Eaten Alive
AKA: Death Trap
1976
Mars Productions Corporations
M & M / Dark Sky Films / Video Instant Picture Company
7.5 / 10
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 mentally 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.
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.
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