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Wes Craven Bio
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Wes Craven
Wesley (Wes) Earl Craven was born August 2, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Paul Craven and Caroline Miller, both devout Baptists. Craven attended Wheaton College where he earned his undergraduate degree in writing and psychology, going on to earn his masters at John Hopkins University. Craven briefly served as an English professor at Westminster College and taught humanities at Clarkson University.
Craven began his movie career with The Last House on the Left (1972). Based on the 1960 Swedish film Jungfrukällan, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Craven’s attempt was less well-received. Blending elements of frighteningly real, sadistic and drawn-out violence with dark humor and a bubbly soundtrack, the work remains controversial even today. Not one to dilute his work, Craven alienated many with the disturbing elements present in this film.
The Hills Have Eyes (1977), recently remade in 2006, fell into a similar category of his previous film. The graphic nature turned off many viewers, but fans of the genre were not disappointed. Craven also won the Prize of the International Critics' Jury at the Catalonian Film Festival. In 1978, Craven directed the made for television film Stranger in Our House with Linda Blair. Dialing back on the gore, Craven was increasingly adding elements of humor to his films.
In 1981, Craven directed Deadly Blessing with a young Sharon Stone. Ernest Borgnine and Kevin Cooney co-starred. As was the trend, Blessing was met with mixed reviews. But this time people were not complaining about the overt gore. People were lamenting the poor script, which contributed to Borgnine’s nomination for a Razzie (the dubious acknowledgment, sometimes known as the anti-Oscar).
The following year Craven took on the DC comic Swamp Thing to mediocre reviews. In 1984, many felt Craven reached a low in his creative endeavors. Directing the made for TV film Invitation to Hell, the film was panned for its acting, script and presentation.
Little did disillusioned Craven fans know that his next project would be one of his most classic and enduring. In 1984, he wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street with Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund. Back in good graces with the public and the critics, Craven won the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival’s Critics Award. With this film, Craven managed what no one else had done with the horror genre. He made a film that didn’t adhere to the so called “rules of horror.” People died that didn’t deserve it; the fate of bad guys was left ambiguous, etc. Audiences were stunned, surprised and couldn’t get enough.
Despite his previous acclaim and success, Craven made a series of poorly received films, including the universally despised The Hill Have Eyes Part II. However, with The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), Craven rediscovered some semblance of success. And fans of character actors will appreciate Bill Pullman in one of his earlier roles.
Working steadily but not rekindling any acclaim, Craven found another hit in 1994. Determined to take the Freddy Krueger series back, he made a sequel to Elm Street entitled New Nightmare. (Of the eight films, Craven has only directed two, and says they are the only ones true to his vision.) Fans of the series loved the film, which was both written and directed by Craven. There are heavy rumors circulating that Craven will still make another Krueger film in order to round out his trilogy.
The following year, spoofing his own genre, Craven directed the Eddie Murphy and Angela Bassett comedy Vampire in Brooklyn. The film was generally panned, but one gets the sense Murphy and Craven had a great time in the process.
But it was 1996 that truly saw the resurgence of Craven’s career. He released the funny, thrilling, suspenseful (and of course gory) film Scream to rave reviews. Craven was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Director and won the Grand Prize at Gérardmer Film Festival. The film also launched the careers of many young actors such as Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan and Matthew Lillard. Spawning a trilogy, Scream 2 was released in 1997 and Scream 3 in 2000.
In 2005 Craven directed the suspenseful and highly successful Red Eye with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy.
Taking every horror buff by surprise, Craven also directed the biopic Music of the Heart (1999) with Meryl Streep, Gloria Estefan and Angela Bassett. He also directed a segment of the independent romance Paris, Je T’Aime (2006).
Returning to more familiar ground, Craven has announced his intention to write and direct the new horror film titled Bug.
Craven has married three times. The marriage to his first wife, Bonnie Broecker, lasted from 1964 to 1969. They had two children. His second marriage was to actress Mimi Craven from 1984 to 1987. He married Iya Labunka in 2004, and they are currently still together.
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Wes Craven - Kristy Swanson starred in 'Deadly Friend.'
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Wes Craven - Directed 'Deadly Blessing' which starred Sharon Stone . |
Wes Craven - Wrote and directed 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' which starred Johnny Depp .
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Wes Craven - Directed 'Vampire in Brooklyn' which starred Eddie Murphy .
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Yuddy top celebrities
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