DISSECTING THE DIRECTOR: Wes Craven

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

“WES CRAVEN”

Wes Craven is probably one of the most recognizable names in the horror genre, having redefined it a few times during his almost 40-year career. His first film was released in 1972, and since then he has been working steadily to bring us all sorts of film within the genre. The man has spawned a few franchises, and made some interesting stand-alone films as well. Even my mother who doesn’t even like horror knows who the man is, and she’s seen and enjoyed some of his films. I have to give the man props for making horror films that even my own mother can enjoy. In my opinion, he is the man responsible for the horror resurgence in the mid to late 90’s, as well as opening the doors for a new wave of horror filmmakers. So how does the great man hold up in 2011? Let’s take a look.

BEST WORK

Get the New Nightmare DVD here

Wes Craven has made a lot of films, and there are definitely a few which fall into the category of his best work (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Scream). However, for me, the film that is on top of all the others is New Nightmare. The seventh film in the Elm Street franchise, Wes returned to where it all really began for him. I believe this is the best film from the series as well, which is funny when you think about it, as Wes never intended the original Nightmare On Elm Street to spawn sequels. He not only directed New Nightmare, but he also wrote the script and even acts in the film. New Nightmare brings back the protagonist from the original film, Heather Langenkamp, who plays herself.

We also have Robert Englund not only playing himself but as the role that he’s most famous for in Freddy Krueger. Keeping with actors playing themselves, John Saxton is also here in a supporting role. The film is about Heather Langenkamp the actress, who is now married and has a young son (played by Miko Hughes). She is dealing with a crazy stalker and is having nightmares, with which her son also seems to be suffering. Heather hears that Wes is writing a new script for another Freddy film, which turns out to be all too real. It seems that a strange demonic force is bringing Freddy into the real world, terrorizing Heather and her son. Can Heather play Nancy one last time to stop him?

Oh yes, Wes sets this one in the real world. The film really almost feels like a documentary. As mentioned previously, we see a lot of people playing themselves. We even go to the New Line offices where of course Bob Shaye (the founder of New Line Cinema) shows up playing himself. This film is what the series needed: a retooling, and a chance to make Freddy scary again. I don’t think Freddy has actually been scary since the original film (which coincidentally enough was directed by Wes), and the previous film, Freddy’s Dead, pretty much ruined the character and the entire franchise. New Nightmare’s script is so smart and so well written, it really is just genius. When Wes is on, he can make a masterpiece, which is what New Nightmare is for me: his ultimate masterpiece. I think he really out did himself with this film.

The concept was really ahead of its time. I don’t think this film really found its audience back in 1994, despite it being a critical success. The film really does begin and end with Heather, as she puts on a near perfect performance and it isn’t hard to see why. She is playing a form of herself, and Wes added in elements from her own life for her to draw inspiration from. She was incredibly engaging, and someone I was glad to be with for this ride. The other performances are all really good, it is a hoot to see Robert Englund play himself along with Freddy. John Saxon is always great to see, and Miko Hughes did a great job as well. You could say that New Nightmare paved the way for Scream, so without this film who knows if the genre would have survived the 90s?

WORST WORK

Get the My Soul to Take DVD here

On the other end of a spectrum, when Wes is off, he can make some real stinkers. Believe me when I say there are quite a few films that are candidates for the title of his worst work. The Hills Have Eyes 2 was obviously a cash grab (which Wes has admitted to). The film is a mess, and he really did not seem to care too much about what was going on. I mean, it has flashbacks for the dog! It’s that lame. Cursed is another film that left a sour taste in my mouth. Aiming to be the next Scream, re-writes and re-shoots occurred, making this just a hell of a production, and painful to sit through. While some good ideas were there, I don’t think Wes was able to salvage the film and I don’t believe his heart was in the final product. The last film from the man, My Soul To Take, ranks right up there as his worst film and a contender for one of the worst films of 2010.

