Tobe Hooper-Horror Icon!

We have all heard of Tobe Hooper for obvious reasons. If you love horror, like me, then this man has created some of the most best horror movies ever.I am going to look through his career and pick out some of his best work...

Now, his most famous movie is obviously The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974. This film has set the bar for horror movies since and it has never been matched . There was a pathetic remake but I am not going to waste time with that. The original TCM is a classic and a cult masterpiece of horror. I don't know how you could omit this film from any top ten list.We all know the story and that so I won't go into it. After TCM, Hooper went on to make another good horror called Eaten Alive in 1977. I liked this film as it was strange and fun. Hooper directed Salem's Lot, based on a novel by Stephen King, in 1979 and he did a good job of it too.The Funhouse was released in 1981 and it was not a bad horror movie, but I wouldn't say that it was Hooper's best work.

Hooper outdid himself with this next movie. Can you guess what it is? Yes, it is Poltergeist from 1982. This is another horror classic and I love this movie. It has everything that you could want and it continues to get better every time I watch it! Lifeforce was released in 1985 and it wasn't bad, but I didn't love it. I felt the same way about Invaders from Mars in 1986. I wasn't enthralled with those two films. I did love The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 made in the same year. It was fun and Dennis Hopper with his chainsaw was hilarious...This is an underrated sequel and I have watched it a few times now. It is great. After that, Hooper did some TV work and directed some TV series. Then in 1990 along came Spontaneous Combustion which I wasn't crazy about . I'm Dangerous Tonight was a made for TV movie from the same year but it starred Anthony Perkins. I liked it even though the story was a little silly in parts.

Hooper directed a section of the TV movie Body Bags(1993) along with John Carpenter. Night Terrors was released in 1995 and I liked it. It starred Robert Englund. Englund starred in another Hooper movie from 1995 called The Mangler. It is based on the short story by Stephen King. More TV work followed including the movie The Apartment Complex in 1999. Chad Lowe stars. I found it a bit silly and the acting wasn't great. The movie Crocodile was released in 2000 but it wasn't brilliant either.In 2004 Hooper made a comeback with the remake of The Toolbox Murders. It was a return to form for him and he did well. He made the dreadful Mortuary in 2005 and I disliked that movie. I just couldn't find anything good about it. Hooper was back on form when he directed 2 episodes of the great TV series Masters of Horror and it seemed as if he was back again. His career has been up and down with some flashes of brilliance and then some mediocrity. Now, he is directing a movie called Djinn and I am hoping that he will create something new and scary. Watch this space for more news on that movie...