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64-415: The film stars Neville Brand , Mel Ferrer , Carolyn Jones , Roberta Collins , Robert Englund , William Finley , Marilyn Burns , Janus Blythe, and Kyle Richards . Brand plays a psychotic hotel proprietor in a Southern bayou , who feeds those who upset him to a large crocodile that lives in a swamp beside the hotel. Although the film did not receive a warm reception when it was released, it has gained

128-498: A cult following in its time, and with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre from 1974, Eaten Alive helped Hooper advance in his career, allowing him to direct his first major studio film, The Funhouse , in 1981. After refusing a demand for anal sex from a customer named Buck, naïve prostitute Clara Wood is evicted from the town brothel by the madame, Miss Hattie. Clara makes her way to the decrepit Starlight Hotel, located deep in

192-405: A silent stage , a sound stage is sound-proofed so that sound can be recorded along with the images. The recordings are known as production sound . Because most sound in movies, other than dialogue, is added in post-production, this generally means that the main difference between the two is that sound stages are used for dialogue scenes, but silent stages are not. An alternative to production sound

256-591: A weighted average rating of 4.6/10. Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 48 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" critical reception. A number of reviews compared Eaten Alive negatively to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . One point of departure was the explicit use of violence in Eaten Alive as opposed to the mere suggestion of violence in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . Josh Goller of Spectrum Culture called

320-608: A 1964 episode of the Twilight Zone , as a World War II veteran. CBS considered the episode's theme of US-Japanese hatred "too disturbing" to include when the series was syndicated. "The Encounter" was not seen after its initial airing until it was released on video in 1992 as part of the Treasures of the Twilight Zone collection. Brand was given the star role in a TV series, Laredo (1965–67) which ran for 56 episodes. Brand

384-537: A bar with a live alligator attraction during the 1930s in Elmendorf, Texas . During this time, Ball murdered several women. Legend has it that he disposed of his victims' bodies by feeding them to his pet alligators, but this was never proven. Working under the title Death Trap , Eaten Alive was filmed entirely on the sound stages of Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California, which had a large-scale pool that could double as

448-413: A new building specifically designed with the features and to bear the loads is required, which often is the less expensive alternative to retrofitting an existing structure because of engineering issues. Buildings without soundproofing still are referred to as silent stages and may be used where the dialogue and other sounds are recorded as a separate operation. This separate operation usually involves

512-635: A private in Company F, 129th Infantry Regiment . He was enlisted in the United States Army as Corporal Neville L. Brand, infantryman on March 5, 1941. He trained at Fort Carson and served in World War II, seeing action with B company, 331st Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division (Thunderbolt Division) in the Ardennes , Rhineland and Central European campaigns. Brand, a sergeant and platoon leader,

576-682: A short, Benjy (1951), and episodes of The Unexpected and Your Favorite Story . He was in Kansas City Confidential (1952), The Turning Point (1952), and, notably, Stalag 17 (1953). As a supporting actor, he appeared in The Charge at Feather River (1953), The Man from the Alamo (1953), and Gun Fury (1953). Brand moved up to leading roles with Man Crazy (1953) and then Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954). The latter role, as

640-495: A swamp. Shooting on a sound stage instead of a practical location contributed to the atmosphere of the film, which director Tobe Hooper described as a "surrealistic, twilight world." The film eventually proved to be problematic for the director, though, who left the set shortly before production ended, due to a dispute with the producers. Hooper's good relationship with his actors remained intact, though. The director later recalled how he worked with actor Neville Brand to fully develop

704-403: A typical green/blue screen for chroma keying by displaying the solid color behind the performers. Having a physical space where actors can see their environment and inform their performances accordingly is something that most greenscreen sets lack. The controlled visual environment also allows directors and cinematographers the ability to better create mise-en-scène , with greater control over

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768-406: Is a stage that is surrounded (in varying degrees) by screens that extend the set. These screens, most commonly large arrays of LEDs , show a version of the set that was constructed in 3D (using software such as Unreal Engine ) that tracks its motion in real time with camera movement. A static display can function similarly for a still camera, given there is no parallax . However, these volumes allow

