| Wes CravenBorn 2 August 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Wes Craven is without a doubt one of the biggest horror film directors, though the quality in his film production been anything but uniform. His first movie "Last House on the Left" (1972) was based on Ingmar Bergmanīs "The Virgin Spring", and is still today one of the most disturbing films that been made. It deals with human depravity when two teenage girls are captured by a group psychopaths who humiliate them, rape them, torture them and finally murder them. When the gang afterwards stays overnight in a nearby house, it turns out that it is at one of the murdered girls parents. When the hospitable parents find out who are visit them, they take a horrible vengeance.
"Last House on the Left" is very painful to watch, and is really hard to enjoy. Wes Craven felt forced to cut away some parts of the nastiness, and is said today to disown "Last House on the Left". But many hardcore fans consider it to be his best effort, and is today providing a pattern in the horror genre as perhaps the first film to show real graphic violence. Due to "Last House" upsetting nature, a long time was elapsed before Craven had an opportunity to direct again.
His next movie "The Hills Have Eyes" (1978) about a family who are stucked out in the middle of a desert, and are attacked by a cannibalistic family from the hills, was another classic from Craven and established him as a director to look out for. "The Hills Have Eyes" was more horror related and a bit more get-at-able than "Last House", and was at that time more fortunate among the audience.
As I earlier mentioned has Cravenīs career been unequal, and now was it time for a few lesser good pictures. "Deadly Blessing" from 1981 was an average horror film which didnīt attract much attention. "Swamp Thing" (1982) got attention but were actually for kids. It was based on a comic book and had a plastic fake looking monster in the leading part. Boring.But in 1984 came his real quantum leap, when he released one of the most original horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street". This was a quite new type of slasher film, where the to death burnt Freddy Krueger terrorize and murder his victims in their dreams. To my mind is "A Nightmare on Elm Street" Wes Cravenīs best work, and Freddy Krueger the coolest killer around.
So how followed Craven up such a success? Well, by making a very weak sequel to "The Hills Have Eyes". A tired renewal of the original movie which changed to an ordinary slasher film. "The Hills Have Eyes Part II" is considered by many as Wes Cravenīs worst. His next motion picture "Deadly Friend" (1986) was also very bad and ridiculous. It contained almost no thrills at all. The voodoo inspired "The Serpent and the Rainbow" (1988) was however highly entertaining. It was based on true facts and was just as much drama as horror film. I certainly think that it deserve more attention than what it got. With "Shocker" (1989) tried Wes Craven create a new slasher character like Freddy Krueger, but failed. It wasnīt scary enough.
"The People Under the Stairs" from 1992 could also been scarier, but had other qualities. It is a rather sick and weird flick about a strange couple who kidnapping children and keep them locked up in their house. The crazy couple are so over-the-top that they almost become comical. I really enjoyed this one. In 1994 had 10 years gone since he made "A Nightmare on Elm Street", and in the meantime had many follow-ups been made. But Wes didnīt like the sequels. He thought they had destroyed Freddy Krueger by changing him to a funny guy. Craven decided to make a new nightmare which should put things right again. So he did, and the result was "Wes Cravenīs New Nightmare". It wasnīt quite as good as the original, but the terror was back again and took down all the sequels. "Vamire in Brooklyn" (1995) with Eddie Murphy was more comedy than horror. Problem is itīs not funny enough. Definitely not one of his best efforts.
The nineties first half was not a great period for horror films, there no one looked interested of the genre anymore. With "Scream" (1996) took Craven back the horror in the best room. It was even more successful than "A Nightmare on Elm Street", and is one of the most profitable horror movies ever. Now was Craven the king of horror, and he has later established that position by making another two sequels of "Scream".
But not everyone are overjoyed of his work during the latest years. Many feels that Craven has destroyed all that he and other horror masters built up in the seventies and the eighties. For the fact is that "Scream" is a travesty of those movies. As a result of the huge success with "Scream", became the market studded with copies which for the most part looked like thrillers. That Craven more and more leave the genre that fed him, was even more obvious when he made the drama "Music of the Heart" (1999) with Meryl Streep.
Written by Kent Palmgren. Filmography:Last House on the Left (1972)The Hills Have Eyes (1978)Deadly Blessing (1981)Swamp Thing (1982)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985)Deadly Friend (1986)The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)Shocker (1989)The People Under the Stairs (1992)Wes Cravenīs New Nightmare (1994)Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)Scream (1996)Scream 2 (1997)Music of the Heart (1999)Scream 3 (2000)Back to Directorīs of Death |