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Eaten Alive
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 5013037183559
Format: PAL
Label: Dark Sky Films
Languages: English (Original Language), Analog
Manufacturer: Dark Sky Films
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Dark Sky Films
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Theatrical Release Date: 1977-05
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Editorial Review:
A wild mix of surreal fantasy and grindhouse splatterfest, Tobe (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) Hooper's 1976 sophomore feature pits an all-star cast against the homicidal owner of a backwoods hotel and his pet crocodile, with expectedly bloody results. Veteran character actor Neville Brand gives a memorably eccentric performance as the deranged hotelier, whose unpredictable rages frequently end in the violent death of his guests; Mel Ferrer is the inquisitive father of one victim, Robert Englund is a lusty local yokel, and William Finley and Marilyn Burns (Chainsaw's heroine) are a married couple on the verge of a meltdown who make the mistake of renting a room from Brand. Naturally, Brand's homicidal impulses get the better of him, and the film's finale nicely echoes the sheer bedlam of Chainsaw's final act, with all parties (including Stuart Whitman as a very laid-back sheriff) struggling to escape Brand and his croc with all body parts intact. While Eaten Alive never hits the same nerve-jangling heights of terror as its predecessor, Hooper does bring considerable style and verve to its crazy-quilt story, most notably in its garish lighting scheme, which suggests the exaggerated panels of '50s horror comics. And horror fans who don't mind a dash of black humor with their grue will appreciate Brand's stream of consciousness mutterings, as well as the cat-and-mouse game conducted by Finley and Burns' daughter (Kyle Richards) and the monster croc under the hotel. The impressive double-disc set includes a widescreen presentation of the original feature taken from vault materials (the picture was available under a variety of titles, each with different running times); disc one also offers commentary by Finley, Richards, producer Mardi Rustam, and makeup artist Craig Reardon. Hooper is profiled on disc two in an interview that details how he became involved in the project, and the difficulties encountered in bringing it to the screen. Englund and Burns are also interviewed about their careers and participation in the film, and a short documentary titled "The Butcher of Elmendorf: The Legend of Joe Ball" sheds like on the obscure real-life crime that in part inspired the movie. The extras are rounded out by a battery of behind-the-scenes photos, theatrical trailers and radio spots for Eaten Alive's numerous retitlings (including a preview from Japan), and two alternate credit and title sequences. The most amusing extra, however, comes in the form of comment cards filled out by test screening viewers, which run the gamut from disgusted to enthralled. -- Paul Gaita
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Don't Waste Your Time!
This review is for the 2-Disc Special Edition of Eaten Alive:
Based on what I read about the plot of this movie and the fact that a young Robert Englund acted in this film, I thought Eaten Alive would be worth the purchase, especially seeing how I'm such a fan of the horror genre.
Well, once I finished watching it, I was set straight. So allow me to do the same for you: Don't waste your time or your money. It's really that simple.
Dark Sky must have had to work ... Read More
Rating:  - Good Director, Very Bad Movie
This is one of the worst horror movies I can remember watching, and I have watched a lot of them over the years, and I want those 90 minutes back. I won't go into a detailed analysis, because the movie doesn't deserve one.
The movie is supposedly based on the true story of a hotel owner who had an alligator as an attraction and where several women were murdered, though it was never proven he fed them to the alligator.
I watched it because it was directed by Tobe Hooper (this ... Read More
Rating: - You Will Learn To Despise Country Music
The amazing thing that jumped out at me while watching EATEN ALIVE was that Tobe Hooper made this AFTER he made THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. This movie definitely looks like a debut: it's horrible.
Everything that worked in TEXAS CHAINSAW doesn't work here. It looks and sounds horrible. The sets are cheap and the story--what story there is--drags along. Marilyn Burns appears to spend her entire part of the movie tied to a bed. In one long scene--a very long scene--a mother squirms and ... Read More
Rating:  - The Grin Reaper...
Warning: This is NOT THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE! Nope, EATEN ALIVE isn't TCM, nor is it supposed to be. This movie has elements not found in Tobe Hooper's first film offering. EATEN ALIVE contains actual blood, nudity, and is more exploitative than TCM. It also has a far less serious approach. Judd (Neville Brand) is a self-righteous, homicidal maniac who sees himself as judge, jury, and executioner of those he convicts of being unclean / sinful. The guilty are slain, either by scythe or Judd's handy pet ... Read More
Rating: - The Bates Motel in the Swamp
Judd is insane; he owns the Startlight Hotel in a swamp. He feeds his guests to his pet crocodile. After the success of "Jaws," Tobe Hooper tried his hand at directing a creature feature, "Eaten Alive." This movie is very similar to "Psycho." Early in the film, Judd repeatedly strikes a young prostitute with a rake, stabbing her numerous times. While she is still breathing, he throws her off the front porch railing. The crocodile rises up from the water and gobbles her up. Just as in "Psycho," her sister, ... Read More
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