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Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer, Marilyn Burns, William Finley, Kyle Richards ... see more see more... , Robert Englund , Tracey Adams , Janus Blythe , Betty Cole , Roberta Collins , Barbie Dahl , David Hayward , Carolyn Jones , Melissa Melendez , Taija Rae , Stuart Whitman , David Carson , Crystin Sinclaire

Director Tobe Hooper's follow-up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre presents yet another Southern-fried psycho (this time in Louisiana) in the form of a scripture-mumbling, one-legged cracker named Judd (... read more read more...Neville Brand). The proprietor of a seedy bayou inn, Judd keeps a pet gator in the nearby swamp, to which he frequently tosses the remains of his unfortunate victims -- including anyone who offends his delicate sensibilities. One such casualty is Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer), arriving at Judd's hotel in search of his missing daughter... who, unbeknownst to her old man, has already met her own doom courtesy of the scythe-wielding madman. Other patrons include one of the most annoying families on record -- with Chainsaw veteran Marilyn Burns as the strangely-bewigged mom, William Finley as the browbeaten husband and future Halloween tyke Kyle Richards as the endlessly-shrieking daughter (whose adorable puppy becomes a light gator-snack). Nightmare on Elm Street fans can spot a young, pre-Freddy Robert Englund in a small role as a lecherous cracker. Originally titled Death Trap and known by many aliases, including Starlight Slaughter, Horror Hotel Massacre and Legend of the Bayou. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

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34% liked it

3,164 ratings

Critics

10% liked it

10 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Release Date: January 1, 1976

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DVD Release Date: February 1, 2000

Stats: 212 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (212)

  • fb500439213
    October 15, 2011
    fb500439213
    How did Tobe Hooper retrogress so far as to go from 'Texas Chainsaw', my absolute favorite horror film to this sophomore effort which could rank as one of the worst? The gap is quality is astonishing as are the formulaic similarities. Neville Brand is a rabid hotel owner, but he ... read moreis not spine-tingling; he is just unkempt, shambling and tiresome doppelganger of Scott Glenn. The film is also extremely redundant with the same patterned structure: guests arrive and shortly after, Brand attacks them with a scythe. On top of that, the assaults are ineptly directed (a struggle on the stairs is very clumsy) and the crocodile is rarely shown. The whole film looks like it was filmed on a horribly artificial soundstage with fog pumped in and lit with a distracting red gel. In summary, 'Eaten Alive' is sluggish, shallow junk that is scored with a shrill, frequency-scrambling soundtrack and edited with anticlimactic crossfades. At least Robert Englund's scenery-chewing Bud character inspired Tarantino for 'Kill Bill'.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 30, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Not really that great. A mess of madcap insanity.
  • vierasesine
    October 28, 2007
    vierasesine
    "My name is Buck and I'm ready to fuck."

    I found Judd the weakest of the characters (Roy was just plain bizarre, I did not get what his problem was at all), which is kind of bad, considering that he's the main character of this little slaughter fest. He was just so obviously a ... read morenutjob. It would've been fine had he had a cause for his nuttiness, but Judd here didn't seem to have one - or, at least, it never became clear. I mean, in Chainsaw Massacre you could say the entire family's f'd up, so why wouldn't he be, but in this film Judd's boy Buck seems to be at least somewhat normal - despite his obsession with anal sex.

