Tobe Hooper
Encyclopedia
Tobe Hooper is an American
film director
and screenwriter
, best known for his work in the horror film
genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
(1974), along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986); the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King
film adaptation Salem's Lot
(1979); and the three-time Academy Award-nominated, Steven Spielberg
-produced Poltergeist (1982).
, the son of Lois Belle (née
Crosby) and Norman William Ray Hooper, who owned a theater in San Angelo
. He first became interested in filmmaking
when he used his father's 8 mm
camera at age 9. Hooper took Radio-Television-Film
classes at the University of Texas at Austin
and studied drama in Dallas
under Baruch Lumet
.
Hooper spent the 1960s as a college
professor
and documentary
cameraman. His short film The Heisters (1965) was invited to be entered in the short subject category
for an Oscar, but was not finished in time for the competition that year. In 1969, Hooper co-wrote and directed Eggshells
, a film about a group of hippies in a commune
house having to deal with the presence of a possible supernatural force. Eggshells did not receive a theatrical release
, but did win Hooper several awards, including the Atlanta Film Festival
Award, when the film played around different colleges. Hooper had shot over 60 documentaries, commercials, and short films before making The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. His intention was to go to Hollywood to become a feature film
director.
, on a budget of $60,000 (which eventually rose to $70,000, though some reports say up to $120,000) made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
. Hooper claims to have come up with the idea for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre while standing in the hardware section of a crowded store. While thinking of a way to get through the crowd, he spotted chainsaws for sale. The highly successful film changed the horror film industry and landed Hooper in Hollywood. Media reports of audiences throwing up and storming out of theaters showing the film swept the nation. Hooper wanted an MPAA PG rating for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as there was no PG-13 at the time. Despite having no sex or sexual situations, no drug use, no hard profanity, and a low level of graphic violence, the film received an R rating. The MPAA cited the film's intense tone as reason enough to issue the R rating.
Hooper then received a call from Marty Rustam to direct his first Hollywood film, Eaten Alive
(1977). Hooper and Henkel re-wrote most of Rustam and Alvin Fast's script to fit their own desires. Eaten Alive starred Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones, William Finley, and Marilyn Burns, who played the lead role in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Some critics noted that Hooper tried to recreate Chainsaw, but did not succeed in terms of intensity. The main reason for this was that Hooper felt the producers were compromising his vision by exerting control over the film. As a result of this, Hooper left the set with three weeks of principal photography remaining. After Hooper's departure, Carolyn Jones, and the editor, Michael Brown, reportedly finished directing the final weeks of the film.
Richard Kobritz, producer of the suspenseful and acclaimed John Carpenter
telefilm, Someone's Watching Me! (1978), handpicked Hooper to direct an adaptation of Stephen King
's vampire novel 'Salem's Lot. The novel had been a bestseller and had been in development for some time, with Hooper briefly attached under producer William Friedkin
's supervision in 1977. Salem's Lot (1979) became Hooper's most polished and mainstream film to date. The telefilm was well-received by critics and fans alike, and is generally thought of as a genre classic.
In 1981, Hooper directed the film, The Funhouse
. The story involved four teenage friends who decide to spend the night in the funhouse of a sleazy traveling carnival. The film opened to modest box office receipts and received mainly positive reviews. Hooper had a shooting schedule similar in length to Salem's Lot, but nowhere near the same budget. One of the most praised aspects of the film was its visually stylish cinematography.
