Born in Austin, Texas, in 1943 and died in Sherman Oaks in 2017, Tobe Hooper taught film and made documentaries before shooting The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) for a very small budget with a cast of unknowns. A relentless, grimy and surprisingly bloodless film, it was banned in many countries and then became one of the most influential horror films ever made. His other work includes Eaten Alive, Salem's Lot (1979) for television, and Poltergeist (1982), a film whose authorship has been the subject of debate between Hooper and its producer Steven Spielberg.
Filmography
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Eaten Alive (1976)
- The Funhouse (1981)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Lifeforce (1985)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Invaders from Mars (1986)