Tobe Hooper, `Texas Chain Saw Massacre' and `Poltergeist' Director, Dies at 74
 
Deputy Editor
Pat Saperstein
Deputy Editor {at}Variety_PatS
 
August 26, 2017 | 11:35PM PT
 
Tobe Hooper, the horror director best known for helming "The Texas
Chain Saw Massacre" and "Poltergeist," died Saturday in
Sherman Oaks, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. He was
74. The circumstances of his death were not known.
 
The 1974 "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" became one of the most
influential horror films of all time for its realistic approach and
deranged vision. Shot for less than $300,000, it tells the story of a group
of unfortunate friends who encounter a group of cannibals on their way to
visit an old homestead. Though it was banned in several countries for
violence, it was one of the most profitable independent films of the 1970s
in the U.S. The character of Leatherface was loosely based on serial killer
Ed Gein.
 
Hooper also directed the 1986 sequel "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2," which took a more comedic approach, as part of his Cannon Films
deal.
 
The 1982 "Poltergeist," written and produced by Steven Spielberg,
also became a classic of the genre. The story of a family coping with a
house haunted by unruly ghosts starred JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson.
The film was a box office success for MGM and became the eighth-highest
grossing film of the year.
 
After "Poltergeist," Hooper directed two movies for Cannon Films,
"Lifeforce" and "Invaders from Mars," a remake of the
1953 alien movie.
 
His 1979 CBS miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling novel
"Salem's Lot" is considered by many fans to be a high-water mark
in televisual horror. Combining the intrigue of a nighttime soap opera with
the gothic atmosphere of a classic horror film, the two-part program was
eventually reedited and released theatrically throughout Europe.
 
He continued working in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s,
but none of the films had the impact of his early works. His last film, the
2013 "Djinn," was set in the United Arab Emirates and produced by
Image Nation. His other more recent works included "Toolbox
Murders," "Mortuary" and two episodes of "Masters of
Horror."
 
Among his other works was the music video for Billy Idol's "Dancing
With Myself." In 2011 he co-authored a post-modern horror novel titled
"Midnight Movie" in which he himself appeared as the main
character.
 
Willard Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas and taught college before
starting out in documentaries.
 
He is survived by two sons.
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

--- PQUSA