out the hotel thingy-story. Made in 1974. I'm recommending the film as a time filler. Please try to get it on DVD, as the old Paragon VHS is hard to find and kind of hard to watch: the picture is very grainy.

A most unusual Australian low-budget movie that is deceptively simple in appearance. Terry Bourke, to whom the Australian film industry owes a huge debt, directs his actors with a deft touch. The multi-talented Bourke is also responsible for the insightful, often witty script.The much-loved John Meillon puts in an eye catching performance and it is a pity he isn't used in more scenes. Highly recommended.