Editing Wes Craven

{{Short description|American filmmaker (1939–2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Wes Craven
| image              = Wes Craven 2010.jpg
| caption            = Craven in 2010
| birth_name         = Wesley Earl Craven
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1939|08|02}}
| birth_place        = [[Cleveland, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2015|08|30|1939|08|02}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = Lambert's Cove Cemetery <br>[[West Tisbury, Massachusetts]]
| other names        = {{flatlist|
* Abe Snake
* Guru of Gore
* Master of Horror
* Sultan of Shock
}}
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Film director
* screenwriter
* producer
* actor
* editor
}}
| alma_mater         = [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]]<br/>[[Johns Hopkins University]]
| years_active       = 1968–2015
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Bonnie Broecker|1964|1969|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Mimi Craven|1984|1987|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Iya Labunka|2004}}
}}
| children           = 2, including [[Jonathan Craven|Jonathan]]
| signature          = Signature of Wes Craven.png
| known_for          = {{flatlist|
* [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|''A Nightmare on Elm Street'']]
* [[Scream (franchise)|''Scream'']]
* ''[[The People Under the Stairs]]''
* [[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|''The Hills Have Eyes'']]
* ''[[The Last House on the Left]]''
* [[Red Eye (2005 American film)|''Red Eye'']]
* ''[[Music of the Heart]]''
* [[Swamp Thing (1982 film)|''Swamp Thing'']]
* [[The Serpent and the Rainbow (film)|''The Serpent and the Rainbow'']]
*''[[Vampire In Brooklyn]]''
}}
}}
'''Wesley Earl Craven''' (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Amongst his [[Wes Craven filmography|prolific filmography]], Craven worked primarily in the [[Horror film|horror genre]], particularly [[slasher film]]s, where he mixed horror cliches with humor.<ref>{{cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Paying Tribute to Modern Horror Pioneer, Wes Craven|url=http://www.younghollywood.com/scene/paying-tribute-to-modern-horror-pioneer-wes-craven.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Dimelow|first=Gareth|date=September 1, 2015|title=RIP Wes Craven: A Pioneer Who Tested The Limits Of Horror|url=http://sabotagetimes.com/tv-film/rip-wes-craven-a-pioneer-who-tested-the-limits-of-horror|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905184516/http://sabotagetimes.com/tv-film/rip-wes-craven-a-pioneer-who-tested-the-limits-of-horror|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 5, 2015|magazine=Sabotage Times|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref><ref name="independent.co.uk">{{cite news|date=August 31, 2015|title=The 5 scenes that show Wes Craven will always be the Master of Horror|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-5-scenes-that-show-wes-craven-will-always-be-the-master-of-horror-10479599.html}}</ref> Craven has  been recognized as one of the masters of the horror genre.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leydon|first=Joe|date=August 31, 2015|title=Wes Craven Remembered: A Master of Modern Horror|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/columns/wes-craven-dies-remembered-master-modern-horror-scream-1201582017/|website=Variety}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Wes Craven, Horror Maestro, Dies at 76|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 30, 2015 |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wes-craven-horror-maestro-dies-818806}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=September 1, 2015|title=Wes Craven, Whose Slasher Films Terrified Millions, Dies at 76|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/movies/wes-craven-a-master-of-slasher-horror-films-dies-at-76.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Garrett|first=Preston|title=The Top 13 MASTERS OF HORROR: Writer/Directors – The Script Lab|date=July 29, 2010 |url=http://thescriptlab.com/features/the-lists/713-top-13-masters-of-horror}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Wes Craven, Hollywood's Horror Pioneer, Dies at 76|website=[[NBC News]] |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/wes-craven--hollywood-s-horror-pioneer--dies-at-76-516721731848|date=August 31, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/greatest-horror-movie-director/ | title=Here's Why Wes Craven is the Greatest Horror Movie Director of All Time | website=MovieWeb| date=January 9, 2022 }}</ref>

