the title Death Trap in 1982, the film became one of the first of the so-called "video nasties" to be prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act 1959. Its gratuitous violence became the focal point of many social critics in the UK, including a very vocal crusader for the moral minority Mary Whitehouse, and consequently all video copies were removed from retail stores. When the film was finally re-released on VHS in 1992, the BBFC edited out about 25 seconds from the original cut. The film was eventually released in its uncut version on DVD in 2000. Critical reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on , with a weighted average rating of 4.6/10. Dennis Schwartz from Ozus' World Movie Reviews gave the film a grade C+, writing, "This is so much the opposite of a Hollywood film, as Hooper could [not] care less that he has shot such a disturbing film that makes for an uncomfortable watch. That Hooper takes us down a different road than the usual trashy, macabre, and grisly horror flick, doesn't make it a special film worth seeking out. Just something that those with a morbid curiosity for the unusual in sleaze might not be able to pass on." TV Guide awarded the film two out of five stars, stating, "Although Eaten Alive is not so unusual or terrifying as Texas Chainsaw, Hooper does a fine job of building up the Southern-gothic atmosphere and continues his brilliant use of sound to enhance the sense of unease and suspense." Keith Phipps from The A.V. Club was critical of the film, stating that it lacked the eerie plausibility and stylishness of Hooper's Chainsaw. Not all reviews of the film, though, were negative. Ken Hanke in The Official Splatter Movie Guide reappraised the film as a misunderstood masterpiece that captured "the other-worldly madness of the death of the amateur-night-in-Dixie brand of the American Dream." Bill Gibron of PopMatters rated the film 6/10 stars, noting the film's sloppy script, poor lighting, and lack of narrative sense, but stated that the film was "so undeniably inept, so horrendously hobbled, so gosh-darn god awful that it’s friggin’ great!" References External links 1976 films 1976 horror films 1970s exploitation films 1970s serial killer films American natural horror films American serial killer films 1970s English-language films Films about crocodilians Films directed by Tobe Hooper Films with screenplays by