In this entertaining look at the career of director Tobe Hooper [The Texas Chainsaw Massacre], Muir makes a case that he was under-rated and should have received the same accolades as, say, John Carpenter or Wes Craven. He examines how the untrue rumor that Poltergeist was directed not by Hooper but by producer Steven Spielberg was detrimental, as was the critical and financial failure of the under-rated Lifeforce. Muir, however, does not love every Hooper film and is unsparing in his criticism of certain pictures that turned out very badly. Muir is also not a mindless gore geek, arguing that the extreme graphic carnage of certain Hooper films, such as The Mangler, actually detracted from the films' effectiveness and enjoyment. Muir occasionally goes awry in trying too hard to find deep meaning in some of Hooper's films. Is Lifeforce really an allegory of sex in the age of AIDS? His lengthy and admittedly interesting analysis of Texas Chainsaw at times borders on the pretentious. Still, if Muir wants to see Chainsaw as some kind of profound masterpiece, that's his prerogative. Whatever your opinion of that particular film and of Hooper as a director, this book is well-written, well-researched, and very informative and readable.
Verdict: A must for Hooper and Texas Chainsaw Massacre fans. ***.
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