With THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, Tobe Hooper created a film that’s considered by many to be the greatest horror film of all time. It was one of the most successful independent films ever made, it created an iconic movie monster in Leatherface, and it helped to set the stage for the forthcoming slasher movie subgenre.

And while Tobe Hooper is considered a Master of Horror, his post-CHAIN SAW career never really reflected that. While CHAIN SAW did get him the attention of Hollywood — eventually landing him a gig directing under producer Steven Spielberg — things didn’t go as he hoped. The persistent rumor that Hooper didn’t actually direct POLTERGEIST was one that stayed with him through the rest of his career, and may have actually helped to keep him from reaching the heights that he deserved.

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