Tobe Hooper, master of horror flicks, director of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ has died

Film and television director Tobe Hooper, probably best known for the 1974 blockbuster horror flick "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and 1982's "Poltergeist," has died at the age of 74.

The Los Angeles Coroner's Office confirmed Hooper's death on Saturday, according to Variety, but how he died and the circumstances surrounding his passing remain unknown.

Hooper, also a screenwriter and producer, directed many movies and television projects, mostly in the horror genre, including the television adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Salem's Lot." But his classic masterpiece "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," is arguably his most influential work and one of the most significant and diabolical horror films ever made.

He also directed the sequel, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” in 1986, but it did not do nearly as well as the first installment more than 10 years earlier.

Hooper also directed music videos, including Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself," and wrote a horror novel, Variety reported.

Hooper, who was born in Austin, Texas in 1943, is survived by two children.