Okay 2017, take it easy now, you’ve taken enough legends for the time being. Tobe Hooper is another name in a long list of celebrities and notable individuals that has passed away this year. He is also one of the legends that helped to make the cinema experience what it is today with his contributions of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. He also directed the TV version of Salem’s Lot.
These last few years have seen the passing of a lot of great individuals, and Hooper is just one among many that will be remembered fondly for what he’s done for the film industry. Many people don’t seem to realize that before we had the likes of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kreuger there was Leatherface, a very human monster that was still just as bad as any of them and just as memorable. And of course the events of Poltergeist are still firmly in memory as most people, even those born in this millennium, can attest to having heard of or seen the legendary film.
This is a guy that inspired the likes of Wes Craven and Ridley Scott, two well-known names in the movie industry that are considered geniuses in their genres. To think that they would give such high praise to anyone means that the person is in fact a horror guru of the highest level. That kind of genius isn’t so exceedingly rare that it only comes once in a lifetime but it’s rare enough that you won’t find a legion of film makers and directors that know how to utilize such mastery to this kind of degree. Hooper was interested in film since he was around 9 years old. He would borrow his father’s 8 mm camera to make his own little short movies for his amusement.
During his college years he was involved in drama and radio and TV classes that would only heighten his interest and his skill in the craft. By the time The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came around he was at his peak and still climbing. The 1974 classic was the true beginning of the monster-led horror movie for a new generation, as those that had come before him were either fading off due to special effects that continued to improve or simply because the directors were finding less and less interest in the new level of violence that horror fans demanded. In any case Hooper arrived on the scene with his gore-fest of a movie just in time for fans to really appreciate the change in the genre. His blood-soaked inclusion into the horror game was a welcome addition that launched a new type of horror movie that people were a little hesitant about at first, but came around to rather quickly.
It’s easy to see that Tobe Hooper left behind quite a legacy. His look at the horror genre and how he helped to change it for good is something that most horror fans won’t ever forget. So fire up your chainsaws and salute the man that helped to bring about a new wave of horror.
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