Craven created the [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise]] (1984–present), writing and directing [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 film)|the first film]], co-writing and producing the third, ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]'' (1987), and writing and directing the seventh, ''[[Wes Craven's New Nightmare]]'' (1994). He  directed the first four films in the [[Scream (franchise)|''Scream'' franchise]] (1996–2011). He directed cult classics ''[[The Last House on the Left]]'' (1972) and ''[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'' (1977), the horror comedy ''[[The People Under the Stairs]]'' (1991), and psychological thriller ''[[Red Eye (2005 American film)|Red Eye]]'' (2005). His other notable films include ''[[Swamp Thing (1982 film)|Swamp Thing]]'' (1982), ''[[The Serpent and the Rainbow (film)|The Serpent and the Rainbow]]'' (1988), ''[[Shocker (film)|Shocker]]'' (1989), ''[[Vampire in Brooklyn]]'' (1995), and ''[[Music of the Heart]]'' (1999).

Craven received several [[List of awards and nominations received by Wes Craven|accolades]] across his career, which includes a [[Scream Awards|Scream Award]], a [[Sitges Film Festival|Sitges Film Festival Award]], a [[Fangoria Chainsaw Awards|Fangoria Chainsaw Award]], and nominations for a [[Saturn Awards|Saturn Award]]. In 1995, he was honored by the [[Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films]] with the [[The Life Career Award|Life Career Award]], for his accomplishments in the horror genre. In 2012, the [[New York City Horror Film Festival]] awarded Craven the Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name=":3" />

On August 30, 2015, aged 76, Craven died of a [[brain tumor]] at his home in Los Angeles.<ref name="CNN" /><ref name=":4" />

==Early life==
Craven was born in [[Cleveland]], Ohio, the son of Caroline (née Miller) and Paul Eugene Craven. He was of [[English people|English]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]], and [[Germans|German]] descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://birth-records.mooseroots.com/l/6325004/Wesley-Earl-Craven|title=Wesley Earl Craven (b. 1939)|work=mooseroots.com|access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref> He was raised in a strict [[Baptist]] family.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17talk-t.html|title=The Horror of Being Wes Craven|date=April 17, 2011|work=The New York Times}}</ref> From 1957 to 1963 Craven earned an undergraduate degree in [[English studies|English]] and [[psychology]] from [[Wheaton College, Illinois|Wheaton College]] in [[Illinois]]. During his senior year, he developed [[Guillain–Barré syndrome|Guillain-Barré Syndrome]] which delayed his graduation by a few months.<ref name=ReCollections>{{cite news|url = https://recollections.wheaton.edu/2015/09/wes-craven-at-wheaton-college/|title= Wes Craven at Wheaton College|date= September 1, 2015|access-date= June 15, 2023|author= Keith Call}}</ref> After his recovery, Craven went on to get his master's degree in philosophy and [[Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars|writing]] from [[Johns Hopkins University]].<ref name=":2">[[John Kenneth Muir|Muir, John Kenneth]] (1998). ''Wes Craven: The Art of Horror''. Jefferson, South Carolina: McFarland & Co. {{ISBN|0-7864-0576-7}}. p. 114.</ref>

