Wes Craven

Birthday: 2 August 1939, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Birth Name: Wesley Earl Craven

Height: 188 cm

Wes Craven has become synonymous with genre bending and innovative horror, challenging audiences with his bold vision.Wesley Earl Craven was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Caroline (Miller) and Paul Eugene Craven. He had a midwestern suburban upbringing. His first feature film was The Last House on the Left (1972), which he wrote, directed, and edited. Craven reinvented the youth horror genre again in 1984 with the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), a film he wrote and directed. And though he did not direct any of its five sequels, he deconstructed the genre a decade later, writing and directing the audacious New Nightmare (1994), which was nominated as Best Feature at the 1995 Independent Spirit Awards, and introduced the concept of self-reflexive genre films to the world. In 1996 Craven reached a new level of success with the release of Scream (1996). The film, which sparked the phenomenal trilogy, was the winner of MTV's 1996 Best Movie Award and grossed more than $100 million domestically, as did Scream 2 (1997). Between Scream 2 and Scream 3 (2000), Craven, offered the opportunity to direct a non-genre film for Miramax, helmed Music of the Heart (1999), a film that earned Meryl Streep an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. That same year, in the midst of directing, Craven completed his first novel, "The Fountain Society," published by Simon & Shuster. Recent works include the 2005 psychological thriller Red Eye (2005), and a short rom-com segment for the ensemble product, Paris, je t'aime (2006). Over the last few years, Craven has also produced remakes of two of his earlier films for his genre fans, The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and The Last House on the Left (2009). Craven has always had an eye for discovering fresh talent, something that contributes to the success of his films. While casting A Nightmare on Elm Street, Craven discovered the then unknown Johnny Depp. Craven later cast Sharon Stone in her first starring role for his film Deadly Blessing. He even gave Bruce Willis his first featured role in an episode of TV's mid-80's edition of The Twilight Zone. In My Soul to Take (2010), Craven once again brought together a cast of up-and-coming young teens, including Max Thieriot, in whom he saw the spark of stardom. The film marked Craven's first collaboration with wife and producer Iya Labunka, who also produced with him the highly anticipated production of Scream 4. Craven's most recent film, Scream 4 (2011) reunites the director with Dimension Films and Kevin Williamson, as well as with stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, to re-boot the beloved franchise. Craven again exhibits his knack for spotting important talent, with a cast of young actors bringing us a totally new breed of Woodsboro high schoolers, including Emma Robert and Hayden Pannetierre. Hide

A producer said, 'Make a horror movie'. I said 'I've never seen one.' He said, 'You're a fundamental Show more A producer said, 'Make a horror movie'. I said 'I've never seen one.' He said, 'You're a fundamentalist, you must have demons rattling around. Hide

[on the film business] It's a strange business, because once you finish a film, there's this deafeni Show more [on the film business] It's a strange business, because once you finish a film, there's this deafening silence and you say, "I'm not working," and the phone doesn't ring. You utterly panic. It's harrowing. Everything is so short-term, so dependent on the whim of public taste and business things you have no control over, like how the economy is going, and how well your film is distributed, or what ad campaign they come up with, or even what the title is. Hide

Certainly the deepest horror, as far as I'm concerned, is what happens to your body at your own hand Show more Certainly the deepest horror, as far as I'm concerned, is what happens to your body at your own hands and others. Hide

You don't enter the theater and pay your money to be afraid. You enter the theater and pay your mone Show more You don't enter the theater and pay your money to be afraid. You enter the theater and pay your money to have the fears that are already in you when you go into a theater dealt with and put into a narrative. Stories and narratives are one of the most powerful things in humanity. They're devices for dealing with the chaotic danger of existence. Hide

The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself. The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself.

