Tobe Hooper
Biography
Tobe Hooper was an American filmmaker known for his work in horror. Born in Austin, Texas, he first taught college and worked as a documentary cameraman in the 1960s before making his first feature, Eggshells, in 1969. He broke through with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which he co-wrote and directed and which became a genre classic and a commercial hit. He went on to direct Eaten Alive (1976), the Stephen King miniseries Salem's Lot (1979), The Funhouse (1981) and Poltergeist (1982), produced by Steven Spielberg. Other credits included Lifeforce (1985), Invaders from Mars (1986), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986), Body Bags (1993) and The Mangler (1995), plus television work on Masters of Horror. In 2003 the Texas Film Hall of Fame honored him, and he died in 2017.
74years old at death
- Born Austin
- Died Sherman Oaks
- Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
- Also credited as William Tobe Hooper and Willard Tobe Hooper
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 14 years1986 to 2000
Every film, newest first
- 2000The American NightmareIMDb rating 7.2
- 1993Body BagsIMDb rating 6.2
- 1986The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2IMDb rating 5.6
Genres
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A first
Hooper's 1965 short The Heisters was invited into the Academy Award short subject race, but he did not finish it in time for that year's competition.
Big break
A screening of Massacre convinced producer Richard Kobritz to bring in Hooper to direct Salem's Lot, a television mini-series made for CBS in 1979 with a budget of $4 million.
Getting ready for a role
Hooper dealt with the Motion Picture Association of America over the rating. He hoped the film's limited gore would earn a PG, but the original print got an X until cuts brought an R.
Tobe Hooper movies on Netflix
Worked with
Tobe Hooper shares two films with John Carpenter, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Carpenter's page
Wes Craven's page
Dennis Hopper's page
David Warner's page
Tom Arnold's page
Stacy Keach's page
Larry SulkisDirector, 1 film, 1993
All films by Larry Sulkis
All films by Adam Simon
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2003 | Time Machine Award | Won | |
| Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.