In 1964–65, Craven taught English at [[Westminster College, Pennsylvania|Westminster College]] in [[New Wilmington, Pennsylvania]], and was a [[humanities]] professor at Clarkson College of Technology (later named [[Clarkson University]]) in [[Potsdam, New York]].<ref name="biography"/> He also taught at [[Madrid-Waddington Central School|Madrid-Waddington High School]] in [[Madrid, New York]].<ref name=newsday1994>{{cite news | url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/277066940/Wes-Craven-interview-The-Man-Who-Created-Freddy-Krueger-is-Back-With-Renewed-Respect | title= The Man Who Created Freddy Krueger is Back With Renewed Respect | work=[[Newsday]] | location = [[New York City|New York]] | date= October 13, 1994| access-date= August 31, 2015| author-link= Frank Lovece | first= Frank|last=Lovece | archive-date= August 31, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150831225332/http://www.scribd.com/doc/277066940/Wes-Craven-interview-The-Man-Who-Created-Freddy-Krueger-is-Back-With-Renewed-Respect | url-status=live}}</ref> During this time, he purchased a used [[16 mm]] film camera and began making short movies. His friend [[Steve Chapin]] informed him of a messenger position at a New York City film production co, where his brother, future folk-rock star [[Harry Chapin]] worked. Craven moved into the building where his friend Steve Chapin lived at 136 Hicks St. in Brooklyn Heights.<ref name=newsday1994 /> His first creative job in the [[film industry]] was as a [[Sound editor (filmmaking)|sound editor]].<ref name="biography"/>

Recalling his early training, Craven said in 1994, "Harry was a fantastic [[film editing|film editor]] and producer of [[sponsored film|industrials]]. He taught me the Chapin method [of editing]: 'Nuts and bolts! Nuts and bolts! Get rid of the shit!'" Craven afterwards became the firm's assistant manager, and broke into film editing with ''[[You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat]]'' (1971).<ref name=newsday1994 />

==Career==
Craven had a letter published in the July 19, 1968, edition of [[Life (magazine)|''Life'']] praising the periodical's coverage of contemporary rock music and offbeat performers such as [[Frank Zappa]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Craven, Wes|date=July 19, 1968|title=Letters To The Editors|page=17|magazine=Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QT8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17-IA4}}</ref> Craven left the academic world for the more lucrative role of pornographic film director. In the documentary ''[[Inside Deep Throat]]'', Craven says on camera he made "many hardcore X-rated films" under pseudonyms. While his role in ''[[Deep Throat (film)|Deep Throat]]'' is undisclosed, most of his early known work involved writing, film editing, or both.<ref name="NPRobit">{{cite web |last1=Domonoske |first1=Camila |date=August 30, 2015 |title=Wes Craven, Master Horror Movie Director, Dies At 76 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/30/436171462/wes-craven-master-horror-movie-director-dies-at-76 |access-date=August 31, 2015 |website=NPR}}</ref>

Craven's first feature film as director was ''[[The Last House on the Left (1972 film)|The Last House on the Left]]'', which was released in 1972.<ref name="biography">{{cite web| url=http://www.biography.com/people/wes-craven-193498| title=Wes Craven| website=Biography.com| access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref> Craven expected the film to be shown at only a few theaters, which according to him "gave me a freedom to be outrageous, and to go into areas that normally I wouldn't have gone into, and not worry about my family hearing about it, or being crushed." Ultimately the movie was screened much more widely than he assumed, leaving him ostracized due to the content of the film.<ref name="AVCraven">{{cite web |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=March 11, 2009 |title=Wes Craven |url=https://www.avclub.com/wes-craven-1798215940 |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=Avclub}}</ref>

After the negative experience of ''Last House'', Craven attempted to move out of the horror genre, and began writing non-horror films with his partner [[Sean S. Cunningham]], none of which attracted any financial backing. Finally, based on advice from a friend about the ease of filming in the [[Nevada]] deserts, Craven began to write a new horror film based on that locale. The resulting film, ''[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'', cemented Craven as a "horror film director" with Craven noting, "It soon became clear that I wasn't going to do anything else unless it was scary".<ref name="Hillsfront">{{cite web |last=Stratford |first=Jennifer Juniper |title=WES CRAVEN: ONE LAST SCREAM |url=http://www.thefront.com/read/wes-craven-one-last-scream/ |access-date=25 January 2018 |website=The Front}}</ref>

