Wes Craven
Wes Craven | |
|---|---|
| File:Craven large.jpg | |
| Born | 2 August, 1939 |
| Occupation(s) | Film director and producer |
| Spouse | Iya Labunka |
| Website | Official Site |
Wesley Earl Craven (born August 2, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American film director and writer best known as the creator of many horror films, including the famed Nightmare on Elm Street series featuring the redoubtable Freddy Krueger character.
Born to devoutly Baptist parents Paul Craven and Caroline Miller, Craven later earned an undergraduate degree in writing and psychology from Wheaton College in Illinois, and a masters degree in writing seminars from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to landing his first job in the film industry as a sound editor for a post-production company in New York, Craven briefly taught English at Westminster College and was a humanities professor at Clarkson University. With now ex-wife Bonnie Chapin, he is the father of Jonathan and Jessica Craven.
Craven's works tend to share a common exploration of the nature of reality. A Nightmare on Elm Street, for example, dealt with the consequences of dreams in real life. New Nightmare "brushes against" (but doesn't quite break) the fourth wall by having actress Heather Langenkamp play herself as she is haunted by the villain of the film in which she once starred. At one point in the film, we see on Wes Craven's word processor a script he has written, which includes the exact conversation he just had with Heather -- as if the script is being written as the action is unfolding. The Serpent and the Rainbow portrays a man who cannot distinguish between nightmarish visions and reality. In Scream, the characters frequently reference horror films similar to their situations, and at one point Billy Loomis tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie. This concept was emphasized in the sequels, as copycat stalkers reenact the events of a new film about the Woodsboro killings occurring in Scream.
Completing his 'Nightmare' Trilogy
Though there have been seven different Nightmare on Elm Street films (eight if one includes the crossover Freddy vs Jason), only two have been directed by Craven himself. He has said in several interviews and discussions that he only considers his two films to be accurate depictions of his creation. For years it has been rumored that he would make one more film, essentially completing his trilogy. Rumors about the film vary considerably, from a prequel that would take place before the events in the first film, to a direct sequel to 1994's New Nightmare, to the possibility that Craven might write and direct the next Freddy vs...... film.
Wes Craven confirmed himself on his official website that he will not be a part in any new Freddy movies, as he has more interesting things that appeal to him. He passed on "Freddy vs Jason".
Filmography (Director)
Wes Craven is currently making a sequel to "The Hills Have Eyes" (Remake of The Hills Have Eyes 2)
| Year | Title | Genre | Other notes |
| 2008 | The Last House On The Left | Announced (remake) | |
| 2007 | Bug | Announced | |
| 2005 | Red Eye | ||
| 2005 | Cursed | ||
| 2000 | Scream 3 | ||
| 1999 | Music of the Heart | ||
| 1997 | Scream 2 | ||
| 1996 | Scream | ||
| 1995 | Vampire in Brooklyn | ||
| 1994 | Wes Craven's New Nightmare | ||
| 1992 | Nightmare Cafe | TV Series | |
| 1991 | The People Under the Stairs | ||
| 1990 | Night Visions | TV Series | |
| 1989 | Wes Craven's Shocker | ||
| 1988 | The Serpent and the Rainbow | ||
| 1986 | Deadly Friend | ||
| 1986 | Casebusters | TV Series | |
| 1985 | The Hills Have Eyes Part II | ||
| 1985 | Wes Craven's Chiller | ||
| 1984 | A Nightmare On Elm Street | ||
| 1984 | Invitation to Hell | TV Series | |
| 1982 | Swamp Thing | ||
| 1981 | Deadly Blessing | ||
| 1978 | The Evolution of Snuff | ||
| 1978 | Summer Of Fear | ||
| 1977 | The Hills Have Eyes | ||
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left |
External links
