Wes Craven Director and screenwriter Date of Birth: 02.08.1939 Country: USA

Biography of Wes Craven

Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven was an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. He gained the most recognition for his involvement in the production of horror films, particularly slashers. His most famous work is the 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' franchise featuring the iconic character Freddy Krueger. Craven directed the first installment of the horror series in 1984, 'New Nightmare' in 1994, and co-wrote the screenplay for 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' with Bruce Wagner.

Craven also directed all four films in the 'Scream' series and contributed to the development of the character Ghostface. He also worked on well-known films such as 'The Hills Have Eyes', 'The Last House on the Left', 'Red Eye', and 'My Soul to Take'.

Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven was born on August 2, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Caroline Miller and Paul Eugene Craven. He was raised in a strict Baptist family. Wes earned a bachelor's degree in English and psychology from Wheaton College and a Master of Philosophy degree from Johns Hopkins University. Craven briefly taught English at Westminster College and later became a professor of humanities at Clarkson College in Madrid, New York.

During this time, Wes acquired a 16mm film camera and began making short films. He eventually moved to New York City, where he worked as a sound editor for a post-production company. Wes left academia for a more lucrative career directing pornography films. In the documentary 'Inside Deep Throat', Craven revealed that he made numerous hardcore films under various pseudonyms.

Craven first sat in the director's chair for a horror film in 1972 when he directed 'The Last House on the Left'. He frequently collaborated with Sean S. Cunningham, who produced Craven's debut film and later directed chase scenes in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' in 1984. The maniacal killer Jason Voorhees, created by Cunningham, and Freddy Krueger, born from Craven's imagination, finally crossed paths in the 2003 slasher film 'Freddy vs. Jason'.

Craven launched the career of a young Johnny Depp, casting him in his first major role in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. Despite his love for horror and thrillers, Wes worked on two films in different genres. These include the musical drama 'Music of the Heart' in 1999 and directing a segment of the comedy-drama anthology film 'Paris, je t'aime' in 2006, which featured the work of 22 directors.

Craven's works often explore the nature of reality. For example, in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', the plot revolves around the consequences of dreams affecting reality. In 'New Nightmare', Craven employs the technique of breaking the fourth wall, with actress Heather Langenkamp playing herself being pursued by the film's villain in which she once starred. In one scene in 'New Nightmare', the viewer sees Wes Craven's word processor with the screenplay, including an exact copy of the conversation with Heather. This creates the sensation that the screenplay is unfolding alongside the events in the film. In another film, 'The Serpent and the Rainbow' in 1988, a character is unable to distinguish between nightmare visions and reality. The characters in the 'Scream' franchise often compare the events happening to them with plots from other horror films. In one scene, Billy Loomis tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie. This concept is emphasized in the sequels of 'Scream', where copycat killers replicate events from a new film about murders in Woodsboro.

The 'Scream' series includes a scene referencing the well-known urban legend about Richard Gere. The story goes that Gere had to be hospitalized with an unknown object stuck in his rectum, which turned out to be a dead (or in another version, alive) gerbil. Craven revealed in an interview that he received calls from agents threatening to remove him from his job if the scene about Gere wasn't cut from the film.

Throughout his career, Craven was nominated for and won several awards, including the Saturn Award. In 1977, he received the prize at the Sitges Film Festival for 'The Hills Have Eyes'. In 1997, he won the Grand Prize at the Gérardmer Film Festival for 'Scream'. In 2012, he was awarded the 'Lifetime Achievement' recognition at the New York City Horror Film Festival.

From his first marriage to Bonnie Broecker, Wes had two children: Jonathan Craven, born in 1965, who became a writer and director, and Jessica Craven, born in 1968, who was a singer and songwriter in the group 'Chapin Sisters'. The marriage ended in divorce in 1970.

In 1982, Wes married Millicent Eleanor Meyer, but they later divorced. In an interview, the director noted that the marriage dissolved because he discovered that there was nothing but falsehood in their relationship. In 2004, he married Iya Labunka, who often served as a producer for his films.

Craven had a passion for birds. His favorite films include 'Night of the Living Dead' from 1968, 'The Virgin Spring' from 1960, and 'Red River' from 1948.

On August 30, 2015, Wes passed away at the age of 77 from brain cancer in his Los Angeles home. The tenth episode of the TV series 'Scream' will be dedicated to his memory.