832-467: Is finally attacked and killed by his pet reptile. Sheriff Martin then arrives at the hotel and rescues Libby, Faye, and Angie. Before the credits roll, Judd's false leg comes up from the water. Following the success of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ( TCSM ), Hooper (alongside TCSM co-writer Kim Henkel ) worked on scripts for the murder mystery Bleeding Hearts and another project titled Dead and Alive . However, neither came to materialize and Hooper

896-550: Is summed up by Screen Slate as " homo homini gatorus : man is bloodthirsty killer gator to man." Throughout the film, each of the characters represent and are driven by base desires: Judd by murderous instincts, Buck by lust, and even the sheriff who is romantically interested in Libby. This idea is echoed in Judd's rambling monologues—his justifications that "he makes no distinctions" and "you've got to do what you've got to do" apply equally to

960-521: Is to record additional dialogue during post-production (known as dubbing ). Structures of this type were in use in the motion picture industry before the advent of sound recording . Early stages for silent movies were built, either as a three-wall open-roof set, or with large skylights, until electric lighting became powerful enough to expose film adequately. With the advent of electric lights, enclosed stages were built in Hollywood and rapidly converted to sound stages with many mattresses placed on

1024-582: The Combat Infantryman Badge . In a 1966 interview Brand explained the Silver Star, stating that withering fire from German machine guns in a hunting lodge kept him and his unit pinned down. "I must have flipped my lid," he said. "I decided to go into that lodge." He was discharged in October 1945. Brand was sometimes cited in media reports as the 4th most-decorated American serviceman of the war, but this

1088-692: The "unevenly directed" cast and predictable plot, claiming the film's only saving grace was the "airless, claustrophobic set, supposedly exterior but obviously built on a sound stage" which called back to horror movies of the 1930s and 40s such as Strangler of the Swamp . Linda Gross in the Los Angeles Times called the script "implausible and offensive", taking particular issue with the "gratuitous violence, nudity and soupcon of kinky sex". In The Monthly Film Bulletin , Martyn Auty criticized "the linear and predictable pattern of slaughter" that he felt eliminated

1152-798: The 331st Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division in the U.S. Army , in the European theatre . He received multiple meritorious citations for his service, including the Silver Star and the Purple Heart . Brand was born in Griswold, Iowa , and raised in Kewanee, Illinois . After he graduated from high school, he joined the Army. Brand entered the Illinois Army National Guard on October 23, 1939, as

1216-615: The Geller Drama School in Los Angeles on the G.I. Bill . Brand had an uncredited bit in Battleground (1949) and Port of New York (1949). His first credited part was in D.O.A. (1950) as a henchman named Chester. His hulking physique, rough-hewn, craggy-faced looks and gravelly voice led to his largely playing gangsters, Western outlaws and various screen "heavies", cops and other tough-guy roles throughout his career. Brand

1280-495: The King's Men for Kraft Theatre , directed by Sidney Lumet , playing Willie Stark, for which he earned a Sylvania Award in 1958 . Brand was a guest star on The Texan , Pursuit , Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre , and The Dupont Show of the Month (doing Body and Soul with Ben Gazzara ). Brand twice portrayed Al Capone on the television series The Untouchables , in

1344-602: The Money (1972), No Place to Run (1972), The Police Connection (1972), Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973), Scalawag (1973), The Magician , The Deadly Trackers (1973), Killdozer (1974), Police Story , Police Woman , Barbary Coast , Kojak , Mobile One , McCloud , Psychic Killer (1975), The Quest , and Captains and the Kings . Brand was top billed in Eaten Alive (1976) directed by Tobe Hooper . He