. Skies would feature hostile aliens attacking a farmhouse with a family inside. However, Hooper had no interest in directing an alien invasion film after being fired from the production of another science fiction film, The Dark (1979). Night Skies would later be softened and turned into Spielberg's blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
(1982). While overseeing the final stages of The Funhouse at Universal Studios
, Hooper moved into Robert Wise
's old office. Wise had left behind a book on the supernatural and ghosts. Hooper, already interested in ghost stories and a huge fan of Wise's classic film The Haunting
(1963), asked Spielberg about his interest in the supernatural. Spielberg, also a fan of the topic, decided to write a script for Hooper to direct. In 1982, Hooper directed Poltergeist for MGM, with Spielberg serving as co-writer with Michael Grais and Mark Victor, and co-producer with Frank Marshall. It quickly became one of the top ten highest grossing films of the year. In addition to this, Hooper was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Director. As a result of the film's critical and commercial success, it seemed that Hooper would be propelled into Hollywood's A-list of directors. However, some industry insiders in Hollywood viewed the film as more of a Spielberg-directed film than a Hooper-directed film, despite Hooper's claims that he directed the film and did "half the storyboards himself".
Some comments from the film's cast and crew implied that both Hooper and Spielberg directed the film:
Steven Spielberg, Los Angeles, 1982:
Tobe Hooper, 1982 (said he did everything his contract as director required of him):
JoBeth Williams:
Craig T. Nelson
:
Bill Varney
(Sound Mixer), said he had no contact with Tobe while mixing the sound:
Jerry Goldsmith
(Composer), said he worked exclusively with Spielberg:
Willie Hunt (Production executive who was working with United Artists, but had supervised "Poltergeist" when she was with MGM):
Frank Marshall (Producer):
. The film was based on the 1976 novel, The Space Vampires
by Colin Wilson
, Lifeforce was produced on a then huge budget of $25 million. Hooper was unhappy about the producers' decision to change the title of the film from the "fun sounding" Space Vampires to the more serious Lifeforce. He was even more troubled over the producers' decision to cut about 15 minutes of the film from the US release. Lifeforce failed to gross more than $12 million at the United States box office, but did well in overseas territories.
In 1986, Hooper remade
the 1950s classic Invaders from Mars
and directed the much-anticipated sequel to his first film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Due to the failure of Lifeforce, the budget for Invaders from Mars was repeatedly slashed by the studio, and the film eventually failed at the box office, opening to mixed reviews from critics. Hooper's next film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, starred Dennis Hopper and had a budget of $4 million. The extra funding provided "Hollywood" production values in comparison to the microbudgeted original. However, the film failed to impress fans as it focused on black comedy and over the top gore instead of attempting to be genuinely scary. Nevertheless, the film now has a wide cult following. An uncut DVD version called "The Gruesome Edition" was released in October 2006 by MGM. It contains deleted scenes, a "making of" documentary, and commentary by Hooper and others. From the three Cannon films made by Hooper, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was the only one to make back its budget at the box office.
(1990), a thriller starring Brad Dourif
. The film was shot on a budget of around $5 million, but was not successful. Hooper blamed this on constant rewrites and producer restraints. Hooper's next film, Night Terrors
(1993) was released straight to video. Hooper would end the decade with two other poorly received films, The Mangler
(1995) and Crocodile
(2000).
Hooper's notable TV projects include the telefilms I'm Dangerous Tonight
(1990) and The Apartment Complex
(1999). He also directed pilot episodes for Freddy's Nightmares
(1988), Nowhere Man
(1995) and Dark Skies
(1996), and an episode of Tales from the Crypt
; as well as the segment "Eye" from the TV trilogy film, John Carpenter's Body Bags (1993).
(1978). Toolbox Murders (2004) received some of Hooper's best critical reviews in years.
From 2005-2006, Showtime aired the Mick Garris-produced series, Masters of Horror
. Hooper directed two episodes, Dance of the Dead
(2005) and The Damned Thing
(2006). The series allowed Hooper and other directors "final cut" approval, which meant freedom from interference by producers.
In 2004, Hooper started his own film production company, called T.H. Nightmares. So far, no films have emerged under this banner. In late 2006, Hooper talked about possibly producing a TV series, Texas Chainsaw Chronicles. No further details about the series have emerged. In 2007, Hooper was attached to two films, Training Ground and Tequila Joe. Similarly, no details have emerged on these two films since late 2007.
