Tobe Hooperwas one of the most influential horror filmmakers ever. He was particularly active in the 1970s and ’80s, directing some of those decades’most enduring horrors, likeThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreandPoltergeist. Hooper quickly earned a cult following with his bold, often shocking style and his ability to evoke fear through atmosphere and tension. At their best,his projects have a raw, visceral power, simultaneously gripping and unsettling the viewer.
Not all of Hooper’s movies succeed, of course. In fact, his filmography is something of a mixed bag, including both duds and masterpieces. Nevertheless, even his failed experiments tend to feature at least a few intriguing elements, whether it’s a unique fusion of genres or an inspired supporting performance. For this reason, many directors have cited him as an influence, fromRidley ScottandHideo NakatatoAlexandra AjaandNicolas Winding Refn. With this in mind, here are Hooper’s ten best movies, ranked.
10’Invaders from Mars' (1986)
Starring: Hunter Carson, Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman
“These things! They’re huge, ugly, slimy, giant Mr. Potato Heads!” One of Hooper’s weaker efforts is this remake of a 1953 sci-fi. It centers on a young boy named David Gardner (Hunter Carson), who begins to suspect that aliens are taking over the minds of the adults in his small town. His quiet suburb gradually transforms into a surreal, nightmarish landscape as the aliens tighten their control. When his parents start acting strangely, David realizes that he must convince others before it’s too late.
Effects legendStan Winstonsupplies the alien design, which is solid, butover-the-top performances and an unnecessarily long runtime weight the film down.The end result almost feels like a parody, though it’s unclear how much of this was intentional. Some of the references and in-jokes are clearly deliberate - winks to the audience - but other moments are just silly thanks to poor execution. Either way,Invaders from Marsis best avoided.
Invaders From Mars
9’Eaten Alive' (1976)
Starring: Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones, Marilyn Burns
“Name’s Buck…” Set in a rundown hotel in the swamps of Texas,Eaten Alivefollows Judd (Neville Brand), a deranged hotel owner who feeds his guests to a giant crocodile lurking in the waters around the building. As various travelers check in, they soon find themselves trapped in Judd’s web of madness with seemingly no way to escape the gruesome fate that awaits them. In something of a twist,Robert Englund, best known for playing Freddie Krueger, appears here as one of Judd’s targets.
The film initially opened to negative reviews, with most critics dismissing it as a cruder, gorier take on ideas fromThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Indeed, some of the scenes are somehow both bloodier than that movie, yet less tense, However, subsequent audiences have been a little kinder toEaten Alive, andit’s now a minor cult film.It’s certainly rough around the edges and a little ridiculous, but it still offers up enjoyment for fans of this subgenre.
Eaten Alive
A psychotic redneck, who owns a dilapidated hotel in rural East Texas, kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.
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8’The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2' (1986)
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Jim Siedow, Bill Moseley
“I’ve got a real good eye for prime meat. Runs in the family.” Speaking of weaker takes onThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre formula, the sequel was a major disappointment, not coming close to the original in terms of scares or impact. The main character this time around is DJ Vanita “Stretch” Brock (Carolin Williams), who inadvertently records a live murder committed by Leatherface (Bill Johnson) and his family. As Stretch attempts to expose the gruesome crimes, she is drawn into the terrifying world of the Sawyers, where she must fight to survive.
Hooper attempts to differentiate this movie from its predecessor by making it more darkly humorous, almost satirical, with mixed results. He also abandons the original’s documentary-like aesthetic for a more polished look, which doesn’t really suit the material. At least it’s not a complete retread, butthis movie just isn’t particularly scary.That said,Dennis Hopperdeserves praise for trying to make the most out of his under-written character.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
7’Shadow Realm' (2002)
Starring: James D’Arcy, Natasha Wightman, Nicholas Clay, Dominic Mafham
“The darkness is like a scar on my brain.“Shadow Realmis a horror anthology directed byKeith Gordon,Paul Shapiro, and Hooper. It’s actually stitched together from two unaired episodes of the Fox TV showNight Visions. In one segment,Malcolm McDowellplays a patient consumed by the need to perform specific rituals and patterns; another focuses on a stranger who arrives in a town where music is feared, and the one entitled ‘Voices’ is about a court employee who gains the ability to hear the thoughts of a man involved in a trial.
Hooper’s story is called ‘The Maze’, and is probably the strongest one. It featuresThora Birchas a young woman navigating a hedge maze on a college campus, only to find the world has changed upon her exit. It’s a cool concept, and Birch is always entertaining, but the execution is decidedly lackluster.This is TV-movie quality stuff that is only really worth watching for Hooper diehardswho want to explore his entire filmography.
6’The Funhouse' (1981)
Starring: Elizabeth Berridge, Shawn Carson, Jeanne Austin, Jack McDermott
“I’ve been expecting you.” This slasher focuses on a group of teenagers who decide to spend the night inside a carnival’s funhouse. What starts as a thrill-seeking adventure quickly turns into a nightmare when they witness a murder and realize they’re being stalked by a monstrous killer. The confined setting of the funhouse, with its eerie rides and grotesque animatronics, set the stage for a fun and quirky thriller.
