After graduating from the University of Texas film program, he joined the crew of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as a sound recordist (and provided the famous van used by the protagonists). Later, he joined Charles Band's Empire Pictures, where he worked as an editor on such films as Ghoulies (1985) and eventually debuted as a director with The Dungeonmaster (1985) and TerrorVision (1986).[2]  His most famous directorial effort is the Subspecies film series.