During the summer of 2008, Kim Henkel (co-writer of the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and writer-director of the fourth installment, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
(1994)), announced he would write and direct a new Chainsaw film set in the present day, however, nothing is yet known regarding Hooper's involvement in this possible remake. However, in October 2009, Twisted Pictures
, the company behind the Saw
films, bought the rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and plan on making a new Chainsaw film in 3D
. Stephen Susco, writer of The Grudge
1 and 2, will serve as screenwriter, while rumors have circulated that Hooper has expressed interest in directing the new reboot.
Hooper had also planned on adapting Stephen King's 2002 novel From A Buick 8
. Mick Garris, executive producer of Masters of Horror, was attached as a producer on the film. However, funding could not be produced, so the film has been put on hold.
Hooper began shooting a paranormal thriller, called "Djinn" in April 2011. The film is in the UAE and will be released in 2012.
In June 2009, it was revealed that Hooper would be writing a horror novel, due to be released in Summer 2011. Midnight Movie, which chronicles the bizarre aftermath of a screening of Hooper's student film Destiny Express
, was published by Three Rivers Press
in July of 2011.
interviewed Hooper for his BBC documentary series A History of Horror
, in which he appears in the third episode.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, best known for his work in the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
(1974), along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986); the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
film adaptation Salem's Lot
Salem's Lot (1979 TV mini-series)
Salem's Lot is a 1979 American television adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen King...
(1979); and the three-time Academy Award-nominated, Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
-produced Poltergeist (1982).
Early life and work
Hooper was born in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, the son of Lois Belle (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Crosby) and Norman William Ray Hooper, who owned a theater in San Angelo
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
. He first became interested in filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
when he used his father's 8 mm
8 mm film
8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. It exists in two main versions: the original standard 8mm film, also known as regular 8 mm or Double 8 mm, and Super 8...
camera at age 9. Hooper took Radio-Television-Film
University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film
The Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin located in Austin, Texas, is one of the five departments comprising the College of Communication...
classes at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and studied drama in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
under Baruch Lumet
Baruch Lumet
Baruch Lumet was a Jewish actor best known for his work in the Yiddish theater.Lumet was born in Warsaw, Russian Empire, and immigrated to the United States with his wife Eugenia Gitl Lumet and daughter Feiga in 1922, where his son, film director Sidney Lumet was born.Although he appeared...
.
Hooper spent the 1960s as a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
cameraman. His short film The Heisters (1965) was invited to be entered in the short subject category
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
for an Oscar, but was not finished in time for the competition that year. In 1969, Hooper co-wrote and directed Eggshells
Eggshells (film)
Eggshells is an independent low budget film released in 1969. It is the first film directed by Tobe Hooper. It was written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper . It was produced by Tobe Hooper. It had a budget of $100,000...
, a film about a group of hippies in a commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
house having to deal with the presence of a possible supernatural force. Eggshells did not receive a theatrical release
Film release
A film release is the stage at which a completed film is legally authorized by its owner for public distribution.The process includes locating a distributor to handle the film...
, but did win Hooper several awards, including the Atlanta Film Festival
Atlanta Film Festival
The Atlanta Film Festival is an Academy Award qualifying, international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia. Started in 1976 and occurring every April, the festival shows a diverse range of independent films, including genre films such as horror and sci-fi...
Award, when the film played around different colleges. Hooper had shot over 60 documentaries, commercials, and short films before making The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. His intention was to go to Hollywood to become a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
director.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Hollywood
In 1974, he organized a small cast composed of college teachers and students, and with Kim HenkelKim Henkel
Kim Henkel is an American screenwriter, director and producer.Henkel was born in Virginia and grew up in several small towns in South Texas. He started at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 majoring in English and graduated in 1969...