I have no idea what Wes was smoking when he wrote this (the first film he had written and directed since New Nightmare), but it is such a mess. The plot is almost incoherent. I had a hard time understanding what was going on, and there was no real structure to the narrative. I hadn’t been this confused while watching a horror film for some time. The characters are bland and not at all interesting, and there is no investment there. It felt like he wanted to try for another Nightmare On Elm Street type of film, with this one being about a serial killer returning to this town to stalk and kill kids whose birthday fall on the day of his apparent death. There are no real redeeming qualities to this, the script is a mess, the acting is terrible, the editing is poor, the direction is not good and it’s really just tough to sit through. Wes, what happened to the genius behind New Nightmare? We want him back!

TRADEMARKS

Wes is a man of trademarks. For starters, his major trademark is the horror genre itself. He’s lived this genre for his entire career, and while he has made some films outside of the genre, he can’t seem to stay away. He has written a good portion of the films he has directed, and he uses real life situations and stories as his inspirations. We cannot forget his partnership with Kevin Williamson, the writer who along with Wes changed the genre. All of his films have such fantastic use of colour, even as far back as Last House On The Left. He wants his audience to see and feel the film. He also makes the most out of his locations and sets, and he likes to make interesting scenes and have strange contraptions for the villains to get trapped in.

Wes has made a knack of having his films be sort of self-aware, and using other films are examples in the story. This can be seen really well in Scream, but you can notice this trend in a lot of his films. He also likes to add in nods to other films, directors and actors. Most notable of these are the in-jokes he had with Sam Raimi. A lot of his films actually feature strong female characters, ones who can rise up to the challenge. Wes tends to inject humor into his films, some of it dark, some of it just straight comedy or even some that just seem out of place. One thing is certain, though: he feels comfortable with it, and with films like Scream it fits so well.

HIDDEN GEM

Get the People Under the Stairs here

There is certainly no lacking of hidden gems in Wes’s filmography. He has some rather obscure titles that aren’t that easy to find. My favourite of his lesser-known films is The People Under The Stairs (another film he wrote as well as directed). This film is messed up in the way that it introduces us to two characters that you’d never want to meet in a dark alley. Mom (Wendy Robbie) and Dad (Everitt McGill) are two evil money hungry landlords. One of their tenants is 13-year-old Poindexter (Brandon Quintin Adams), along with two others (one of them being Ving Rhames) who break into Mom and Dad’s house in order to steal from them. However, once inside Poindexter meets Alice who is thought to be daughter of the crazy couple.

Poindexter soon finds out that there are a lot of stolen and tortured children living inside the house. If you haven’t seen this, I wont reveal any more. I have no idea where Wes comes up with some of these ideas, but this is twisted. It’s a good kind of twisted though, as the film is such a great ride and it has some great moments. The atmosphere is great, the house and the Mom and Dad characters are so twisted and scary and makes the film work so well. The film also has some very solid performances. I really enjoyed everyone in the film. While this isn’t a perfect film, it is one of the better films to come out of the early 90s.

NEXT PROJECT

Get the SCREAM trilogy on Blu-ray here

Due out very soon is the latest in the Scream franchise with the fourth film. Yes, Wes and the team are back, including writer Kevin Williamson, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Mr Ghostface. New names being added to the mix include Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Erik Knudsen, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson and Rory Culkin. It’s been 10 years since Scream 3, and the film picks up where that one left off. We can only guess what someone is up to with the Prescott family. Personally, I was done after Scream 3, but perhaps time has been kind here. Can Wes do for Scream what he did for A Nightmare On Elm Street? We will know soon enough, and I imagine if the film does well we can probably expect a fifth.

OVERALL

As a fan of the genre, I believe I do owe a lot to Wes. His films and his influence are really what got me interested in horror and opened up a lot of doors for me. Things like A Nightmare On Elm Street, Last House On The Left, Scream and New Nightmare are films that have really shaped me as a fan of cinema. He has left such a huge mark in the business, and his influences are still being felt today. Without him, I don’t think horror would quite be where it is today. He’s a staple and an iconic presence. Love him or hate him, I think we all can appreciate what this man has done for the business. Whether he has any more gas in the tank or not, we’ll soon see. But let’s not forget what made him who he is, and who we are as fans. Wes Craven, I salute you!