[on his 1995 movie Vampire in Brooklyn] That was kind of a screwed-up thing, because I wanted to wor Show more [on his 1995 movie Vampire in Brooklyn] That was kind of a screwed-up thing, because I wanted to work with a big star. I suppose it could have been better if it were a horror movie, but it wasn't. Eddie (Murphy) didn't want to be funny. He wanted to be serious and he was very difficult. Hide

I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell Show more I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars. Hide

I've always felt like [Scream's] Sidney or [A Nightmare on Elm Street's] Nancy could never go back t Show more I've always felt like [Scream's] Sidney or [A Nightmare on Elm Street's] Nancy could never go back to that state of mind that they were in before, but that's the life of a warrior, and in a sense, there are no more civilians anymore. You're a warrior. You're in combat. Because the whole world's in combat. Hide

Horror movies have to show us something that hasn't been shown before so that the audience is comple Show more Horror movies have to show us something that hasn't been shown before so that the audience is completely taken aback. You see, it's not just that people want to be scared; people are scared. Hide

There is rage in my films, but it's a complete matrix. Sone could be directed at my father, a scary Show more There is rage in my films, but it's a complete matrix. Sone could be directed at my father, a scary figure. Hide

"If we don't get out of Iraq soon, it'll be like A Nightmare on Elm Street" (April 2007) "If we don't get out of Iraq soon, it'll be like A Nightmare on Elm Street" (April 2007)

I think sometimes you might expect or want greater recognition. But to me it's a little like how Fre Show more I think sometimes you might expect or want greater recognition. But to me it's a little like how French Impressionists felt about formal recognition. You know, once you're a member of the academy you never pose any danger or threat. I don't know if I'd like that. Hide

It seems like all the powerful people on earth just want to build condos and knock down all the tree Show more It seems like all the powerful people on earth just want to build condos and knock down all the trees... As somebody once said with wonderful succinctness, the golf course is man's boot on the neck of nature. Hide

I think there is something about the American dream, the sort of Disneyesque dream, if you will, of Show more I think there is something about the American dream, the sort of Disneyesque dream, if you will, of the beautifully trimmed front lawn, the white picket fence, mom and dad and their happy children, God-fearing and doing good whenever they can, and the flip side of it, the kind of anger and the sense of outrage that comes from discovering that that's not the truth of the matter, that gives American horror films, in some ways, kind of an additional rage. Hide

It was a great pleasure to make [Music of the Heart], and to see Meryl [Streep] nominated [for a bes Show more It was a great pleasure to make [Music of the Heart], and to see Meryl [Streep] nominated [for a best actress Oscar] for it. But most of the people I run into who loved it are surprised that I made it. When you have a name that means scares, you have to live with that. Hide

The horrors of retirement. These are scarier than any horror movie I can dream up. The horrors of retirement. These are scarier than any horror movie I can dream up.

If I were interested in reality, I'd be making documentaries. If I were interested in reality, I'd be making documentaries.

'Happy wife, happy life' is a mantra it seems unwise to ignore. 'Happy wife, happy life' is a mantra it seems unwise to ignore.

[on how he got Drew Barrymore to look scared and crying in Scream] Drew Barrymore told me a story of Show more [on how he got Drew Barrymore to look scared and crying in Scream] Drew Barrymore told me a story of a boy who tortured his...I think it was his dog, with a lighter and it set it on fire and she burst into tears. And being the exploitative bastard that I am as a director, I said "do you mind if we use that?"So every time on the set if I wanted her to cry, I'd say "the boy has the lighter" or something like that, and she'd burst into tears and be just frantic. Hide

I like to address the fears of my culture. I believe it's good to face the enemy, for the enemy is f Show more I like to address the fears of my culture. I believe it's good to face the enemy, for the enemy is fear. Hide

On horror movies: "It's like boot camp for the psyche. In real life, human beings are packaged in th Show more On horror movies: "It's like boot camp for the psyche. In real life, human beings are packaged in the flimsiest of packages, threatened by real and sometimes horrifying dangers, events like Columbine. But the narrative form puts these fears into a manageable series of events. It gives us a way of thinking rationally about our fears." Hide