, on a budget of $60,000 (which eventually rose to $70,000, though some reports say up to $120,000) made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
. Hooper claims to have come up with the idea for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre while standing in the hardware section of a crowded store. While thinking of a way to get through the crowd, he spotted chainsaws for sale. The highly successful film changed the horror film industry and landed Hooper in Hollywood. Media reports of audiences throwing up and storming out of theaters showing the film swept the nation. Hooper wanted an MPAA PG rating for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as there was no PG-13 at the time. Despite having no sex or sexual situations, no drug use, no hard profanity, and a low level of graphic violence, the film received an R rating. The MPAA cited the film's intense tone as reason enough to issue the R rating.
Hooper then received a call from Marty Rustam to direct his first Hollywood film, Eaten Alive
Eaten Alive
Eaten Alive is a 1977 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper...
(1977). Hooper and Henkel re-wrote most of Rustam and Alvin Fast's script to fit their own desires. Eaten Alive starred Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones, William Finley, and Marilyn Burns, who played the lead role in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Some critics noted that Hooper tried to recreate Chainsaw, but did not succeed in terms of intensity. The main reason for this was that Hooper felt the producers were compromising his vision by exerting control over the film. As a result of this, Hooper left the set with three weeks of principal photography remaining. After Hooper's departure, Carolyn Jones, and the editor, Michael Brown, reportedly finished directing the final weeks of the film.
Richard Kobritz, producer of the suspenseful and acclaimed John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
telefilm, Someone's Watching Me! (1978), handpicked Hooper to direct an adaptation of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's vampire novel 'Salem's Lot. The novel had been a bestseller and had been in development for some time, with Hooper briefly attached under producer William Friedkin
William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
's supervision in 1977. Salem's Lot (1979) became Hooper's most polished and mainstream film to date. The telefilm was well-received by critics and fans alike, and is generally thought of as a genre classic.
In 1981, Hooper directed the film, The Funhouse
The Funhouse
The Funhouse is a 1981 horror film in which four teenagers are trapped in a dark ride and stalked by a deformed killer. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper, and the screenplay written by Larry Block...
. The story involved four teenage friends who decide to spend the night in the funhouse of a sleazy traveling carnival. The film opened to modest box office receipts and received mainly positive reviews. Hooper had a shooting schedule similar in length to Salem's Lot, but nowhere near the same budget. One of the most praised aspects of the film was its visually stylish cinematography.
Poltergeist controversy
In 1981, Steven Spielberg suggested Tobe Hooper direct an alien invasion film entitled Night SkiesNight Skies
Night Skies was a sci-fi horror film that was in development in the late 1970s, but never actually made. Steven Spielberg conceived the idea after Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Instead, material developed at the time was used in Poltergeist and E.T...
. Skies would feature hostile aliens attacking a farmhouse with a family inside. However, Hooper had no interest in directing an alien invasion film after being fired from the production of another science fiction film, The Dark (1979). Night Skies would later be softened and turned into Spielberg's blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(1982). While overseeing the final stages of The Funhouse at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Hooper moved into Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Robert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
's old office. Wise had left behind a book on the supernatural and ghosts. Hooper, already interested in ghost stories and a huge fan of Wise's classic film The Haunting
The Haunting (1963 film)
The Haunting is a 1963 British psychological horror film by American director Robert Wise and adapted by Nelson Gidding from the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It stars Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn. The film centers around the conflict between...
(1963), asked Spielberg about his interest in the supernatural. Spielberg, also a fan of the topic, decided to write a script for Hooper to direct. In 1982, Hooper directed Poltergeist for MGM, with Spielberg serving as co-writer with Michael Grais and Mark Victor, and co-producer with Frank Marshall. It quickly became one of the top ten highest grossing films of the year. In addition to this, Hooper was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Director. As a result of the film's critical and commercial success, it seemed that Hooper would be propelled into Hollywood's A-list of directors. However, some industry insiders in Hollywood viewed the film as more of a Spielberg-directed film than a Hooper-directed film, despite Hooper's claims that he directed the film and did "half the storyboards himself".