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1408-573: The Week , Ben Casey , Rawhide , The Lieutenant , Theatre of Stars , Arrest and Trial , Destry , Wagon Train , Suspense , Combat! , Gunsmoke , Bonanza and The Virginian . He also portrayed a prison guard of Birdman of Alcatraz , was second billed in Hero's Island (1962) and had a key role in That Darn Cat! (1965). Brand co-starred with George Takei in " The Encounter ,"

1472-435: The album Metal Machine Music . Other reviewers were less enthusiatic, with Doug Brod writing for Entertainment Weekly about the "garish lighting and intense dentist-drill 'score'." In general, reviewers felt that the characters as written were unlikable and it was hard to root for them, but some individual performances received praise. Brand's performance as Judd was pointed to as a highlight, described as "enough to make

1536-459: The approach "tawdry" and said "it simply doesn’t possess enough transgressive power to truly shock". The use of a soundstage as opposed to on-location filming was also commented upon by critics. Scream Magazine writer Cleaver Patterson felt it "kills the sense of reality which made TCM [ Texas Chain Saw Massacre ] so chilling" and Dread Central 's Dave J. Wilson dubbed the set design "cheap, tacky and fake". However, Wilson did think it added to

1600-491: The character of Judd, declaring, "He understood what he was doing exactly.” The film was initially released in 1976 under the title Starlight Slaughter by Virgo International, then re-released as Eaten Alive by New World Pictures in 1978. On its 1978 release, the film received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America . This was upgraded to an X rating by Chicago 's film review board, but

1664-410: The correct lighting for every shot. Television production generally uses multiple cameras, and cinema production generally uses a single camera. This is not universally true because the choice varies very much on what the director is trying to achieve. Rental of a sound stage entails an expensive process, but working on a sound stage saves time when setting up for production as long as access to all of

1728-422: The crew of a production to design and build the sets to exact specifications, precise scale, and detail. The art director of a production makes an architectural plan and carpenters build it. On a film, the head electrician is credited as the gaffer and the assistant as the best boy , regardless of gender. After a set is painted, the set dresser furnishes it with everything that the set designer , under

1792-702: The crocodile as to Judd or any of the other characters—and by the sound design, which overlays human screams, radio music and animal sounds to suggest an equivalence between the human characters and non-human animals. A number of critics identified black comedy in the film. For Screen Slate , the film's satirical take on human nature as animalistic and violent represents a shift towards more overt comedy compared to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . Literature and media studies professors Kristopher Woofter and Will Dodson list Eaten Alive as among Hooper's films that are "infused with dark humor in their unsettling of America's sacrosanct vision of family and nation." Muir argues that

1856-414: The crocodile. Lynette runs outside and is spotted by Judd. She runs into the woods screaming, and he pursues her. However, the fog causes Judd to lose sight of her, and Lynette is saved by a man in a passing car. Later, Libby arrives back at the hotel and manages to untie Faye from her bed and retrieve Angie from under the porch. Consumed with madness, Judd chases the three survivors into the swamp, where he

1920-457: The direction of the art director , has selected for the interior. On a sound stage, the camera may be placed exactly where the director wants it. Achieving the desired lighting is easier because each stage has a metal framework with catwalks and lights suspended from the ceiling . This makes it easier for the cinematographer to have the grips position each flag or bounce and the lighting technicians to position each light to get exactly

1984-834: The distinction of being the first actor to portray outlaw Butch Cassidy , in the film The Three Outlaws opposite Alan Hale Jr. as the Sundance Kid . He followed it with Gun Brothers (1956). Brand became well known as a villain when he killed the character played by Elvis Presley in his debut film Love Me Tender (1956). He was in The Way to the Gold (1957), The Lonely Man (1957), The Tin Star (1957), Cry Terror! (1958), and Badman's Country (1958). He often had better roles on television, including such shows as Climax! , Playhouse 90 , Target and notably an adaptation of All

