Eaten Alive (1977)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Alvin L. Fast (written by) and
Mardi Rustam (written by) ...
(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:

Hotel | Crocodile | Swamp | Louisiana | Monkey

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 Lukecart	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Jeanne Reichert	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Scuffy	...	Snoopy

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Alvin L. Fast		(written by) and
Mardi Rustam		(written by)
Kim Henkel		(screen adaptation)

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

Original Music by
Wayne Bell
Tobe Hooper

Cinematography by
Robert Caramico		(director of photography)

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	....	hair stylist
Craig Reardon	....	makeup artist
Beth Rogers	....	hair stylist
Beth Rogers	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sheldon Lee	....	production manager

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

Art Department
Richard Gillis	....	assistant property master
Marshall Reed	....	set designer

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

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

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

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

Costume and Wardrobe Department
J. Mancbach-Fletcher	....	wardrobe (as Jane Mancbach)
Greg Tittinger	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Andy Ruben	....	assistant editor
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

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 owner
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

Special Effects

• A&A Special Effects (as A&A)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  processing
• Echo Film Services  sound effects (as Echo Film Service)
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  recorded by (as Glen Glenn Sound)
• Screen Time Images  film restoration
• Total Optical Productions  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Brutes and Savages" - USA (alternative title)
"Slaughter Hotel" - USA (reissue title)

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 | Germany:18 | West Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (cut) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | France:-16 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mars Productions Corporation

Trivia:

According to makeup artist Craig Reardon, cinematographer Robert Caramico directed several scenes due to creative differences between Tobe Hooper and the films' producers.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Right at the end of the film when the crocodile pulls Judd under the water head first, look to the left of the screen to see a scuba diver under the water who turns is clearly moving. He is obviously a safety stuntman of some sort. You can clearly see his hand and is dressed in black.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Makeup Madness of Craig Reardon (2011) (V)

Not up to Texas CHAINSAW standards, but still decent.

In Tobe Hooper's follow-up to THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, Neville Brand is totally out of control! I could not believe my eyes seeing his twitching, nervous, maniacal, laughing psycho performance! He seems to be on some kind of high-powered drug from outer space! Thankfully, his acting is perfectly welcome in this film, where almost every bizarre character seems to be up to something devious.

Neville runs a secluded Louisiana hotel on the Bayou where various people show up. He kills them off (with a scythe, pitchfork, etc.) and feeds their dead bodies to his pet crocodile. Marilyn Burns, William Finley and their daughter eventually show up in disguise and are tormented by Brand. Family members and cops show up to search for missing prostitute Roberta Collins and become victims, too.

Brand hacks them up while hopping around uncontrollably and laughing with glee. Totally creepy. So is Wayne Bell's music score, which is similar to the one he did for TCM. Good make-up, lots of surprises, Hooper's direction and Brand give this film an edge over it's competition.