Jeff Burr, Director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Puppet Master Movies, Dies at 60

Jeff Burr, a director known for his work on fan-favorite franchises like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Puppet Master, and Pumpkinhead, has passed away at the age of 60. The news of Burr’s passing was confirmed in a statement from his longtime friend, actor Eric Spudic (via The Hollywood Reporter). According to Spudic, Burr passed away in his sleep due to apparent complications from a stroke on Tuesday, October 10th in Dalton, Georgia. Burr had a prolific career in the horror and genre space, helming films like Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Stepfather II, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, and Puppet Master 4, 5, and Blitzkrieg Massacre.

Burr was born on July 18, 1963 in Aurora, Ohio. While growing up in Dalton, Georgia, Burr began having a fondness for horror fanzines and Super-8 filmmaking. He attended the University of Southern California for several years, before dropping out alongside Kevin Meyer so they could finish their first film, which became the 1982 Civil War drama Divided We Fall. Burr then fully entered the horror space with his second film, the Vincent Price-led From a Whisper to a Scream (a.k.a. The Offspring).

A few years later, he signed on to helm 1990’s Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III — taking the job just weeks before production was set to begin, after New Line Cinema’s first choices for the job had dropped out. The film would become one of the most infamous parts of Burr’s filmography, as the movie’s content led to a lengthy back and forth with the MPAA, eventually earning an R rating after eleven submissions. Burr actually asked to have his name removed from the film’s credits, after editor Michael Knue was brought in to film an entirely new ending, but the studio declined.

In subsequent years, Burr would direct Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings and Puppet Master 4 and 5, as well as lesser-known horror films like Night of the Scarecrow and Devil’s Den. His dream project was regarded to be 1992’s Eddie Presley, a dramedy that featured cameo appearances from Quentin Tarantino and Bruce Campbell. According to Spudic, “He loved that one more than the others.”

Burr’s later work included Spoiler, The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes, Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy, and an episode of the Land of the Lost TV show. His final work was 2018’s Puppet Master: Blitzkrieg Massacre, as well as the 2021 video game American Hero, which had originally been shot in 1995.

“I’ve had a real up and down (mostly down) career, but I still love it,” Burr told Dread Central in a 2018 interview. “It’s what I love to do, and it’s still great that after 28 years people still want to talk about this movie, and are still watching it – that’s the greatest gift you can get, and I thank everyone that’s seen it and talked about it over all these years.”

Our thoughts are with Burr’s family, friends, and fans at this time.