Craven frequently collaborated with Sean S. Cunningham. In Craven's debut feature, ''The Last House on the Left'', Cunningham served as producer. They pooled all of their resources and came up with $90,000.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} Later, in Craven's best-known film, ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984), Cunningham directed one of the chase scenes, although he was not credited.<ref name="biography"/> Craven had a hand in launching actor [[Johnny Depp]]'s career by casting him in ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', Depp's first major film role.<ref>{{cite book|last=Blitz, Krasniewicz|title=Johnny Depp: A Biography}}</ref>

''Elm Street'' villain [[Freddy Krueger]] appeared with Cunningham's [[Jason Voorhees]] in the 2003 slasher film ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]]'', produced by Cunningham with screenwriter [[Victor Miller (writer)|Victor Miller]] credited as "Character Creator". In [[The Last House on the Left (2009 film)|the 2009 remake]] of ''The Last House on the Left'', Cunningham and Craven share production credits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19559|title='Scream IV' Officially Greenlit with Wes Craven Attached|date=March 23, 2010 }}</ref>

Although known for directing horror/thriller films, he worked on two films which are outside this genre: ''[[Music of the Heart]]'' (1999) and ''[[Paris, je t'aime]]'' (2006) (as one of the 22 directors responsible for it).<ref name="NPRobit"/> Craven designed the [[Halloween]] 2008 logo for [[Google]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Wes Craven Carves Google Logo|date=October 31, 2008 |url=http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/10/31/wes-craven-carves-google-logo}}</ref> and was the second celebrity personality to take over the [[YouTube]] homepage on Halloween.<ref name="Wes Craven Takes Over YouTube for Halloween!">{{Cite news|date=August 31, 2008|title=Wes Craven Takes Over YouTube for Halloween!|work=[[Tubefilter|Tubefilter News]]|url=http://news.tubefilter.tv/2008/10/30/wes-craven-takes-over-youtube-for-halloween/|access-date=November 11, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205035048/http://news.tubefilter.tv/2008/10/30/wes-craven-takes-over-youtube-for-halloween/|archive-date=December 5, 2008}}</ref> In the mid-1980s, Craven worked briefly in the television industry by directing seven episodes of the 1985 reboot of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', including an episode that was written by [[George R. R. Martin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-twilight-zone-80s-best-episodes/ |title=The Twilight Zone: Hidden Gems of the 1980s Reboot |work=[[Den of Geek]] |first=Daniel |last=Kurland |date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cinemamediations.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/wes-craven-in-the-twilight-zone/ |title=Wes Craven in the 'Twilight Zone' |work=Cinema Mediations |date= September 30, 2015 |first=Dawn |last=Fratini}}</ref>

Craven created ''Coming of Rage'', a five-issue [[comic book]] series, with ''[[30 Days of Night]]'' writer [[Steve Niles]].<ref name="comic"/> The series was released in [[digital comics|digital form]] in 2014 by Liquid Comics with a print edition scheduled for an October 2015 debut.<ref name="comic">{{cite web| url=http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/07/17/wes-cravens-coming-of-rage-finally-comes-to-print-from-steve-niles-and-francesco-biagini/| title=Wes Craven's Coming Of Rage Finally Comes To Print From Steve Niles And Francesco Biagini – Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News|author=Rich Johnston| work=Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News| date=July 17, 2015| access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref>

==Filmmaking==

=== Influences ===
Craven has cited filmmakers [[Ingmar Bergman]], [[Luis Buñuel]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[Federico Fellini]], [[Jean Cocteau]], and [[François Truffaut|Francois Truffaut]] as among his major influences.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wes Craven: the mainstream horror maestro inspired by Ingmar Bergman|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/aug/31/wes-craven-the-mainstream-horror-maestro-inspired-by-ingmar-bergman|website=The Guardian|date=31 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Skelton|first=Shannon|title=Wes Craven: Interviews|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2019|isbn=9781496826114}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Robb|first=Brian J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40150665|title=Screams & Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven|date=1998|publisher=Overlook Press|isbn=0-87951-918-5|edition=|location=Woodstock, N.Y.|pages=17|oclc=40150665}}</ref> Craven's first film, ''The Last House on the Left'', was conceived as a remake of Bergman's ''[[The Virgin Spring]]'' (1960).<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bergman Film That Inspired Wes Craven|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3688-the-bergman-film-that-inspired-wes-craven|website=Criterion.com}}</ref> The goat in the dream sequence at the beginning of ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' was included by Craven as a homage to Buñuel.<ref>Wes Craven. ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984). Blu-Ray audio commentary, 1:20.</ref>

