Eaten Alive (1977)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Kim Henkel (screen adaptation) and
Alvin L. Fast (writer)

Release Date:

May 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He's out there and he's got murder on his mind!

Plot:

A psychotic redneck who owns a dilapidated hotel in the backwater swamps of Louisiana kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Crocodile | Swamp | Sickle | Lifting Person In Air | Cult Director

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Neville Brand	...	Judd
Mel Ferrer	...	Harvey Wood
Carolyn Jones	...	Miss Hattie
Marilyn Burns	...	Faye
William Finley	...	Roy
Stuart Whitman	...	Sheriff Martin
Roberta Collins	...	Clara
Kyle Richards	...	Angie
Robert Englund	...	Buck
Crystin Sinclaire	...	Libby Wood
Janus Blythe	...	Lynette (as Janus Blyth)
Betty Cole	...	Ruby
Sig Sakowicz	...	Deputy Girth
Ronald W. Davis	...	Country Boy
Christine Schneider	...	Waitress

Also Known As:

Brutes and Savages (USA) (alternative title)
Death Trap (UK)
Horror Hotel
Horror Hotel Massacre
Legend of the Bayou
Murder on the Bayou
Slaughter Hotel (USA) (reissue title)
Starlight Slaughter

Runtime:

91 min | UK:87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 (orginal rating) | Norway:15 (2007) | Finland:K-18 | New Zealand:R16 | West Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (cut) | Germany:18 | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | France:-16 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mars Productions Corporation

Trivia:

Loosely based on the story of Joe Ball (also known as the Bluebeard from South Texas or the Alligator Man) from Elmendorf, Texas, sometime after Prohibition ended. He owned a bar with an alligator pit serving as an entertainment attraction. Several murders of women ensued, but it was never proven that the flesh found in the pit was human. However, Joe did commit suicide upon possibility of capture.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 5ive Minutes with Marilyn (2007) (V)

Hooper's mediocre 'Eaten Alive' suffers from poor script and inept pacing, but Robert Englund's offbeat performance is film's only asset

A crazed proprietor (Neville Brand) runs a motel located in the swampy Louisiana bayou where he keeps a pet crocodile in front of the place. For some reason, he murders unsuspecting guests with a scythe and feeds them to the always-hungry animal.

Tobe Hooper's follow-up to his cult hit "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is surprisingly disappointing, lacking suspense and atmosphere that worked in the last film. In addition, the film suffers from poor script, inept pacing and unconvincing characters. Robert (Freddy Krueger) Englund's offbeat performance as a sex-crazed hillbilly with his opening memorable line ("My name is Buck and I'm ready to f---!") is the film's only asset, but it's not enough to overcome these faults. Marilyn Burns ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") also stars a hapless victim (again).

Also known as "Horror Hotel," "Horror Hotel Massacre," and "Death Trap."

My evaluation: *½ out of ****