I learned to take the first job that you have in the business that you want to get into. It doesn't Show more I learned to take the first job that you have in the business that you want to get into. It doesn't matter what that job is, you get your foot in the door. Hide

In retrospect, it's usually pretty easy to look at horror movies and see the influences of the time. Show more In retrospect, it's usually pretty easy to look at horror movies and see the influences of the time. And I think right now, with the post-9-11 world and Iraq, creative people are almost being goaded to look at things in the strongest way possible. If you look at the Academy Awards [movies], those are films about real issues. I think everybody is saying, 'We have to talk about the nitty-gritty stuff here.' It's not the time for confections. [March 2006] Hide

Horror films don't create fear. They release it. Horror films don't create fear. They release it.

You have a responsibility to really help the [horror] genre grow, 'cause there's no limit to how pro Show more You have a responsibility to really help the [horror] genre grow, 'cause there's no limit to how profound it can become. If you go back to those guys like [Federico] Fellini and [Luis] Buñuel, talking about really profound things. Now, I don't know whether you can get a big audience with films that abstruse, but you can in horror if you scare the shit out of them about every eight minutes. So you do a fun deal with the devil: I've got to put a lot of interesting ideas, but I'll hide them and I'll also scare people and make them laugh. Hide

[on his 1996 movie Scream] It's almost on a comic book level as far as the danger. And also kind of Show more [on his 1996 movie Scream] It's almost on a comic book level as far as the danger. And also kind of soap opera-ish. Hide

[on A nightmare on Elm Street having sequels] I thought they'll never be a sequel. Boy was I stupid. [on A nightmare on Elm Street having sequels] I thought they'll never be a sequel. Boy was I stupid.

[on his 1999 movie Music of the Heart] That's my mom's favorite movie of mine, because it was the on Show more [on his 1999 movie Music of the Heart] That's my mom's favorite movie of mine, because it was the only one she saw. It was something that I was really drawn to. Horror films are not me, or they're not all of me. They're a very thin slice of me. Hide

[on horror films in general] I think they can work two ways. They can distort the reality of violenc Show more [on horror films in general] I think they can work two ways. They can distort the reality of violence in a way that makes it seem very attractive; they can show the Dionysian side, which is a whole orgiastic, cruel thing, getting off on the suffering of other people. I think that's a very dangerous kind of horror film. I try to make the kind that shows the end result of violence is something quite appalling. But in the long view, I'm not so sure anymore what the hell it all means. Hide

For me with all this stuff, both the horror films and thrillers like this, the most interesting thin Show more For me with all this stuff, both the horror films and thrillers like this, the most interesting thing is what goes on inside people's heads. Hide

What you want to do is you want to put your audience off-balance. You have to be aware of what the a Show more What you want to do is you want to put your audience off-balance. You have to be aware of what the audience's expectations are, and then you have to pervert them, basically, and hit them upside the head from a direction they weren't looking. Hide

When you have an idea that really fascinates you and you can honestly say, 'I've never seen anything Show more When you have an idea that really fascinates you and you can honestly say, 'I've never seen anything like that,' what you get is, you get that first audience goes out and tells everybody. And the reason they do that is they've never seen anything like it. You're trying to be the avant-garde of horror. That's where you want to be. Hide

Wes Craven's FILMOGRAPHY

All as Actor (39) as Director (17) as Creator (20)

The Hills Have Eyes 2

Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Swamp Thing

A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

The Hills Have Eyes

The Last House On The Left (1972)

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddys Revenge

The People Under the Stairs

A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

Pulse (2006)

My Soul To Take

Freddy vs Jason (2003)

New Nightmare (1994)

Freddys Nightmare - Season 1

Shocker

Freddys Nightmare - Season 2

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Nightmare Cafe - Season 1

Wes Craven'S roles

Wes Craven