Funhouseis surprisingly restrained, in a good way, and stylishly directed.It sees Hooper channeling inspirations likeAlfred HitchcockandJames Whale, rather than serving up pure schlock.Apparently, Hooper’s slick work here landed him his gig directingPoltergeista year later. While the protagonists aren’t particularly well-developed, the film’s uniquely designed funhouse, quirky side characters, and expertly crafted finale elevate it above most other slashers from that era. Slasher connoisseurs who haven’t seen it yet should give it a try.
The Funhouse
5’Body Bags' (1993)
Starring: John Carpenter, Tom Arnold, Tobe Hooper, Robert Carradine
“Give me a big stab wound to poke at and then I’m happy.“Body Bagsisanother TV anthology, this time featuring direction from Hooper andJohn Carpenter, with bookending segments directed byLarry Sulkis. It’s divided into three stories, with Hooper directing the final one, called ‘Eye’. It’s about a baseball player (Mark Hamill) who loses his eye in an accident and receives a transplant from a recently executed serial killer. Soon after, the player begins to experience disturbing visions and violent urges, leading him to believe that the killer’s evil has taken over his mind.
The creative pairing of Hooper and Carpenter had huge potential, but the end result is just decent rather than amazing. Again,Hooper’s story is probably the best one, with Hamill turning in a strong and enjoyable performance. Plus, the movie is jam-packed with cameos which are fun to spot, including everyone fromWes Craven,Sam Raimi, andRoger CormantoDebbie HarryandTwiggy.
4’Lifeforce' (1985)
Starring: Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay
“In a sense we’re all vampires. We drain energy from other life forms.” One of Hooper’s wackiest movies,Lifeforceis a fusion ofa vampire story and spaceship sci-fi. It tells the story of a space mission that brings back an extraterrestrial entity in the form of a beautiful woman (Mathilda May) who turns out to be a vampire-like alien. As she escapes and begins draining the life force of humans, a team of scientists and military personnel must stop her before she turns London into a city of the undead.
Lifeforceis thoroughly ridiculous, and some of the monster designs are almost laughable, butit has a kind of gonzo intensity that’s infectious and entertaining.Here, Hooper mashes together ideas from various subgenres, including zombie movies, producing a frenzied but energetic mess. As a result, the film features everything from shapeshifting and psychic links to martial law, shootouts, and ancient weapons. It’s certainly not boring.
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3’Salem’s Lot' (1979)
Starring: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia
“What an unfortunate way to acquire knowledge.” Adapted fromStephen King’s sophomore novel, Hooper’sSalem’s Lotis actually a two-part TV miniseries but, taken together, it can go toe-to-toe with any horror feature from the 1970s.David Soulleads the cast as writer Ben Mears, who returns to his hometown to discover that a mysterious vampire named Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder) has taken residence in a local mansion. Whe the town’s residents begin turning into bloodsuckers, Ben must team up with a small group of survivors to stop the evil from spreading.
This is a fantastically atmospheric and unsettling movie, nicely capturing everything that made the book good.Salem’s Lotquickly developed a cult following and is now considered a classic in the vampire genre, hugely influencing countless vampire films made in the decades since. With another remake on the horizon, now is a good time to revisit this gem.
Salem’s Lot
2’Poltergeist' (1982)
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne
“Some people believe that when you die there is a wonderful light. As bright as the sun but it doesn’t hurt to look into it.” Amongthe most iconic haunted house movies of all time,Poltergeistrevolves around the Freeling family, whose suburban home becomes the site of terrifying paranormal activity. When their youngest daughter, Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), is pulled into a supernatural dimension by malevolent spirits, the family must enlist the help of paranormal experts to save her.
The fusion of Hooper’s vision andSteven Spielberg’s influence as the producer is surprisingly effective, producing a horror that hits hard while also being broad in its appeal. The special effects were impressive for the time, including shots of characters floating along walls and furniture hurtling around at high speed. The visuals are very spooky, but occasionally beautiful too. Fundamentally,the movie succeeds because the family at the heart of it all feels real.
Poltergeist
A remake of the 1982 horror film of the same name,Poltergeistrevolves around the Bowen family, whose home has been invaded by evil, supernatural forces.
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1’The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain
“If I have any more fun today, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to take it!” When it comes to Hooper’s best movies, nothing can topThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is not only his masterpiece but one of the greatest horrors of all time. It sees a group of friends stumbling upon a cannibalistic family led by the terrifying Leatherface. What begins as a road trip quickly turns into a hellish ordeal as the friends are hunted down one by one in a house of horrors.
The film’s grainy, documentary-like style and relentless tension made it a landmark in horror filmmaking. It’s lean, mean, gritty, and believable, which amplifies the suspense tenfold. It’s a visceral movie, but also a smart one, with a tone that reflects the malaise of the United States in the mid-’70s. It has been imitated so much by subsequent horrors that it’s easy to forget just how pioneering it was. Even today,the film still hitswith the force of a revving chainsaw.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
A group of friends traveling through rural Texas encounter a family of deranged cannibals, including the terrifying Leatherface. As they explore an old homestead, they are systematically hunted down in gruesome ways. The film culminates in a harrowing chase and a desperate escape attempt by the last survivor, Sally, who narrowly evades the murderous Leatherface.