Some comments from the film's cast and crew implied that both Hooper and Spielberg directed the film:
Steven Spielberg, Los Angeles, 1982:
TIME has made E.T. and me very happy. However, a comment slipped in that is unfair to Tobe Hooper, the director of Poltergeist. I am quoted as indicating that I took over the project. While I was creatively involved in the entire production, Tobe Hooper alone was the director.
Tobe Hooper, 1982 (said he did everything his contract as director required of him):
I don't understand why any of these questions have to be raised. I always saw this film as a collaborative situation between my producer, my writer, and myself. Two of those people were Steven Spielberg, but I directed the film and I did fully half of the story boards. I'm quite proud of what I did.
JoBeth Williams:
It was a collaboration with Steven having the final say. Tobe had his own input, but I think we knew that Steven had the final say. Steven is a strong-minded person and knew what he wanted. We were lucky because we got input from two very imaginative people.
Craig T. Nelson
Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...
:
Tobe gave me a lot of direction. It's not fair to eliminate what Tobe did--he gave me a tremendous amount of support because he's a warm, sensitive, caring human being. Tobe was simply pushed out of the picture after turning in his cut.
Bill Varney
Bill Varney
Harold William Varney , better known as Bill Varney, was an American motion picture sound mixer. A two-time Academy Award winner, Varney shared the Academy Award for Best Sound for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981...
(Sound Mixer), said he had no contact with Tobe while mixing the sound:
He [Tobe] dropped by one or two times, but he had no input whatsoever as far as our (sound) work was concerned. Basically, Tobe didn't participate at all.
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
(Composer), said he worked exclusively with Spielberg:
It was unusual, because 99% of the time I work with the director.
Willie Hunt (Production executive who was working with United Artists, but had supervised "Poltergeist" when she was with MGM):
Both people were on the set all the time, and Tobe was very much involved, as far as I could tell. But Steven was the creative force in my opinion; his stamp is on the film, even though there was a good, solid, competent director there.
Frank Marshall (Producer):
It all depends on your definition of director. The job of the producer is to get the film finished, and that's what we did. The creative force on this movie was Steven. Tobe was the director and was on the set every day. But Steven did the design for every storyboard and he was on the set every day except for three days when he was in Hawaii with [George] Lucas.
Cannon films
Hooper was then offered a contract by Cannon Films to direct three films. The first was a science fiction thriller called Lifeforce (1985) about humanoid creatures from outer space who eventually cause the destruction of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The film was based on the 1976 novel, The Space Vampires
The Space Vampires
The Space Vampires is a British science fiction horror novel written by author Colin Wilson, and first published in England and the United States by Random House in 1976. This is Wilson's fifty-first book...
by Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
, Lifeforce was produced on a then huge budget of $25 million. Hooper was unhappy about the producers' decision to change the title of the film from the "fun sounding" Space Vampires to the more serious Lifeforce. He was even more troubled over the producers' decision to cut about 15 minutes of the film from the US release. Lifeforce failed to gross more than $12 million at the United States box office, but did well in overseas territories.
In 1986, Hooper remade
Invaders from Mars (1986 film)
Invaders from Mars is a 1986 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. It is a remake of the 1953 science fiction film Invaders from Mars, and is a reworking of that film's screenplay by Richard Blake from an original story by John Tucker Battle...
the 1950s classic Invaders from Mars
Invaders from Mars (1953 film)
Invaders From Mars is a science fiction film directed by William Cameron Menzies, taken from a scenario by Richard Blake, and based on a story treatment by John Tucker Battle who was inspired by a dream recounted by his wife. It was produced independently by Edward L. Alperson Jr. and starred...
and directed the much-anticipated sequel to his first film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Due to the failure of Lifeforce, the budget for Invaders from Mars was repeatedly slashed by the studio, and the film eventually failed at the box office, opening to mixed reviews from critics. Hooper's next film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, starred Dennis Hopper and had a budget of $4 million. The extra funding provided "Hollywood" production values in comparison to the microbudgeted original. However, the film failed to impress fans as it focused on black comedy and over the top gore instead of attempting to be genuinely scary. Nevertheless, the film now has a wide cult following. An uncut DVD version called "The Gruesome Edition" was released in October 2006 by MGM. It contains deleted scenes, a "making of" documentary, and commentary by Hooper and others. From the three Cannon films made by Hooper, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was the only one to make back its budget at the box office.
