Overview:
The month of August was both the month in which famous director Wes Craven was born (1939) and that he died (2015). Craven had a huge impact on both the horror genre and filmmaking. How exactly did he do that?
Are you already watching horror films, even though Halloween is a few months away? You don’t have to feel ashamed. The month of August is a time to remember the legendary horror icon Wes Craven. August 2nd would have been the 86th birthday of the director. However, the month of August aligns with Craven’s life in numerous aspects. It will be ten years on August 30th since Wes Craven passed away. He may not be with us in a physical form, but his impact on film still resonates as much as it did over 50 years ago when Craven got his start in making movies.
The Last House on the Left
“The Last House on the Left,” which came out in 1972, was the first film that Wes Craven directed. It was released on August 30th of that year, which coincidentally was exactly 43 years before Craven died. By the time the movie was released, the horror genre had been moving away from creature features and monster films. The emphasis began to shift towards reality-based horror. This trend arguably began with Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” in 1960.
The subject matter of “The Last House on the Left” was very controversial for its time. The film centers on a group of teenage girls who encounter escaped convicts, who then subject the girls to a night of torture. Despite its questionable themes for the time, “The Last House on the Left” was another continuation of the ongoing movement of horror films focusing on real-world violence and scenarios that could be plausible in actual life. It proved to be profitable.
Unfortunately, some critics at the time panned “The Last House on the Left.” Wes Craven tried to move out of the horror genre but was unsuccessful. Therefore, Craven decided to return to what he knew best.
The Hills Have Eyes
Even after the disappointing response to “The Last House on the Left,” the horror genre began moving more into the realm of scenarios that could happen in real life. It was time for Craven to return to his roots in 1977 with “The Hills Have Eyes.”
Like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” from 1974, the antagonists of “The Hills Have Eyes” were human. However, they were very different from most of mainstream society. They exhibited what many perceive to be an inhuman characteristic: cannibalism. It’s something that most people don’t want to talk about. However, it is known that at specific points in history, people did resort to cannibalism. Regardless, “The Hills Have Eyes” was a box office success.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Wes Craven’s next few movies were not particularly huge hits. But things were about to change for him. In 1984, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” came out. The film was not only a box office success, but it also revamped the horror genre.
After the success of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” in 1978, Sean Cunningham, who had coincidentally served as the producer of Wes Craven’s “The Last House on the Left,” found fame with “Friday the 13th” in 1980. The slasher subgenre of horror was booming in the early 1980s, but by 1984, it had reached a standstill. Then, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” restored its momentum.
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” also gave birth to a new horror icon. Freddy Krueger, the movie’s bad guy, became a well-known figure in frightening films and pop culture, along with Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.
The premise of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” revolves around the aforementioned Freddy Krueger, a former child murderer, who possesses the ability to kill individuals within their dreams. This is where the authenticity of the real world and the fantasy of dreams coincide. Everyone dreams, and most people have had at least one horrific dream or a nightmare. However, people don’t usually consider dreams to be reality. The story of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” combined the fantasy of dreams with the real world.
Scream
After the giant success of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Craven had some movie gems here and there, like “The People Under the Stairs” in 1991. However, “Scream” in 1996 isarguably his next big hit. This film, like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” before it, helped revamp the horror genre. By the mid-1990s, it appeared that the horror genre was having trouble reestablishing itself. Then, “Scream” came along and brought slasher and horror films as a whole back into the mainstream.
“Scream” portrayed the realities that certain films, which are mostly fictitious, can have on actual society. The film follows a high school student as she and her friends are terrorized by a masked killer named Ghostface, who uses horror movie trivia as part of his deadly game. While one could make the case that horror films, or any other types of media, cannot be solely blamed on violence, “Scream” showed that it is possible for someone to enhance their personal agenda based on movies.
Movies are fantasy, but the killings that were taking place within the “fictional story” and “context” of “Scream” were real.
Wes Craven’s Ongoing Influence
It should be noted that Wes Craven had other successful films outside the horror genre. For example, his film “Music of the Heart” in 1999 resulted in actress Meryl Streep, who starred in the film, being nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards. This proves that people primarily associated with horror have a much broader range than some think.
Even ten years after his death, Wes Craven’s work is still essential to horror cinema. Not only did he change horror movies, but he also established the tone of new generations of directors. His ability to convey stories and tap into cultural fears continues to influence cinema today. From horror to drama and even comedy, arguably all genres have drawn inspiration from Craven’s work.
We commemorate both the tenth anniversary of Wes Craven’s death and what would have been his 86th birthday during the month of August. Most importantly, we honor a man who skillfully bridged the divide between fantasy and reality. Wes Craven created an environment in film where the real world and the fictional one coincided. Sometimes, I wonder if they don’t already!
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