Wes Craven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wes Craven
Craven in 2010
Born	Wesley Earl Craven (1939-08-02)August 2, 1939 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	August 30, 2015(2015-08-30) (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Lambert's Cove Cemetery West Tisbury, Massachusetts
Nationality	American
Other names	Abe Snake Guru of Gore Master of Horror Sultan of Shock
Alma mater	Wheaton College Johns Hopkins University
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer actor editor
Years active	1968–2015
Known for	A Nightmare on Elm Street Scream The People Under the Stairs The Hills Have Eyes The Last House on the Left Red Eye Music of the Heart Swamp Thing The Serpent and the Rainbow
Spouse(s)	Bonnie Broecker ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1969)​ Mimi Craven ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1987)​ Iya Labunka ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2, including Jonathan
Signature

Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, writer, and producer. He was known as a "Master of Horror" because of his scary and influential movies. Wes Craven was especially famous for creating the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream film series.

He wrote and directed the first A Nightmare on Elm Street film in 1984. He also directed the first four Scream movies. Other well-known films he directed include The Last House on the Left (1972), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), and Red Eye (2005). He even directed a drama film called Music of the Heart (1999).

Craven received many awards for his work in horror. He was given the Life Career Award in 1995 for his achievements. In 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York City Horror Film Festival. Wes Craven passed away in 2015 at the age of 76 due to a brain tumor.

Early Life and Education

Wes Craven was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in a strict family. He went to Wheaton College in Illinois and earned a degree in English and psychology. Later, he got a master's degree in philosophy and writing from Johns Hopkins University.

After college, Craven taught English at different schools. During this time, he bought a 16 mm film camera and started making short movies. His first job in the film industry was as a sound editor. He later became an assistant manager and started editing films.

Wes Craven's Film Career

Wes Craven's first movie as a director was The Last House on the Left, released in 1972. He thought it would only be shown in a few places. However, it was shown much more widely, and its intense content caused some controversy.

After this experience, Craven tried to make movies outside the horror genre. But he couldn't find funding for them. A friend suggested filming in the Nevada deserts, which led him to write The Hills Have Eyes (1977). This movie made him known as a horror film director. He realized that making scary movies was what he was good at.

Famous Collaborations

Craven often worked with producer Sean S. Cunningham. They worked together on The Last House on the Left. Cunningham also helped with a chase scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Wes Craven helped start actor Johnny Depp's career by casting him in A Nightmare on Elm Street. This was Depp's first big movie role.

The famous villain Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street later appeared with Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th in the movie Freddy vs. Jason (2003). Cunningham and Craven also worked together as producers on the 2009 remake of The Last House on the Left.

Beyond Horror Films

Even though he was known for horror, Wes Craven also worked on other types of films. He directed a drama called Music of the Heart (1999). He also directed a segment in the movie Paris, je t'aime (2006). In 2008, he designed the Halloween logo for Google. He also created a five-issue comic book series called Coming of Rage.

Filmmaking Style and Themes

Wes Craven's movies often explored certain ideas. He was interested in how families can break down. He also liked to explore the difference between dreams and reality. His films often included dark humor and satire.

Dreams and Reality

Craven often blurred the lines between dreams and reality. This style is sometimes called "rubber-reality." In A Nightmare on Elm Street, dreams have real-life consequences. In movies like The Serpent and the Rainbow and Shocker, characters struggle to tell if what they see is real or a nightmare.

In Wes Craven's New Nightmare, the actress Heather Langenkamp plays herself. She is haunted by the villain from the movie she starred in. At one point, the audience sees Wes Craven writing a script that includes the conversation he just had with Heather. It's like the movie is writing itself as it happens.

In Scream, the characters often talk about other horror movies. They even compare their own scary situation to a film.

Frequent Collaborators

Wes Craven worked with many of the same people on his films. Marianne Maddalena produced twelve of his movies. Patrick Lussier edited many of his films. He often used cinematographers Peter Deming, Mark Irwin, and Jacques Haitkin. Composer Marco Beltrami worked on all of Craven's films from Scream to Scream 4, except for Music of the Heart.

Craven usually wrote his own films. However, he often worked with screenwriter Kevin Williamson after Scream. He also cast the same actors in many of his projects. These actors included Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Robert Englund, Michael Berryman, Heather Langenkamp, and David Hess.

Personal Life

Wes Craven was married three times. His first marriage was to Bonnie Broecker. They had two children: Jonathan Craven (born 1965) and Jessica Craven (born 1968). Jonathan is a writer and director. Jessica is a singer-songwriter.

In 1984, Craven married Mimi Craven, an actress. They later divorced. In 2004, he married Iya Labunka. She often worked as a producer on his films. Wes Craven enjoyed birdwatching. He joined the board of directors for Audubon California in 2010.

Death and Legacy

Wes Craven passed away on August 30, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76 years old and died from a brain tumor.

Many actors and directors shared their tributes to him. These included David Arquette, Neve Campbell, John Carpenter, Courteney Cox, Johnny Depp, and Robert Englund. The tenth episode of the TV series Scream was dedicated to his memory. The 2022 Scream film was also dedicated to him.

Craven was buried in Lambert's Cove Cemetery in West Tisbury, Massachusetts.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Wes Craven won and was nominated for many awards during his career. These included Saturn Awards and honors from several film festivals.

In 1977, he won the critics award at the Sitges Film Festival for The Hills Have Eyes. In 1997, he received the Grand Prize at the Gérardmer Film Festival for Scream. The New York City Horror Film Festival gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Images for kids

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  Wes Craven's signature

See also

In Spanish: Wes Craven para niños