The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

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/

Yes, this is the first movie made by Tobe Hooper after The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and no it is not half as scary or well-made. Hooper was not a big shot after TCM because it wasn't a Hollywood franchise or a legendary movie yet. So he's hired with TCM writer Kim Henkel to basically make a ripoff of their own movie, since both creators got robbed selling Chainsaw. More bad luck comes to Hooper as the producers want a different style of film, closer to Carrie or Psycho. Hooper leaves the film during filming and a good 1/4th of the film is filmed by his DP (who can't direct a lick). Also factor in the shabby budget.So "Eaten Alive" could've been something close to TCM but turns out a mess that has very little of Hooper's vision in it. Its still very interesting and creepy. There's a queasy atmosphere thanks to the surreal set, noisy sound design and freaky acting. Whats left of Henkel's script is abstract and very in touch with TCM. The film sinks thanks to some boring office and bar scenes plus lame slasher chase sequences thrown in to make the story more standard. The entire film is edited poorly. But Hooper's scenes are very good even in this choppy presentation. Unfortunately TCM2 had more of Eaten Alive in it than TCM.

After being thrown out of an East Texas brothel for refusing to perform a certain service "Clara Wood" (Roberta Collins) walks to an old hotel down the road and rents a room. Unfortunately, the mentally insane owner by the name of "Judd" (Neville Brand) recognizes her and after viciously assaulting her feeds her to his pet crocodile which he keeps nearby. Not long afterward a family of three drive up and he proceeds to do the same thing with the husband, "Roy" (William Finley). He then assaults the wife, "Faye" (Marilyn Burns) and ties her up. After that he chases the young daughter, "Angie" (Kyle Richards) who escapes to safety underneath the floorboards of the hotel. While this is going on yet another family consisting of a father named "Harvey Wood" (Mel Ferrer) and his adult daughter "Libby Wood" (Crystin Sinclaire) arrive also seeking accommodation. Now, rather than reveal any more of the film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this turned out to be a satisfactory "slasher" film. Directed by Tobe Hooper it had many similarities to his previous work, "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" except that I thought this particular movie had a bit more depth, better acting and a better script. Admittedly, while as far as "slashers" go it's clearly not as good some movies which appear a few years later, I think it would make a fine double feature companion with either "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" or possibly "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" if one were so inclined. Average.

Tobe Hooper's 2nd film after Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a major drop - This dull, cheap piece of exploitation seems to have gained a following as other reviews on here show.In some ways I can see how as it does have an 'interesting' cast who's performances vary from good to OTT. Another reason being it's status as a Video Nasty (Why - The gore is little and the deaths (apart from Mel Ferrar's) not particually violent).But to me the plot is basic, the characters mostly irritating and as said above the Gore limited, No horror or suspense and a plastic Croc.Only watch if you want to see how bad Tobe Hooper Dropped after TCM.