Horror Film Director Tobe Hooper (1943-2017)

[Zoneboy]

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Horror director Tobe Hooper — best known for helming The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist — has died aged 74.

The Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed the filmmaker passed in Sherman Oaks, California, the circumstances of his death currently unknown.

Hooper rose to fame in 1974, after the release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which he also co-wrote with producer Kim Henkel.

The horror film was a huge success —making $30.8 million from a $300,000 budget — yet proved highly controversial, audiences being known to leave cinemas because of the excessive gore.

After running for a year in London, the British Board of Film Censors eventually banned the film, preventing any imitators from being made by outright banning the word ‘chainsaw’ from film titles. Only in 1999, after cinemas defied the ban to show the film, was it lifted.

On reflection, critics have called The Texas Chain Saw Massacre one of the most important film in the horror genre, the villain, Leatherface, becoming an iconic character.

Hooper went on to direct The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2; however, the 1986 sequel was more comedic than its predecessor.

Before then, the acclaimed director worked on 1979 TV mini-series Salem’s Lot, based on the Stephen King novel, which combined soap drama with horror.

Come 1982, the director released the horror classic Poltergeist, which was written and produced by Steven Spielberg. However, recent reports have suggested Spielberg also had a heavy hand in directing the supernatural horror.

Hooper continued to work on various TV series and films up until 2013, when the director’s last film, Djinn, was released. He is survived by two sons.

[Torgo]

Damn. That's two this year. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of my favorite horror films of all time. And like the late George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the biggest influential horror films, you can still see its influences today.

He also directed the underrated 70's horror film Eaten Alive, which features a pre-Freddy Krueger Robert Englund. And before the original TCM, he directed the surreal-hippie flick Eggshells.

[HuntingtonM15]

This is such sad news. Tobe was such a great guy. I was able to meet him at the first convention he ever did. He had a reputation for cancelling at the last minute. At this convention, George Romero had to cancel so they booked Tobe in his place, with no one actually expecting him to show up. Caroline Williams convinced him to attend and they flew in together. The reason that he kept cancelling was because he is really quite shy. But he ended up being a delightful guy, very pleasant.

RIP Tobe

[Torgo]

And just yesterday we got in the mail the apron for my daughter from my friend who stopped at the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Gas Station BBQ/Hotel while he's been down in Texas.

[HuntingtonM15]

Originally Posted by Torgo

And just yesterday we got in the mail the apron for my daughter from my friend who stopped at the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Gas Station BBQ/Hotel while he's been down in Texas.

I'm glad your daughter ended up getting that!

[HuntingtonM15]

This is the autograph I ended up getting at the convention. I have pictures from that day somewhere but I'm not sure where at the moment.

[Torgo]

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I'm glad your daughter ended up getting that!

Me too! She hasn't seen it yet, she's out of town with her boyfriend and his family. Now I kinda wish I asked for one for myself.

[Torgo]

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

This is the autograph I ended up getting at the convention. I have pictures from that day somewhere but I'm not sure where at the moment.

That's cool! I love part 2, my favorite of the sequels. Caroline Williams is great as Slim.

[JamesG]

Very sad to hear this news this morning.

I love TCM, Poltergeist, and the underrated The Funhouse.

[Torgo]

Originally Posted by JamesG

Very sad to hear this news this morning.

I love TCM, Poltergeist, and the underrated The Funhouse.

Those both are classics. The Funhouse is very underrated. Also love Salem's Lot. Both Lifeforce and Spontaneous Combustion are really good. Invaders From Mars is a fun remake. And I really like his version of Toolbox murders. And he's responsible for what I think is the best episode of Masters Of Horror- Cigarette Burns.

[MA]

I love The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[Dude111]

Very sad

[Retro4Life]

Yep, we lost another great one. TCM was a rip roaring, seminal, "slasher" type film, for sure, but I prefer Salem's Lot and Poltergeist.

The man knew how to scare us, and he certainly didn't flood the market while he was popular. He picked his projects pretty carefully, and most of them were pretty darned good.

RIP

[HuntingtonM15]

Bill Moseley posted a nice tribute on his Facebook, and also changed his profile picture.

"Sad to hear about the passing of Tobe Hooper, a legend in the horror genre, and the man who gave me my first big (and all-time favorite) Hollywood job as Choptop in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. I remember the day we were shooting the radio station scene where I'm smacking poor LG (Lou Perryman) with a claw hammer. Tom Savini's off camera pumping blood that's spraying all over Lou's face; Lou's on his back on the floor, writhing, screaming and spitting; I'm wailing away on Lou's forehead with the rubber prop hammer ad libbing lines like "Time for incoming mail!" and "If I had a hammer..." We'd done maybe a dozen takes in the small, dark, very hot "radio" room. Tobe said to me, "Great, great, okay, let's do one more." I said, "Uh, Tobe, am I doing something wrong?" To which Tobe replied, "Oh, hell, no, Bill; I'm just having fun watching you." Now that's the kind of director you dream about. RIP"