=== Style and themes ===
{{Quote box
|width=35%
|quote=Ideas that come out of families which are fractured or disturbed in some way are the most profoundly terrifying things to me. And I've always felt that I was on solid ground when I was making movies about families. The first real terrors happen to us in the first five years of our lives and that's where we are—in the middle of our family. Quite often, for children, the most terrifying things are adults, and unfortunately often it's the parents themselves that are the most frightening.
|source=—Craven on the theme of family in his works<ref>{{cite news |last=Newton |first=Steve |title=Terror titan Wes Craven on the horrors of family and being cast in the role of the scary guy |newspaper=[[The Georgia Straight]] |date=7 Nov 1991}}</ref>
}}
Craven's works tend to explore [[Dysfunctional family|the breakdown of family structures]], the nature of dreams and reality, and often feature black humor and satirical elements.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Robb|first=Brian J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40150665|title=Screams & Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven|date=1998|publisher=Overlook Press|isbn=0-87951-918-5|edition=|location=Woodstock, N.Y.|pages=14|oclc=40150665}}</ref> Ostensibly civilized families succumb to and exercise violence in ''The Last House on the Left'' and ''The Hills Have Eyes''. ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', ''Shocker'', and the ''Scream'' films address the process of addressing family trauma.<ref name=":2" />

Several of Craven's films are characterized by abusive familial relationships such as ''The Hills Have Eyes'', ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', ''The People Under the Stairs'', and others. Families in denial are a common thread throughout his movies, an idea Craven openly discussed:

{{Blockquote|text=The family is the best microcosm to work with… It's very much where most of our strong emotions or gut feelings come from… I grew up in a white working class family that was very religious. There was an enormous amount of secrecy in the general commerce of our getting along... If there was an argument, it was immediately denied. If there was a feeling, it was repressed… I began to see that as a nation we were doing the same things.<ref>[[John Kenneth Muir|Muir, John Kenneth]] (1998). ''Wes Craven: The Art of Horror''. Jefferson, South Carolina: McFarland & Co. {{ISBN|0-7864-0576-7}}. p. 5.</ref>}}

The blurring of the barrier between dreams and reality, sometimes called "rubber-reality", is a staple of Craven's style.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/66655309|title=Wes Craven: The Art of Horror|date=2004|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0-7864-1923-7|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=114|oclc=66655309}}</ref> ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', for example, dealt with the consequences of dreams in real life.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/guide-to-Wes-Craven| title=Wes Craven: Film By Film| date=17 September 2015| work=Empire Magazine |access-date=17 September 2015}}</ref> ''The Serpent and the Rainbow'' and ''Shocker'' portray protagonists who cannot distinguish between nightmarish visions and reality. Following ''New Nightmare'', Craven increasingly explored metafictional elements in his films. ''New Nightmare'' has actress [[Heather Langenkamp]] play herself as she's haunted by the villain of the film in which she once starred.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/entertainment/wes-craven-horror-movie-director-death/| title=Wes Craven, horror movie director, dies at age 76| work=CNN| access-date=August 30, 2015}}</ref> At one point in the film, the audience sees on Craven's word processor a script he's written, which includes the conversation he just had with Langenkamp—as if the script were<!-- subjunctive --> being written as the action unfolds.