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2048-453: The family dog, Snoopy, is brutally attacked by the resident crocodile, which shocks little Angie. In retaliation, Roy goes out to kill the carnivorous swamp creature but is attacked by Judd, who is wielding a large scythe . In the struggle, Roy manages to shoot Judd in the foot, but Judd—who has a false leg—is uninjured and kills Roy. Judd then violently beats and straps Faye onto her bed and attempts to grab Angie, but she escapes and hides under

2112-483: The film. This opinion was mirrored by composer Fabio Frizzi , who states that the "mix of country western songs and paroxysmal effects" effectively symbolises Judd's madness for the viewer. An obituary for Hooper for the British Film Institute cited the film's " musique concrète concerto" as one of the factors making the movie "one of the most grating, oppressive films ever made" and compared it favourably to

2176-483: The hotel's porch. Later, Harvey Wood and his daughter Libby also arrive at the Starlight Hotel, seeking information on the now-deceased Clara, who is Harvey's runaway daughter, but they leave when Judd denies having seen her. Accompanied by Sheriff Martin, Harvey and Libby question Miss Hattie, who also denies ever seeing Clara. Harvey returns to the creepy swamp hotel alone, while Libby goes for dinner and drinks with

2240-1206: The leader of a prison uprising, earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Actor at the 8th British Academy Film Awards , but he lost to Marlon Brando for On the Waterfront . Brand was down the cast list for The Lone Gun (1954) but had the lead in Return from the Sea (1954). Brand had a supporting role in The Prodigal (1955) and The Return of Jack Slade and guest roles in Appointment with Adventure , Screen Directors Playhouse , Studio One in Hollywood , Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre , Chevron Hall of Stars , Schlitz Playhouse , General Electric Theater , The United States Steel Hour , and Stage 7 . He had lead film roles in Bobby Ware Is Missing (1955) and Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) and supported in Raw Edge (1956), and Mohawk (1956). He had

2304-434: The light starts blinking, it means shooting is in progress . Anyone who opens the door at that point will introduce external sound and light and ruin the take in progress. When a studio is home to multiple sound stages, they tend to all look alike from the outside: giant beige box-shaped buildings. Sound stages are marked on the exterior with large numbers to help distinguish them. An enclosed stage makes it easier for

2368-407: The listener's involvement in the recording, but also their overall perception of the stage. The latest technology and software can render basic previsualisation effects into scenes in real time while recording, before post-production , with the use of sensors detecting the position of actors and elements, in the staging of the frame. The director during filming can view what the composition of

2432-458: The movie a minor genre classic" by one critic and "one of the great overlooked characters in horror cinema" by another. Englund was also praised as Buck in IGN and Scream Magazine ; Tarantino particularly enjoyed Englund's "sensational" performance, so much that he referenced Englund's opening line "Name's Buck and I'm rarin' to fuck" in his 2003 movie Kill Bill . One of the key themes of Eaten Alive

2496-418: The necessary technical equipment, personnel, and supplies is readily available. As all the scenes can be filmed on the sets inside the sound stage, using it also eliminates having to move the production from location to location. With the use of bluescreen or greenscreen techniques (whereby backgrounds are inserted electronically behind the actors in the finished film) and a sound stage, extensive control of

2560-404: The picture is with basic digital objects and surfaces included and how it appears, assisting the creative process. A newer form of set being used in both the production of films and television shows is the virtual production "volume". Different from the volume of a conventional motion capture stage (where often no physical image is being recorded for the final product), a virtual production volume

2624-597: The pilot and opening scene of the premiere "The Empty Chair" (although uncredited) and then in the double episode "The Big Train"; as well as often glimpses in flashback throughout the series. Brand was in Five Gates to Hell (1959), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960), The Last Sunset (1961), and The George Raft Story (1961), reprising his role as Al Capone in the latter. He guest-starred on Straightaway , Cain's Hundred , Death Valley Days , The Joey Bishop Show , Naked City , The DuPont Show of

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2688-473: The possibility of suspense, and the use of female characters as the victims of sexual violence that "suggests that sexism remains an unconscious force in exploitation cinema". Since its initial release, Eaten Alive has come to have a more mixed reception. According to Quentin Tarantino , the movie's reputation began to improve amongst horror fans throughout the 1980s, and some critics claim its initial reception

