Tobe Hooper
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Birthdate: 25 Jan 1943 Birthplace: Austin, Texas, US After knocking around as a teacher and documentary maker for several years, Hooper galvanized horror fans around the world with his 1974 independent production,The Texas Chainsaw Massacre now enshrined by cultists as one of the forerunners of the "splatter" subgenre. While not nearly as gory as its title suggests,Massacre is a genuinely terrifying film made even more unsettling by its twisted but undeniably hilarious black comedy. Hooper followed that with the entertaining but not nearly as resonant Eaten Alive (1976). The disappointing Funhouse (1981), which boasted an intriguing premise but ended up sinking to the teen-body-count-clich�s of that era, had manyTexas Chainsaw fans wondering what had happened to their idol. Steven Spielberg enlisted Hooper to direct the effective haunted-house shocker Poltergeist (1982); there is much speculation, though, that Spielberg himself, displeased with Hooper's approach, overrode the director on many points and diluted some strong sequences. Hooper's career trajectory is all downhill from there; the high point of his 1985 vampires-from-outer-space story, Lifeforce is the sight of French beauty Mathilda May strolling through London stark naked. His remake of the low-budget cult classic Invaders From Mars (1986) was, to put it charitably, ill advised. And 1986's desperateThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is best completely forgotten.Spontaneous Combustion (1990) was released directly to video. Hooper, one of many youngish directors influenced by old horror movies and early TV shows, has demonstrated that, once past the trademark gore and shock scenes with which he loads his pictures, there's less to his directorial style than meets the eye. In 1994 he directed Tobe Hooper's Night Terrors he also directed a Billy Idol music video, "Dancing With Myself" (1983). |
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| 1999 | Taken |  |
| 2000 | Night Visions: Unknown Episodes | |
| 2000 | Crocodile |  |
| 2000 | The Others: Souls On Board | |
| 1999 | The Apartment Complex | |
| 1997 | Perversions Of Science: Unknown Episodes | |
| 1995 | Dark Skies: The Awakening | |
| 1995 | Nowhere Man: Turnabout | |
| 1995 | Nowhere Man: Absolute Zero | |
| 1995 | The Mangler | |
| 1993 | Body Bags | |
| 1993 | Night Terrors | |
| 1991 | Tales From The Crypt: Dead Wait | |
| 1990 | I'm Dangerous Tonight | |
| 1989 | Spontaneous Combustion | |
| 1988 | Freddy's Nightmares: Unknown Episodes | |
| 1988 | The Equalizer: No Place Like Home | |
| 1987 | Amazing Stories: Miss Stardust | |
| 1986 | Invaders From Mars |  |
| 1986 | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 |  |
| 1985 | Lifeforce | |
| 1982 | Poltergeist | |
| 1981 | The Funhouse | |
| 1979 | Salem's Lot | |
| 1979 | The Dark | |
| 1976 | Eaten Alive | |
| 1974 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | |
| Ratings Key | |
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GENERAL AUDIENCES: All ages admitted. |
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PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Some material may not be suitable for children. |
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PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. |
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RESTRICTED: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. |
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NO ONE 17 YEARS OR YOUNGER ADMITTED. |
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NOT RATED: The film has not been rated by the MPAA. |
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TO BE ANNOUNCED: The film is currently in production or planning. |
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TV SERIES or MOVIE: Project made for TV. Individual episode titles (if known) will be given in blue. |
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STUDENT FILM: The film was a project in college/film school and is not available to the public. |
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