After Cannon
Hooper's film career stalled after the troubled productions at Cannon. In the late 1980s, and much of the 1990s, Hooper's reputation as a bankable director was questioned due to the failure of the three films he made at Cannon. When combined, Hooper budgets came to a little more than $40 million, with a total box office income of $25 million. In 1989, Hooper had written a script treatment for a third Texas Chainsaw film, but never developed it further. Instead, he chose to focus on Spontaneous CombustionSpontaneous Combustion (film)
Spontaneous Combustion is a 1990 film directed by Tobe Hooper. The plot of this science fiction horror film revolves around a young man with psychokinetic powers. Actor Brad Dourif plays the role of Sam, who learns that his parents were part of an atomic bomb experiment. As an adult, Sam discovers...
(1990), a thriller starring Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif
Bradford Claude "Brad" Dourif is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in...
. The film was shot on a budget of around $5 million, but was not successful. Hooper blamed this on constant rewrites and producer restraints. Hooper's next film, Night Terrors
Night Terrors (film)
Night Terrors is a 1995 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. The plot involves a young girl travels to Cairo to visit her father, and becomes unwillingly involved with a bizarre sadomasochistic cult led by the charismatic Paul Chevalier, who is a descendant of the Marquis de Sade....
(1993) was released straight to video. Hooper would end the decade with two other poorly received films, The Mangler
The Mangler (film)
The Mangler is a 1995 American and South African horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, based upon the Stephen King short story of the same name which appeared in his inaugural short story collection, Night Shift .-Plot:...
(1995) and Crocodile
Crocodile (2000 film)
Crocodile is a 2000 horror film that was directed by Tobe Hooper and was released on December 26, 2000. It was followed by a sequel, Crocodile 2: Death Swamp, which was released on August 1, 2002.- Plot :...
(2000).
Hooper's notable TV projects include the telefilms I'm Dangerous Tonight
I'm Dangerous Tonight
I'm Dangerous Tonight is a 1990 horror themed television movie directed by Tobe Hooper. It made its debut on the USA Network before being released on home video.-Plot:...
(1990) and The Apartment Complex
The Apartment Complex
The Apartment Complex is a 1999 television film directed by Tobe Hooper. In this movie, a man named Stan becomes the manager of an apartment complex with strange tenants after the previous manager disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Things go downhill after he discovers a corpse in the...
(1999). He also directed pilot episodes for Freddy's Nightmares
Freddy's Nightmares
Freddy's Nightmares is an American horror anthology series, which aired in syndication from October 1988 until March 1990. A spin-off from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, each story was introduced by Freddy Krueger...
(1988), Nowhere Man
Nowhere Man (TV series)
Nowhere Man is an American television series that aired from 1995 to 1996 starring Bruce Greenwood. Created by Lawrence Hertzog, the series aired Monday nights on UPN. Despite critical acclaim, including TV Guides label of "The season's coolest hit," the show was cancelled after only one...
(1995) and Dark Skies
Dark Skies
Dark Skies is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that aired from the 1996 to 1997 season for 18 episodes, plus a two-hour pilot episode. The success of The X-Files on Fox proved there was an audience for science fiction shows, resulting in NBC commissioning this...
(1996), and an episode of Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
; as well as the segment "Eye" from the TV trilogy film, John Carpenter's Body Bags (1993).
