Main Cast: Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer, Marilyn Burns, William Finley, Kyle Richards, Robert Englund
Release Year: 1976
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Director Tobe Hooper's follow-up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre presents yet another Southern-fried psycho (this time in Louisiana) in the form of a scripture-mumbling, one-legged cracker named Judd (Neville Brand). The proprietor of a seedy bayou inn, Judd keeps a pet gator in the nearby swamp, to which he frequently tosses the remains of his unfortunate victims -- including anyone who offends his delicate sensibilities. One such casualty is Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer), arriving at Judd's hotel in search of his missing daughter... who, unbeknownst to her old man, has already met her own doom courtesy of the scythe-wielding madman. Other patrons include one of the most annoying families on record -- with Chainsaw veteran Marilyn Burns as the strangely-bewigged mom, William Finley as the browbeaten husband and future Halloween tyke Kyle Richards as the endlessly-shrieking daughter (whose adorable puppy becomes a light gator-snack). Nightmare on Elm Street fans can spot a young, pre-Freddy Robert Englund in a small role as a lecherous cracker. Originally titled Death Trap and known by many aliases, including Starlight Slaughter, Horror Hotel Massacre and Legend of the Bayou. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Review
Back in the heyday of drive-ins, the cinema offerings projected onto those outdoor screens were very often movies such as director Tobe Hooper's horror cheapie Eaten Alive. Watching the flick now, it's no wonder there are very few drive-ins left. That's not to say Eaten Alive is bad; it's terrible by today's horror standards, but it has a rough-hewn charm that makes the ineptness forgivable. Indeed, there are so many fans of this film it's considered "cult." The star of this no-apparent-budget endeavor is Neville Brand's pet crocodile, which is about as scary as the fake one in front of the average mall's Rainforest Café. But when bug-eyed Brand, brandishing sharp weapons and a toothy smile, chases unsuspecting hicks off his deck and into the water, the horror factor rises a notch or two -- and of course, so does the comedy factor. Some of the scenes -- especially those involving children and pets -- are disturbing and done for cheap thrills, but director Tobe Hooper manages to get away with murder, literally. Carolyn Jones, so smoldering as Morticia Addams on TV's The Addams Family but hideously unrecognizable here, and Stuart Whitman, a previous Oscar nominee, lend legitimacy to Hooper's further pushing of the off-Hollywood bloodletting envelope. Perfect for watching on a hot summer night from the front seat of a car, Eaten Alive is similarly ideal for a night of low-brow expectations and a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Tracey Adams; Janus Blythe - Lynette; Betty Cole - Ruby; Roberta Collins - Clara; Barbie Dahl; David Hayward - The Cowboy; Carolyn Jones - Miss Hattie; Melissa Melendez; Taija Rae; Stuart Whitman - Sheriff Martin; David Carson - Marlo
Credit
Tobe Hooper - Director, Michael Brown - Editor, Wayne Bell - Composer (Music Score), Tobe Hooper - Composer (Music Score), Robert Caramico - Cinematographer, Alvin L. Fast - Producer, Mardi Rustam - Producer, Alvin L. Fast - Screenwriter, Mardi Rustam - Screenwriter, Kim Henkel - Screenwriter
Eaten Alive (known under various pseudonyms in alternate regions, adopting such titles as Death Trap (UK), Horror Hotel, Horror Hotel Massacre , Legend of the Bayou, Murder on the Bayou, Le crocodile de la mort (France) and Starlight Slaughter) is a 1977 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, featuring Robert Englund, Neville Brand and William Finley.
The local fleabag hotel is run by Judd (Brand), who keeps a pet crocodile. As guests arrive, Judd reveals that he is far from a typical hotel owner, and keen on introducing his lodgers to his scythe and his pet.
After refusing a request from Buck (Robert Englund), a frisky customer, a prostitute is dismissed from her job at the town brothel. She then makes her way to a run-down hotel where she encounters Judd (Neville Brand), the mentally disturbed proprietor and his pet crocodile. Upon discovering his new lodger is a woman of questionable virtue, Judd attacks. He begins tearing at her blouse while ranting and raving, causing her to run outside, where Judd savagely finishes her off with a scythe. However, once she is dead, Judd looks shocked by what he has done. But it is already too late. Judd's crocodile greedily eats the body ... the first of many he will happily devour in the course of the movie.
Video Nasty
This movie was one of the so called "Video Nasties" in the UK during the early 80s. The movie wasn't successfully prosecuted for obscenity. Mary Whitehouse apparently took a personal objection to this movie, though she'd never actually viewed it.
Legacy
The film was inspired by serial killer Joe Ball, who reputedly fed over 20 victims to alligators as a means of disposal.[citation needed]
Director Quentin Tarantino used this movie's character Buck for the line in his kung fu homage movie Kill Bill, "My name is Buck, and I like to fuck".
New York deathgrind band Mortician used a soundbyte from the film for the intro to the song "Devoured Alive" from their 1998 Zombie Apocalypse EP.
Robert Englund claimed in Samhain magazine (1988, no.14) “I found out recently from someone who saw it in Japan that they literally put in insert shots of me in that, so in Japan you can see bogus uncircumcised Robert Englund genitalia. In the American version I say a couple of rude words and I flirt with a girl in brassiere. In Japan it’s a monster shot, I need it. I’m just hoping the guy’s well hung!”
