Tobe Hooper 1943 - 2017

Director Tobe Hooper has passed away at 74.

Mostly known for his 1974 horror-film classic THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, William Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas and gained an interest in filmmaking while using his father’s 8mm camera, and would take classes in radio, film, and television at the University of Texas Austin.

After spending time as a college professor and documentary cameraman in the 1960’s, he would enter the film world in 1969 with his first feature, EGGSHELLS, followed closely by THE SONG IS LOVE the same year. But it was in 1974 when he would make his biggest hit while changing the horror genre forever with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Loosely based on the actions of real-life serial killer Ed Gein, who killed and sewed clothing out of his victim’s skin, the film and its main villain, the horrific Leatherface, would set the template for modern horror that is still followed today. Hooper would revisit the material with a sequel in 1986.

In 1982 he would make another memorable entry into the horror genre when he collaborated with Steven Spielberg to create the haunted house thriller POLTERGEIST. By tapping into a basic family dynamic, the film brought the terror into people’s living rooms, and just as Spielberg’s JAWS had scared people of the water, POLTERGEIST generated a primal fear of leaving televisions on at night.

His other notable films would include LIFEFORCE (1985), INVADERS FROM MARS (1986), NIGHT TERRORS (1993), and THE MANGIER (1995). For television he would adapt the well-regarded Stephen King novel SALEMS LOT in 1979, and would direct episodes in AMAZING STORIES, THE EQUALIZER, FREDDY’S NIGHTMARES, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, DARK SKIES, and TAKEN.

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As a wee-lad in the 1980’s, this Blogger’s introduction to Tobe Hooper would come via a new cable outlet called HBO, which would run POLTERGEIST several times a week. Despite being a scary movie, it somehow became a family favorite; striking that perfect balance of staying real-world while supernatural stuff was going on. Years later, when this Blogger would eventually come around to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, it was clear just how influential the film was in modern horror. It was real-world stuff with everyday people, and from Ridley Scott to Rob Zombie, the basic plotting clearly inspired the genre well into the 2000’s. Tobe Hooper may never have won an Oscar, and his name may not be recalled among the directing heavyweights in history, but his contribution to the genre that he loved can never be measured.