Wes Craven- A Master of Horror!Part One

Most people who know the horror genre will know of Wes Craven. His name is always associated with horror and of course, Freddy Krueger. I have been a fan of his for years. I have always loved his classic films and they would be included on my best horror list. Lately, I can't say that I have loved his new movies, but I am hoping that Scream 4 will restore my faith in Mr. Craven.

 

The first film I have to mention is The Last House On The Left. This was made in 1972 and it was unlike anything that had been made before. It showed the rape and murder of two young girls by a gang of criminals and it was unrelenting and gritty for it's time. It is a classic horror film with a realistic feel and that is what makes it so disturbing. Nobody wins in the end of this and it just shows what people will do to each other. There was a remake and it was crap, so I won't bother wasting time on it. Next, we have one of his masterpieces- The Hills Have Eyes- from 1977. I love this movie and I will watch it time an again because it is just a perfect horror movie. It is eerie and the baddies are horrible and nasty. It has everything I like in a horror film and if you haven't seen this, you should go out and get it now!There was a remake of this film too and the less said about that the better!

Skip to 1981 and Craven directed Amish horror movie Deadly Blessing starring Sharon Stone. I liked this film. It was good fun and I loved the sequence with the spider! If you have seen this, you will know what I mean...This film is often forgotten and it shouldn't be. It might not be Craven's best, but it is worth a watch. In 1982, Craven made Swamp Thing, a 50's style B movie. The special effects left a  lot to be desired, but then it WAS 1982! 1984 was the year that Wes Craven really became a household name. He created the character of Freddy Krueger who has been an enduring horror baddie since. He was played by Robert Englund and he was the evil monster who stalked and killed teens in their sleep. I think that A Nightmare On Elm Street was one of the best horror movies ever made. There is an evil baddie, some scared teens and some great scenes. Freddy has been back in plenty of sequels but the original is the best. I consider this movie to be one of Craven's finest. Note- there was a remake and I will just say that you should watch the original and forget the new version.

How could Craven follow Nightmare On Elm Street? The Hills Have Eyes 2 was released in 1985 and I love this too. It is not as good as the original, but it was great fun and I bought in on DVD. I think that it is a case of the sequel being almost as good as the original movie...Watch it if you haven't seen it- I mean the original sequel not the remake which is not a patch on this. Deadly Friend came along in 1986 and starred Kristy Swanson. It is about a guy who is friends with a girl. Girl dies, he tries to reanimate girl, but it all goes wrong..

Entertaining film. The Serpent and the Rainbow was a 1988 movie about a guy who investigates Voodoo, but gets too involved. I didn't love it, but it was watchable as was Shocker released in 1989. The People Under The Stairs  brought Wendy Robie and Everett McGill back together(they starred in Twin Peaks as husband and wife). In this movie they star as a creepy couple who have children trapped in their house. People break in and find that they cannot get out. It was a decent movie and I would recommend it to Craven fan.

That is the first part of my Wes Craven post and I will cover the second half of his career as well as his TV stuff in the next post! Enjoy this anyway and if you have anything to add, let me know!!!!