    Now Buck, Buck I liked. He was f'ing brilliant, and in all his horny patheticness (or pathetic horniness, you choose) my favourite character in the entire film. Without him, I would've definitely given this only two stars.
  • John2223
    April 12, 2011
    John2223
    Tobe Hooper's "Eaten Alive" is very trashy and weird, and although it is not really scary, and even gets a bit boring in some points, it is an entertaining little flick.
  • patrickdol
    May 23, 2008
    patrickdol
    This film is strange.
    The colours are very prominent, like technicolor but like B-Movie technicolor, like it was shot by HG Lewis in the 60s or an early John Waters. Even the strange acting intensity is and hammy portrayals lend themselves to HG Lewis and John Waters.
    The sets ... read moreseemed really fake as well as the crocodile in it as well.
    The story was kind of convoluted as well and didn't make much sense.
    The first lines spoken in the film are from a young Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) telling us "Name's Buck, rarin' tah fuck."
    All this said the film does retain a charm and is a unique and enjoyable little gem.
  • donnarenee2006
    June 14, 2007
    donnarenee2006
    Well, part of one the movies I saw in theatres a long time ago! I saw this flick when I was 6. Imagine that! But still, Tobe Hooper keeps it creepy and sinister as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre flick, only this time is a lonely old vermin out in a run down hotel with a pet crocodil... read moree that eats everyone. Somewhat humorous in some scenes, and we get to see "Freddy" aka Robert Englund in his young days. A perfect scary flick for a typical Friday night show. ;)
  • fb714907265
    January 19, 2012
    fb714907265
    As much as people have made fun of this low budget horror movie, I had a blast with it. This movie has everything I could want from this genre: a fake-looking but still scary creature, bloods and guts, bad acting, crappy sets, dumb characters, gratuitous nudity, and Robert Englund.
  • kingmob6
    November 2, 2010
    kingmob6
    Gave this one a re-watch off the To-Watch Pile, it holds up rather well.

    A color-saturated freakshow that is highly implausible but still manages to be unrelentingly creepy and bleak.

    How it manages to do this in spite of the obviously rubber croc is beyond me, but it is a cree... read morepy film, complete with characters checking into a hotel that no one in their right mind would even set foot in; the place just looks like bad news. The film actually reminds me of an old EC Comic book in the lurid tone and color schemes, the sets look like a cheap community theater version of Psycho, it's just a lot of fun fro start to finish.

    Worth a rental.
  • PumpkinGetsASnakeBite
    October 7, 2010
    PumpkinGetsASnakeBite
    UNDERRATED/LITTLE KNOWN HORROR MOVIE #6
    EATEN ALIVE

    Tobe Hooper did his best to follow Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and despite most people's views on this film I think he did an amazing job.
  • CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    September 13, 2010
    CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    A woman is fired from a brothel because she wont take it up the pooper from Robert Englund. She leaves to spend the night at a local hotel, but the owner goes nut when he finds out she's a slut for money. He proceeds to kill her and feed her to his pet croc. He likes this, so he ... read morefeeds more people to the croc. All-in-all, this is too 70s and two "red." Not great.

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Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
May 4, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Just something that those with a morbid curiosity for the unusual in sleaze might not be able to pass on. Full Review

Nick Schager
January 11, 2007
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

[Its] off-the-wall hybridization of Tennessee Williams, Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, specifically), and Lucio Fulci is more often than not sloppy. Full Review

Eric Henderson
September 27, 2006
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

With an enviable, well-stocked cast of character thespians and a carefully dilapidated motel set, Eaten Alive is all ingredients, no recipe. Full Review

Brent Simon
September 23, 2006
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine

This bayou-set, thinly imagined Psycho knock-off is little more than a derisible piece of slasher mayhem, notable for Tobe Hooper's association and costar Roberta Collins' assertion that star Neville ... Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
September 7, 2006
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com

The movie is called Eaten Alive, but we get very little in terms of dinner and dessert in the horror department. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
July 10, 2006
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com

One is tempted to wonder aloud if drugs and booze didn't actually direct this relatively woeful flick. Full Review

Ken Hanke
August 21, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Above average horror from Hooper with a satiric bent

James Kendrick
February 27, 2001
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

will always be more of a curiosity piece than a truly satisfying movie in and of itself

Dustin Putman
January 1, 2000
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com

Hooper's sophomore effort, which had a bigger budget but is lesser-known, repeats the same basic formula. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 18, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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  • In what movie did Jack Sparrow get eaten by the kraken and is he alive?  Answer »
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