Eaten Alive (1976)

Too much of everything

Simply A Masterpiece

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Well, you can certainly tell this was a Tobe Hooper film. For the age and genre, you would think this was just going to be one of those old creature features that everyone sees and only laughs at. Surprisingly, this was not the case for me. I was quite alarmed and surprised at how horrible and macabre this movie truly got. Who is the real villain here? The Crocodile (and or Alligator) or Judd, the animals strangely affectionate keeper. To be honest, the Crocodile is really not even involved in the film that much, it's more or less only the means of disposal for Judd's victims. He's truly insane, and even seemingly schizophrenic. This movie really gets you on the edge of your seat, if nothing more for the fact you're so horrified at what's going on. That's pretty rare with most films of its age.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre co-writer Kim Henkel was inspired by Joe Ball, the Alligator Man, who owned a live alligator attraction in the 1930s. Despite being suspected of several murders, legend had it that Ball would feed the dead women to his alligators. Ball started as a bootlegger before opening his Sociable Inn in Elmendorf, Texas, which was surrounded by a pond where he'd charge people to watch him feed them live cats and dogs. After former girlfriends, barmaids and even his wife went missing, two policemen tried to question him. He pulled a gun and shot himself — either in the head or the heart. That said — there are many that believe the stories about Joe Ball to be simply Texas folklore. He did exist, though.Working under the title Death Trap (the film is also known as Horror Hotel and Starlight Slaughter), this entire film was made on a soundstage, using the Raleigh Studios pool as a swamp. This enabled Hooper to create what he called a "surrealistic, twilight world." True to form, issues with the producers took him away from the film before the shooting ended, but he had a decent relationship with the actors. Cinematographer Robert Caramico finished the direction of the film once Hooper left.This movie starts grimy and stays that way. Buck (Robert Englund in an early role) demands kinky sex from Clara Wood (Robert Collins, Matilda the Hun from Death Race 2000!), who refuses. This scene contains the line, "I'm Buck and I'm here to f," line that Quentin Tarantino used in Kill Bill.No one says no in Miss Hattie's (Carolyn Jones, who is better known as Morticia Addams!) house of women, so Clara is kicked out. One of the girls takes pity and gives her money to stay at the Starlight Hotel, a rundown motel in the swamp. There, she meets the owner, Judd (Neville Brand, famous for playing Al Capone in The Untouchables TV series and The George Raft Story), who we soon learn is a demented sex maniac. He attacks her, chasing her into the swamp where a Nile crocodile eats her. Yep — don't get too attached to anyone here. This is very Psycho territory, where bad people meet even worse ends.A couple soon arrives — Faye (Marilyn Burns, Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Roy (William Finley, Winslow Leach from The Phantom of the Paradise), along with their daughter Angie (Kyle Richards, Lindsey Wallace from Halloween!) and dog Snoopy. Don't get attached to Snoopy, who isn't long for this world. As Angie finds a dead monkey and screams, the dog runs into the swamp where he is eaten. Roy goes to kill the gator, but is stabbed by Judd's scythe. Then, the insane motel owner ties Faye to the bed and tries to grab Angie, who hides under the porch of the building.Read more at bandsaboutmovies.com/2017/09/15/eaten-alive-1977/

I've never been a great fan of Tobe Hooper's (I find him pretty average, though I do like quite a few of the movies he's shot) so I was happily surprised to find this was a treat to watch. The thing which I was unprepared for was the stylish way that Hooper directed the movie, full of vivid and startling reds and blues. Not the usual fair for Hooper though it does add an extra element to the atmosphere of the movie, as did the constant twangy country soundtrack about the most depressing things in life.The story about a Motel owner and his crocodile. Though, it's never stated you get the feeling that Motel owner Judd may be a veteran whose seen more than his fair share of action and has returned shell-shocked and schizophrenic, as some of his rantings have this impression. Either way, this man is mentaly broken. When a runaway girl takes a room for the night he get's the idea that she's a hooker who worked at Miss Hattie's place and he doesn't like those types of girls. She ends up being the entree for the crocodile who will be well fed before the end of the night.There's not much to the story and it all takes place in or around the motel, what makes this a really watchable film is the characterisations and the actors and actresses who portray them. In particular, Neville Brand who does a brilliant job with Judd from mannerisms to ticks to different personalities when the voices start speaking to him. He was the right choice for this role and very strong within it. Another strong actress is the beautiful Carolyn Jones (of King Creole and The Addams Family fame), though it's really hard to make her out as Miss Hattie. To be honest, the cast is pretty top-notch and has the likes of a young Robert England, Mel Ferrer, and Stuart Whitman.However, there is one family that turn up at the motel and the dynamic between the mother and father is damn strange, in fact, the father's personality is downright weird. This does deter from the power of the film and it's characters, to the point of severing the link of believability with the audience.Overall though this is a film that I would recommend to everybody who likes a good psychological thriller. It is definitely one to watch with the curtains drawn and the lights turned off.

Made after the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) by Tobe Hooper, a weird director. starting with a cult classic and from there on declining into mediocre to worse flicks. Strange as it can be but this one do deliver some creepy moments. It's done by the use of red light and the country music being played on the background at the hotel were the croc lives in a pit. The story is loosely based on real events (Joe Ball) but that's all. It also features well known thespians from that era and the coming of rising star Robert Englund. It's a bit outdated as you see it now because it's slowly build although Neville Brand (Judd) do gives a great performance and it contains nudity it's low on gore. Just made before the great slasher era (1978) it shows. If you just look at Halloween (1978) were no blood is used that one did work on the horror due the atmosphere and The Shape itself. Clearly to see being shot in a studio the effects are a bit laughable too. The croc is easy to spot it isn't a real thing, the wire used toward the end is easy to see when Angie (Kyle Richards) is hanging over the water, and the last minutes a scuba diver can be spot in the pit.But one of the better efforts of Tobe, as I said, due being slow it's hard to watch it until the end without pushing the fast forward. Gore 0/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5