2752-445: The principal actors doing synchronized dialogue replacement voice recordings over a working cut of the film, specialized language actors doing a secondary language dubbing or for the filming of special effects. A sound stage, unlike a silent stage, requires caution to avoid making noise anywhere within range of the audio recording equipment. A sound stage traditionally has a large red light above or next to each exterior door. When

2816-475: The production process is achieved. In audio recording , the term soundstage refers to the depth and richness of the recording, and usually relates to the playback process. According to audiophiles , the quality of the playback is very much dependent upon how one is able to pick out different instruments, voices, vocal parts, and such exactly where they are located on an imaginary, two- or three-dimensional field. The quality of this soundstage can enhance not only

2880-588: The rating was rejected by New World Pictures on free speech grounds. The film was one of the first to challenge a Chicago law allowing films to be banned for under-18s due to violent content (rather than sexually explicit content). However, the film review board's decision was upheld by an appeal board and later in court. The film went on to be a commercial flop, and was re-released under various titles in an attempt to recoup losses. Although passed with cuts for its theatrical release in Britain in 1978, an uncensored version

2944-453: The remote swampland of rural Texas, where she encounters the hotel's mentally disturbed proprietor, Judd. Judd chases her outside, then attacks and kills her with a pitchfork before feeding her to his pet Nile crocodile that lives in the swamp beside the hotel. Some days later, a fractious couple, the well-dressed, pill-popping Faye and her disturbed husband Roy, arrive at the hotel with their young daughter, Angie. Shortly after their arrival,

3008-483: The scenery to adaptively move and distort according to how the camera ought to see it if it were moving in a real environment. Benefits of such a setup include total control of a scene; dusk and dawn can last all day. Not only can time of day or number of light sources be manipulated at will, but portions of the volume off-screen can be turned completely white to add fill lighting from a given direction, or they can be turned off to darken that area. They can also function as

3072-408: The set, and the ability to see the final image as they are creating it. Where these volumes are especially beneficial is in having light behave perfectly realistically on transparent, translucent, and very reflective materials. These types of objects, such as eyeglasses, glassware, and shiny armor, are often very difficult to deal with in a conventional chroma key work flow. This technique also minimizes

3136-474: The sheriff. After Harvey discovers a captive Faye in her hotel room, Judd murders him, once again utilizing his large scythe. Meanwhile, after being kicked out of a bar by the sheriff, scummy Buck and his underaged girlfriend Lynette venture to the Starlight, much to the annoyance of Judd. When Buck hears screams coming from Faye and Angie crying under the porch, he gets pushed into the swamp by Judd and devoured by

3200-542: The strangeness of the film, and critics from Syfy Wire and Starburst remarked that the obviousness of the sets in conjunction with Caramico's bright, colourful lighting helped the film achieve a surreal, dream-like atmosphere. Stefan Jaworzyn in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Companion and Josh Goller in Spectrum Culture felt that the sound design and score added to the surreal feeling of

3264-566: The violence throughout is so messy, error-laden and over-the-top that it become comedic. Neville Brand Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns , crime dramas , and films noir , and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance in Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954). During World War II , Brand served in

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3328-405: The walls. With the coming of the talkies in the late 1920s, it became necessary to enclose and fully soundproof these stages to eliminate noise and distractions from outside, including limiting access. The ceilings and walls of the building containing the sound stage must be heavily soundproofed, so the structure must be sturdy and capable of accepting such additional features and loads, or

3392-518: Was approached by Psychic Killer producer Mardi Rustam to direct Eaten Alive . The film's budget was mainly gathered on Hooper's name alone and is reported to have been $ 600,000. The concept came from Rustam and Alvin Fast but the screenplay was written by Henkel and Hooper. The plot was very loosely based on the story of Joe Ball (also known as the Alligator Man or The Butcher of Elmendorf) who owned

