ReelBars

Tobe Hooper · 1980s

5 films directed by Tobe Hooper from the 1980s, on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 2 S-Tier picks including Lifeforce, Poltergeist.

Lifeforce

Lifeforce(1985)

6.3/10

dir. Tobe Hooper

S-Tier

Imprint Films announced a new 4K at about $85 USD with a book-style package. Arrow already put out an S-Tier disc so collectors are weighing whether the extras justify owning two copies of the same Tobe Hooper vampire movie.

Arrow Video · 4K + Blu-ray (United Kingdom)
Poltergeist

Poltergeist(1982)

7.2/10

dir. Tobe Hooper

S-Tier

S-Tier Warner Bros. 4K with a 4.5 score. Tobe Hooper's haunted house film, and the Best Buy steelbook art was widely hated. People said the iconic "girl in front of TV" image would have been far better. A Film Vault special edition with The Shining is coming in August 2025, and Shout Factory is releasing Poltergeist II in 4K. Some collectors have been disc-swapping their 4K into older steelbook shells with better art.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray
Invaders from Mars

Invaders from Mars(1986)

5.6/10

dir. Tobe Hooper

A-Tier

BFI's restoration is sourced from what may be the last surviving print, which gives the 4K a preservation angle most catalogue horror doesn't have. Tobe Hooper's weirdest film after Lifeforce and collectors have been waiting on a proper scan for years.

BFI · Restored
The Funhouse

The Funhouse(1981)

5.9/10

dir. Tobe Hooper

A-Tier

Rebellious teen Amy defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz, and their friends Liz and Richie. Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy "Funhouse" horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.

Scream Factory · 4K + Blu-ray
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2(1986)

5.6/10

dir. Tobe Hooper

A-Tier

A radio host is victimised by the notorious cannibal family while a former Texas Marshal hunts them.

Arrow Video · 4K + Blu-ray