Tobe Hooper's EATEN ALIVE is like a movie Douglas Sirk would make in hell. Shot entirely on a sound stage, its cheap, artificial look somehow enhances the movie's grimy, lurid appeal. Hooper and company never condescend to the material; they play it crazy but, in an odd way, straight, which validates the distorted world and characters on display. Neville Brand gives what may be the absolute best performance of his career. Like all of Hooper's human monsters, Brand's character makes a kind of sense. He spends a lot of time alone on screen, rambling on and on. After a while, these ramblings begin to connect, and the effect created is not unlike a soliloquy in some wild, blood-lust, Jacobean tragedy. Brand never looses himself, the craziness defines him; he builds a character, bit by bit, that we can connect with and, to some extent, understand. This is why the movie works; its absurdity is understandable. The movie loses focus when we leave Brand for any length of time. But that's o k. When the story brings us back to him, we're grateful. He's our anchor and the reason we keep watching. I wish someone would release a good DVD version of this movie because it deserves a new audience and recognition.
Review of Eaten Alive