3456-558: Was cremated, and his remains were interred in a niche of the Morning Glory Room at East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento. Sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage ) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or television studio property. Compared to

3520-451: Was destroyed in a 1978 fire at his Malibu home. His wartime service caused him post-traumatic stress disorder that led to bouts of alcoholism. In 1975, he said in an interview that his addiction had cost him most of his fortune. Brand died from emphysema at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, California , on April 16, 1992, at the age of 71. After a private funeral service he

3584-518: Was due to a delayed critical resentment following the success of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . Writing in 2002, John Kenneth Muir stated "Today, the critical community is polarized about the film. Some reviewers see it as pure exploitation, whereas others see it as a compellingly lurid companion piece to Hooper's work in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." The movie holds an approval rating of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, with

3648-836: Was in Fire! (1977), The Mouse and His Child (1977), Baretta , Captains Courageous , Man from Atlantis , Quincy M.E. , The Seekers and Hi-Riders (1978). He had a key part in Five Days from Home (1978) directed by George Peppard , and in Angels' Brigade (1979). In 1980, Brand appeared as Major Marvin Groper in The Ninth Configuration , written and directed by The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty . His final roles included Fantasy Island , Without Warning (1980), Harper Valley P.T.A. , and The Return (1982). He

3712-701: Was in The Desperados (1969) and played U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kaminsky, ignored as he tried to warn his commander of the opening skirmish in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). In the 1970s, Brand could be seen in The Chicago Teddy Bears and The Smith Family . He played Hoss Cartwright 's ( Dan Blocker ) Swedish uncle Gunnar Borgstrom on Bonanza in the episode "The Last Viking". He appeared in Longstreet , Alias Smith and Jones , Marcus Welby, M.D. , Two for

3776-568: Was incorrect and repeatedly denied by Brand himself. World War II Victory Medal Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service American Campaign Medal Army Occupation Medal After his discharge, Brand worked on a 1946 Army Signal Corps film with Charlton Heston and next settled in Greenwich Village and enrolled at the American Theatre Wing , working off-Broadway , including Jean-Paul Sartre 's The Victors . He also attended

3840-603: Was released on home video by VIPCO in 1982 under the title Death Trap . Its gratuitous violence became the focal point of many social critics in the UK, including vocal conservative activist Mary Whitehouse , and the film became one of the first of the so-called " video nasties " to be prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act 1959 . As a result, the master tapes for Eaten Alive were confiscated from VIPCO's offices and all video copies were removed from retail stores. The film

3904-537: Was removed from the list of banned video nasties in 1985 and was eventually re-released on VHS in 1992, although 25 seconds were removed from the original cut by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). An uncut version was released on DVD in 2000, and a Blu-ray was distributed by Arrow Films in 2015. Eaten Alive was largely ignored by audiences upon release and received negative reviews from critics. David Bartholomew of Cinefantastique complained of

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3968-558: Was top billed in his last film, Evils of the Night (1985). Brand and his wife, Rae, had three daughters. A Republican , he supported the campaign of Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 presidential election . In addition, Brand was also a self-described lifelong Presbyterian . Brand was an insatiable reader who amassed a collection of 30,000 books over the years, one of the largest private libraries in Los Angeles. Most of his collection

4032-682: Was uncredited in My Foolish Heart (1949), Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) (both starring Dana Andrews), and curiously Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye where he plays a significant early role as James Cagney's fellow chain gang inmate, (1950) but had a good role on TV in The Bigelow Theatre . His parts slowly grew bigger: Halls of Montezuma (1951), Only the Valiant (1951), The Mob (1951), and Red Mountain (1951). On television, he did

4096-831: Was wounded in action along the Weser River on April 7, 1945. He was shot in the upper right arm and nearly bled to death. Brand was awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration for valor in the U.S. military, for gallantry in combat. His other awards and decorations were the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal , the American Defense Service Medal , the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars , one Overseas Service Bar , one Service Stripe and

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