Wes Craven Passes Away at 76

Wesley Earl Craven, famed producer, writer, and director passed away on August 30 after battling with brain cancer. For those of you who are not familiar with Craven’s work, he was responsible for some of the most famous movies in the horror genre, including Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, and many others which left their mark on the industry.

A Nightmare on Elm Street gave the world an iconic figure in Freddy Krueger, and a concept that left you feeling uneasy. How in the world can you escape something that attacks you while you are sleeping? Scream reinvented the concept of the “teen slasher” movie with a great mix of dark humor and gore. The movie did so well that it spawned multiple remakes and gave young men and women a great mask to wear on Halloween.

Personally, I have a rather unique favorite of the Wes Craven movies, and one that he didn’t even direct. The 2006 version of The Hills Have Eyes in which Craven passed the directing duties to Alexandre Aje remains one of my most terrifying horror movies. One of the scenes in particular was so dark and haunting that I felt almost sick after viewing.

Wes Craven left a remarkable legacy on the world of horror and was a very humbling individual:

““If I have to do the rest of the films in the [horror] genre, no problem. If I’m going to be a caged bird, I’ll sing the best song I can.””

““I can see that I give my audience something. I can see it in their eyes, and they say thank you a lot. You realize you are doing something that means something to people. So shut up and get back to work.””

Rest in peace Mr. Craven, may you bring smiles and screams wherever you are.

(Thank you to Hollywood Reporter for the story and quotations.)