Horror director Tobe Hooper, best known for helming "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and "Poltergeist", died in Sherman Oaks, California, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.
He died on Saturday aged 74. The circumstances of his death were not immediately known, reports variety.com.
"Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974) was banned in several countries for violence, but it was one of the most profitable independent films of the 1970s in the US.
Hooper also directed the 1986 sequel "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", which took a more comedic approach.
The 1982 film "Poltergeist", written and produced by Steven Spielberg, also became a classic of the genre.
Hooper directed two movies for Cannon Films, "Lifeforce" and "Invaders from Mars".
He continued working in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
His last film, the 2013 "Djinn", was set in the United Arab Emirates. His other more recent works included "Toolbox Murders", "Mortuary" and two episodes of "Masters of Horror".
He is survived by two sons.
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