So far, 2017 has been a terrible year for fans of the horror genre. It was just last month that zombie film master George Romero passed away, and today comes word that Tobe Hooper has died at the age of 74 of natural causes. Hooper is, of course, best known for his work on 1974’s low-budget indie horror sensation The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Drawn from real life influences (including the notorious crimes of serial killer Ed Gein), that film was arguably the most influential movie among fans of the genre since Psycho — inspiring several expectations-defying sequels in the process. Hooper’s subsequent career included everything from made-for-TV horror adaptations (1979’s Salem’s Lot), a blockbuster success (1982’s Poltergeist), to cult film obsessions like 1981’s The Funhouse, 1985’s fascinating Lifeforce and 1986’s Invaders from Mars. Throughout the rest of his career he worked steadily in the entertainment industry, and was known for his kindness to his ever-growing fanbase. But it will be the demented and terrifying antics of Leatherface that Hooper shall be best remembered for. Given how impressive and ahead of its time that film continues to be, that is a memorable legacy indeed.
