Tobe Hooper, Director Of Texas Chain Saw Massacre And Poltergeist Films, Dies At 74
Updated : August 28, 2017 12:13 PM ISTMovie director Tobe Hooper, best known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist horror films, died in California on Saturday, US media reported. He was 74.
The cause of the director’s death in the town of Sherman Oaks was not announced, the Hollywood industry magazine Variety reported.
Hooper, a native of Austin, Texas, was a college professor and documentary producer before branching out in 1974 to direct The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of the most influential films of the horror genre.
The film, shot for less than $300,000, was banned in several countries for its extreme violence but nevertheless was one of the most profitable independent US films of the 1970s, Variety said.
Hooper also directed the film’s 1986 sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, which had a more lighthearted approach.
In 1982, Hooper directed Poltergeist, a film written and produced by Steven Spielberg. The movie had an $11 million budget and grossed $76.6 million, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
The late director is survived by two sons, Variety said.
Raise your chainsaw in honor of the late, great Tobe Hooper. pic.twitter.com/MEG2yFdeHr
— Louis Peitzman (@LouisPeitzman) August 27, 2017
RIP Tobe Hooper. You scared me more than once. pic.twitter.com/53nBrsy6hW
— John Gholson (@gholson) August 27, 2017
Sad to hear the passing of Tobe Hooper. One of the nicest people. A sweet, gentle soul of a man. Your legacy lives on. #RIP
— James Wan (@creepypuppet) August 27, 2017
Farewell Tobe Hooper...Thank you for having offered me some of my best fears on the big screen... #RIP #tobehooper #TheTexasChainsawMassacre pic.twitter.com/lrS0X8FCwJ
— Celine-Tran (@iamCelineTran) August 27, 2017
Thank you for giving us this Icon #TobeHooper pic.twitter.com/dVTMXq9Jdt
— Kathryn Price (@KathrynPrice86) August 27, 2017
I can't believe #TobeHooper is gone. I just hung out with him a few weeks ago. So sad right now. @eliroth we just talked about him. My God! pic.twitter.com/neF9SbkLNn
— Michael Rosenbaum (@mrosenbaum711) August 27, 2017