Blast from the Past: Master of Horror, Wes Craven

Quick, name a famous creator of horror movies. If I had to guess, I'd say there are only three names that spring to mind before having to mull it over: Alfred Hitchcock, George A. Romero and Wes Craven. Yeah, there's Hammer and Corman, but really, I think my top 3 would be in anybody's top five, am I right? Anyway, I was thinking up topics for my weekly Blast from the Past segment, and I kept coming back to Wes Craven, largely because of my Scream marathon on Saturday. The fourth of the series doesn't come out for a couple of weeks, but what the heck.





1 - The Last House on the Left (1972) - One of Wes Craven's earliest--and certainly his most controversial--movies was this low budget, disturbing revenge picture. It'll stick with you. Just keep repeating, "It's only a movie. . ."

2 - The Hills Have Eyes (1977) - Another cult favorite (and also remade like Last House) was in the genre of "crazy mutant/hillbillies", kind of like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only more disturbing.

3 - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Of all the horror movie franchises, few have an inaugural entry as classic as this one. Genuinely scary, and spooky throughout--what's real, and what is a dream?--this one is still fantastic, 80s cheese and all.

4 - Deadly Friend (1986) - Okay, this one is stinky cheese. Not without its moments, and it has been a long time since I watched it. But it is mostly a misfire if memory serves, except for Throw Mama from the Train's Anne Ramsey getting her head exploded by a basketball (yes, really!) and cute Little House on the Prairie star Matthew Laborteaux.
5 - Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - After having little or nothing to do with most of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series (parts 2-6), Craven came back to do this creative edition, with a "Freddy crosses over into the real world" story. It's one of the best of the series, even if it didn't do very well at the box office. A favorite.

6- Scream (1996) - Though it's now 15 years old, it is safe to say that Scream influenced--for the better--most of the horror movies that would follow, becoming a benchmark in the genre.

The fact that Wes Craven's movies continue as sequels or remakes (with or without his involvement) is a testament to his impact on the genre. I think he's going to stay in that top three for a long while.

Okay, that's it for today. . .have a good week!