Eaten Alive (1977)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1977
Running Times: 87 mins     91 mins
Format: colour
Ratio:
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Mars Production Corporation
Producer: Mardi Rustam

SCRIPT
Script: Alvin L. Fast, Kim Henkel, Mardi Rustam

DIRECTION
Director: Tobe Hooper
1st Assistant Director: Ron Smith
2nd Assistant Director: Jefferson Kibbee, Louie Lawless

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Robert Caramico
Gaffers: Lee Heckler, Rich Foster
Best Boys: Gary Zietlow, Jim Bowie
Key Grip: Michael Donovan O'Donnell
Grips: Bobby Westwater, Dennis Glas, Ken Kerr, Robbie McClure, Romy Rao
Stills: Heddy Dietz

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Michael Brown
Assistant Editor: Andy Ruben

MUSIC
Music: Wayne Bell, Tobe Hooper
Music Editor: Lee Osborne

SOUND
Sound Effects Editor: Bill Manger

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Greg Reardon (real name: Craig Reardon), Beth Rogers

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Marshall Reed
Set Decorator: Mike Wiegand
Assistant Property Master: Richard Gillis

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: John D'Amato

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Von Deming
Stunts: Andy Epper, Donna Garrett, Gary Epper, Jeannie Epper, Minor Mustain, Paula Crist

CASTING
Casting: Eddie Morse

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)
Betty Cole (Ruby)
Sig Sakowicz (Deputy Girth)
Ronald W. Davis (country boy)
Christine Schneider (waitress)
David Hayward (the cowboy)
David Carson (Marlo)
Lincoln Kibbee (1st guy in bar)
James Galanis (2nd guy in bar)
Tarja Leena Halinen, Caren White, Valerie Lukeart, Jeanne Reichert (Miss Hattie's girls)

PLOT SUMMARY

The deranged Judd runs the dilapidated Starlight Hotel stuck way out in the middle of a swamp. As guests unexpectedly turn up at his out-of-the-way location, he starts murdering them and feeding them to the voracious crocodile that lives under his porch.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Tobe Hooper’s unfairly maligned follow-up to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) doesn't really deserve the rather poor reputation is has among horror fans. It goes without saying that it's not as good as Chain Saw (few things are) but it has plenty of praiseworthy qualities of its own. The strange, studio-bound locations give it a slightly surreal edge, the performances are as hysterical as the script and Hooper's tongue is never far from his cheek. It’s no masterpiece that's for sure, but it’s not nearly as bad as it's often made out to be.

AVAILABILITY

Japan
DVD Distributors: Beam Entertainment Inc / Creative Axa Co Ltd

UK
Video Distributors: Vipco; VCL

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Virgo International Pictures
Video Distributors: Prism Pictures
DVD Distributor: Elite Entertainment (EE 3181); Elite Entertainment (EE3181)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: R

France
Rating: -16

UK
Rating: banned; 18

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1977
May
Day Unknown: USA – theatrical release

1978
May
24: France – theatrical release

1980
February
21: West Germany – theatrical release

2000
February
1: USA - DVD release (Elite Entertainment (EE 3181))

2003
November
11: USA - DVD release (Elite Entertainment (EE3181))

POSTER TAGS

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

Meet the maniac & his friend. Together they make the greatest team in the history of mass slaughter in...

You Check In Alive... But Check Out Dead!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper gives you another orgy of blood and terror!!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Blutrausch - West German title
Le crocodile de la mort - French title
Death Trap - UK title
Death Trap - Die Nacht der Bestie - West German title
Horror Hotel
Horror Hotel Massacre
Legend of the Bayou
Murder on the Bayou
Quel motel vicino alla palude - Italian title
Starlight Slaughter

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Crocodile (2000)
Psycho (1960)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

The Dark Side June 1995 p.21 (UK)
review

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 pp.95-96
credits, review

The Seduction of the Gullible by John Martin p.55
credits, synopsis, review

KEYWORDS

animals, brothels, crocodiles, dogs, motels, prostitutes, psychopaths, reptiles, serial killers, swamps, tourists

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009