Eaten Alive (1977)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

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

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
David Hayward	...	The Cowboy
David Carson	...	Marlo (as David 'Goat' Carson)
Lincoln Kibbee	...	First Guy in Bar
James Galanis	...	Second Guy in Bar
Tarja Leena Halinen	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Caren White	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Valerie Lukeart	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Jeanne Reichert	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Scuffy	...	Dog

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Kim Henkel		(screen adaptation)
Alvin L. Fast		writer
Mardi Rustam		writer

Produced by
Alvin L. Fast	....	co-producer
Larry Huly	....	associate producer
Robert A. Kanto	....	associate producer
Mardi Rustam	....	producer
Mohammed Rustam	....	executive producer
Samir Rustam	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Wayne Bell
Tobe Hooper

Cinematography by
Robert Caramico

Film Editing by
Michael Brown

Casting by
Edward R. Morse		(as Eddie Morse)

Art Direction by
Marshall Reed

Set Decoration by
Michael Wiegand		(as Mike Wiegand)

Makeup Department
Craig Reardon	....	makeup artist
Beth Rogers	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Les Shelton	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jefferson Kibbee	....	second assistant director
Louie Lawless	....	second assistant director
Ron Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Richard Gillis	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Lowell Brown	....	boom operator
Jean L. Clark	....	boom operator (as Jean Clark)
Bob Dietz	....	sound mixer
Jay M. Harding	....	rerecording mixer
William L. Manger	....	sound effects editor (as Bill Manger)

Special Effects by
Robert A. Mattey	....	special effects: crocodiles (as Rob Mattey)
Ken Speed	....	special effects

Stunts
Paula Crist	....	stunt double
Von Deming	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Epper	....	stunt double
Gary Epper	....	stunt double
Jeannie Epper	....	stunt double
Donna Garrett	....	stunt double
Minor Mustain	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Victor Alexander	....	second assistant camera
Jack Beckett	....	second unit cameraman
Jim Bowie	....	best boy
Hedy Dietz	....	still photographer (as Heddy Dietz)
Rich Foster	....	gaffer
Dennis Glas	....	grip
Gary Graver	....	grip (as Robbie McClure)
Lee Heckler	....	gaffer
Ken Kerr	....	grip
Ann McDonald	....	assistant photographer
Michael Donovan O'Donnell	....	key grip
Anthony R. Palmieri	....	first assistant camera (as Tony Palmieri)
Romy Rao	....	grip
Jonathan West	....	second assistant camera (as Jon West)
Bobby Westwater	....	grip
Gary Zietlow	....	best boy

Editorial Department
Andy Ruben	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Wayne Bell	....	conductor
Wayne Bell	....	music arranger
Tobe Hooper	....	conductor
Tobe Hooper	....	music arranger
Lee Osborne	....	music editor

Other crew
John D'Amato	....	script supervisor
Lou Schumacher	....	dog trainer
Gloria Gunn	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mars Productions Corporation

Distributors

• Saguenay Films (1977) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Postels (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Dark Sky Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• ITT Contrast (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Prism Entertainment Corporation (video)
• Sunrise Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD) (as "Eaten Alive")
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (UK) (video)
• Virgo International Pictures

Other Companies

• Screen Time Images  film restoration

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
Blutrausch (West Germany) [de]
Death Trap - Die Nacht der Bestie (West Germany) [de]
Krokodil (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Le crocodile de la mort (France) [fr]
Quel motel vicino alla palude (Italy) [it]
Sta sagonia tou krokodeilou (Greece) [el]
Sti folia ton krokodeilon (Greece) (reissue title) [el]

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 The Gator Creator (2007) (V)

Bizarre and surreal

Eaten Alive is a truly bizarre film with an almost nightmarish quality to it. I can't say I particularly loved it, because the lack of lighting often makes it hard to see what is happening. Yet at the same time, the lack of lighting also adds to the murky atmosphere. The motel owners performance is slightly over the top and annoyed me a bit, although he does play his part very well. There are some tense and disturbing moments such as when he's chasing the two women, which are excellently done. However the claustrophobic feel of the film got a little boring in parts and made it slightly hard to follow.

Overall, if you like your horror films creepy and bizarre, then this is for you. It has a similar grainy feel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so if you loved that then this will be right up your street.