Recent work
In 2002, Hooper directed the pilot for the miniseries Taken. The same year, it was announced that New Line Cinema and Michael Bay would be remaking Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hooper served as producer on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), which became a box office success, grossing $120 million worldwide. In early 2003, Hooper himself remade a 1970s film entitled The Toolbox MurdersThe Toolbox Murders
The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 slasher film starring Cameron Mitchell, Tim Donnelly, Pamelyn Ferdin, and Wesley Eure. It is notorious for its reputation as a video nasty due to its violent murder scenes in the film's first act...
(1978). Toolbox Murders (2004) received some of Hooper's best critical reviews in years.
From 2005-2006, Showtime aired the Mick Garris-produced series, Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
. Hooper directed two episodes, Dance of the Dead
Dance of the Dead (Masters of Horror episode)
Dance of the Dead is the third episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on November 11, 2005. Richard Christian Matheson adapted the episode from a short story of the same name by his father, Richard Matheson...
(2005) and The Damned Thing
The Damned Thing
The Damned Thing is the first episode of the second season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on October 27, 2006.-Plot:...
(2006). The series allowed Hooper and other directors "final cut" approval, which meant freedom from interference by producers.
In 2004, Hooper started his own film production company, called T.H. Nightmares. So far, no films have emerged under this banner. In late 2006, Hooper talked about possibly producing a TV series, Texas Chainsaw Chronicles. No further details about the series have emerged. In 2007, Hooper was attached to two films, Training Ground and Tequila Joe. Similarly, no details have emerged on these two films since late 2007.
During the summer of 2008, Kim Henkel (co-writer of the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and writer-director of the fourth installment, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a 1994 independent American comedy-horror film written and directed by Kim Henkel, and starring Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, both before they became mainstream stars...
(1994)), announced he would write and direct a new Chainsaw film set in the present day, however, nothing is yet known regarding Hooper's involvement in this possible remake. However, in October 2009, Twisted Pictures
Twisted Pictures
Twisted Pictures is an independent production company, mainly creating films of the horror genre. The company was founded in 2004 by Evolution Entertainment's Mark Burg, Oren Koules and Gregg Hoffman...
, the company behind the Saw
Saw
A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
films, bought the rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and plan on making a new Chainsaw film in 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
. Stephen Susco, writer of The Grudge
The Grudge
The Grudge is the 2004 American remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge, and the first horror film in the Ju-on series, Ju-on 1. The film is the first installment in the American horror film series The Grudge...
1 and 2, will serve as screenwriter, while rumors have circulated that Hooper has expressed interest in directing the new reboot.
Hooper had also planned on adapting Stephen King's 2002 novel From A Buick 8
From a Buick 8
From a Buick 8 is a novel by horror writer Stephen King. Published on September 24, 2002, this is the second novel by Stephen King to feature a supernatural car...
. Mick Garris, executive producer of Masters of Horror, was attached as a producer on the film. However, funding could not be produced, so the film has been put on hold.
Hooper began shooting a paranormal thriller, called "Djinn" in April 2011. The film is in the UAE and will be released in 2012.
In June 2009, it was revealed that Hooper would be writing a horror novel, due to be released in Summer 2011. Midnight Movie, which chronicles the bizarre aftermath of a screening of Hooper's student film Destiny Express
Destiny Express Redux
Destiny Express Redux is a film by American film director Tobe Hooper. The film was conceived and filmed originally as a student project in 1959 under the title Destiny Express...
, was published by Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprints.- History :...
in July of 2011.
Legacy
In 2010, writer and actor Mark GatissMark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock....
interviewed Hooper for his BBC documentary series A History of Horror
A History of Horror
A History of Horror is a 2010 three-part documentary series made for the BBC by British writer and actor Mark Gatiss...
, in which he appears in the third episode.
Filmography
- EggshellsEggshells (film)Eggshells is an independent low budget film released in 1969. It is the first film directed by Tobe Hooper. It was written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper . It was produced by Tobe Hooper. It had a budget of $100,000...
(1969) - The Texas Chain Saw MassacreThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
(1974) - Eaten AliveEaten AliveEaten Alive is a 1977 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper...