In ''Scream'', the characters frequently reference horror films similar to their situations and at one point [[List of Scream (film series) characters#Billy Loomis|Billy Loomis]] tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie.  This concept was emphasized in the sequels as copycat stalkers re-enact the events of a new film about the Woodsboro killings (Woodsboro being the fictional town where ''Scream'' is set) occurring in ''Scream''.<ref name="biography" />

=== Collaborators ===
[[Marianne Maddalena]] served as a producer on twelve of Craven's films.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kurtz|first=Rodrigo|date=2020-08-19|title=Interview: Marianne Maddalena|url=https://hellosidney.com/content/interview-marianne-maddalena/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=HelloSidney.com|language=en-US}}</ref> After working on ''Wes Craven's New Nightmare'', [[Patrick Lussier]] became an editor on all of his features up to ''Red Eye''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CREDITS|url=https://www.patricklussier.com/credits|access-date=2021-06-07|website=patricklussier|language=en}}</ref> Craven tended to employ cinematographers [[Peter Deming]], [[Mark Irwin]] and [[Jacques Haitkin]] on his films.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cabin in the Woods / Peter Deming, ASC – The American Society of Cinematographers|url=https://ascmag.com/podcasts/cabin-in-the-woods-peter-deming-asc|access-date=2021-06-07|website=ascmag.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=oliverjlwebb|date=2020-06-27|title=An Interview with Mark Irwin|url=https://www.closelyobservedframes.com/post/an-interview-with-mark-irwin|access-date=2021-06-07|website=CloselyObservedFrame|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-03|title=From Iconic Low-Budge Horror to 'Kong': DP Jacques Haitkin's Shooting Advice|url=https://nofilmschool.com/2017/04/jacques-haitkins-kong-skull-island-dp-interview|access-date=2021-06-07|website=No Film School|language=en}}</ref> With the exception of ''Music of the Heart'', composer [[Marco Beltrami]] worked on all of Craven's films from ''Scream'' to ''Scream 4''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-06-19|title=Composer Marco Beltrami on Craven, Del Toro and More|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/features/860035-interview-composer-marco-beltrami-on-craven-del-toro-and-more|access-date=2021-06-07|website=ComingSoon.net|language=en-US}}</ref> Although he usually wrote his own films, Craven worked with screenwriter [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]] regularly after ''Scream''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=JonathanBarkan|date=2015-09-04|title=Remembering Wes Craven: Kevin Williamson and Neve Campbell|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3360239/remembering-wes-craven-kevin-williamson-neve-campbell/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Bloody Disgusting!|language=en-US}}</ref> Craven often used a number of the same actors on his projects including [[Neve Campbell]], [[Courteney Cox]], [[David Arquette]], [[Robert Englund]], [[Michael Berryman]], [[Heather Langenkamp]], and [[David Hess]].

==Personal life==
Raise a strict Baptist, Craven was a 1963 graduate of Wheaton (IL) College, where he majored in English and psychology and was writer and editor for '''''Kodon''''' (the school's literary magazine). He obtained master's degree in philosophy and writing from Johns Hopkins.

craven was married three times.  Craven's first marriage, to Bonnie Broecker, produced two children: [[Jonathan Craven]] (born 1965) and Jessica Craven (born 1968). Jonathan is a writer and director.<ref name="biography"/> Jessica was a singer-songwriter in the group the [[Chapin Sisters]]. The marriage ended in 1970.