(1977) - Salem's Lot (1979)
- The FunhouseThe FunhouseThe Funhouse is a 1981 horror film in which four teenagers are trapped in a dark ride and stalked by a deformed killer. The film was directed by Tobe Hooper, and the screenplay written by Larry Block...
(1981) - Poltergeist (1982)
- Lifeforce (1985)
- Invaders from MarsInvaders from Mars (1986 film)Invaders from Mars is a 1986 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. It is a remake of the 1953 science fiction film Invaders from Mars, and is a reworking of that film's screenplay by Richard Blake from an original story by John Tucker Battle...
(1986) - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Spontaneous CombustionSpontaneous Combustion (film)Spontaneous Combustion is a 1990 film directed by Tobe Hooper. The plot of this science fiction horror film revolves around a young man with psychokinetic powers. Actor Brad Dourif plays the role of Sam, who learns that his parents were part of an atomic bomb experiment. As an adult, Sam discovers...
(1990) - I'm Dangerous TonightI'm Dangerous TonightI'm Dangerous Tonight is a 1990 horror themed television movie directed by Tobe Hooper. It made its debut on the USA Network before being released on home video.-Plot:...
(1990) - Night TerrorsNight Terrors (film)Night Terrors is a 1995 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. The plot involves a young girl travels to Cairo to visit her father, and becomes unwillingly involved with a bizarre sadomasochistic cult led by the charismatic Paul Chevalier, who is a descendant of the Marquis de Sade....
(1993) - Body Bags (1993)
- The ManglerThe Mangler (film)The Mangler is a 1995 American and South African horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, based upon the Stephen King short story of the same name which appeared in his inaugural short story collection, Night Shift .-Plot:...
(1995) - Nowhere ManNowhere Man (TV series)Nowhere Man is an American television series that aired from 1995 to 1996 starring Bruce Greenwood. Created by Lawrence Hertzog, the series aired Monday nights on UPN. Despite critical acclaim, including TV Guides label of "The season's coolest hit," the show was cancelled after only one...
(1995) - Dark SkiesDark SkiesDark Skies is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that aired from the 1996 to 1997 season for 18 episodes, plus a two-hour pilot episode. The success of The X-Files on Fox proved there was an audience for science fiction shows, resulting in NBC commissioning this...
(1997) - The Apartment ComplexThe Apartment ComplexThe Apartment Complex is a 1999 television film directed by Tobe Hooper. In this movie, a man named Stan becomes the manager of an apartment complex with strange tenants after the previous manager disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Things go downhill after he discovers a corpse in the...
(1999) - CrocodileCrocodile (2000 film)Crocodile is a 2000 horror film that was directed by Tobe Hooper and was released on December 26, 2000. It was followed by a sequel, Crocodile 2: Death Swamp, which was released on August 1, 2002.- Plot :...
(2000) - Toolbox Murders (2004)
- Dance of the Dead (Masters of Horror)Dance of the Dead (Masters of Horror episode)Dance of the Dead is the third episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on November 11, 2005. Richard Christian Matheson adapted the episode from a short story of the same name by his father, Richard Matheson...
(2005) - MortuaryMortuary (film)Mortuary is a 2005 horror-thriller film directed by Tobe Hooper. It stars Dan Byrd, Alexandra Adi, and Denise Crosby.-Plot:After the loss of their father, the Doyle family, Leslie, Jonathan, and Jamie, move to the Fowler Mortuary in hope of starting a new life. The three find the mortuary to be in...
(2006) - The Damned Thing (Masters of Horror)The Damned ThingThe Damned Thing is the first episode of the second season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on October 27, 2006.-Plot:...
(2006) - Djinn (2012)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3DThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3DThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D is an upcoming 3D horror film directed by John Luessenhop and written by Debra Sullivan and Adam Marcus, with later drafts by Kirsten Elms and Luessenhop. It is the seventh film in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and is a direct alternate sequel to the 1974...
(2012) as a cameo