In 1984, Craven married a woman who became known professionally as actress Mimi Craven. The two later divorced, with Wes Craven stating in interviews that the marriage dissolved after he discovered it "was no longer anything but a sham."<ref>{{cite book|author= Emery, Robert J. |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wSwypT4W94sC&q=wes+craven+my+marriage+was+a+sham&pg=PA107 |title=The Directors: Take Three|volume= 3|publisher= Allworth Press|date=2003|isbn=1581152450}}</ref> In 2004, Craven married Iya Labunka; she frequently worked as a producer on Craven's films.<ref name="Frost" />

Craven was a [[Birdwatching|birder]]. In 2010, he joined [[National Audubon Society|Audubon]] California's board of directors.<ref name="Frost">{{cite web |url=http://ca.audubon.org/news/director-wes-craven-joins-audubon-californias-board-directors |title=Director Wes Craven joins Audubon California's Board of Directors |author=Garrison Frost |date=2010-05-28 |website=Audublog |publisher=Audubon California (National Audubon Society) |access-date=2020-12-28}}</ref> His favorite films included ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'' (1968), ''[[The Virgin Spring]]'' (1960) and ''[[Red River (1948 film)|Red River]]'' (1948).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://filmdoctor.co.uk/2013/11/01/fun-fridays-directors-favourite-films-post-halloween-wes-craven/|title=Wes Craven Favourite Films|publisher=Film Doctor|date=November 1, 2013|access-date=August 30, 2015}}</ref>

==Death==
Craven died of a [[brain tumor]] at his home in Los Angeles on August 30, 2015, aged 76.<ref name="CNN" /><ref name=":4">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wes-craven-horror-maestro-dies-818806 |title=Wes Craven, Horror Maestro, Dies at 76 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 30, 2015 |access-date=August 30, 2015 }}</ref>
Many actors and fellow directors paid tribute to him, including [[David Arquette]],<ref name="ABCNews">{{cite web |title=Wes Craven Dead at 76: Celebs Pay Tribute |author=Michael Rothman |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=2015-08-31 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wes-craven-dead-76-celebs-pay-tribute/story?id=33431070}}</ref> [[Adrienne Barbeau]],<ref name="bloody-disgusting.com">{{cite web |author=Jonathan Barkan |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3359275/robert-englund-james-wan-mourn-loss-wes-craven/ |title=Robert Englund, James Wan, and More Mourn Wes Craven |website=bloody-disgusting.com |date=2015-08-31 |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref> [[Angela Bassett]],<ref name="ABCNews" /> [[Bruce Campbell]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Woerner|first=Meredith|title=Fans, creators and horror makers mourn the loss of Wes Craven|url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/la-et-hc-wes-craven-mourns-20150830-htmlstory.html|access-date=2021-07-13|website=capitalgazette.com|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Heather Langenkamp]], [[Neve Campbell]],<ref name="theguardian.com" /> [[John Carpenter]],<ref name=":1" /> [[Courteney Cox]],<ref name="ABCNews" /><ref name="bloody-disgusting.com" /><ref name="EW.com">{{cite magazine |author=Jessica Dershowitz |date=2015-08-30 |title=Wes Craven dead: Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and more pay tribute |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=https://ew.com/article/2015/08/30/wes-craven-tributes/ |access-date=2020-12-29}}</ref> [[Joe Dante]],<ref name=":1" /> [[Johnny Depp]],<ref name="variety.com">{{cite magazine|author=Ramin Setoodeh|date=2015-09-15|title=Johnny Depp Pays Tribute to Wes Craven, Talks 'Blass Mass' – Variety|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/johnny-depp-wes-craven-tribute-1201593906/|magazine=Variety|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref> [[Robert Englund]],<ref name="ABCNews"/><ref name="bloody-disgusting.com"/> [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]],<ref name="ABCNews"/><ref name="EW.com"/> [[Lloyd Kaufman]],<ref name=":1" /> [[Jamie Kennedy]],<ref name="EW.com"/> [[Rose McGowan]],<ref name="bloody-disgusting.com"/><ref name="EW.com"/> [[Kristy Swanson]],<ref name="ABCNews"/> [[Edgar Wright]],<ref name=":1" /> and [[Amanda Wyss]].<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |author=Ben Child |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/01/wes-craven-hollywood-pays-tribute-to-horror-maestro |title=Wes Craven: Hollywood pays tribute to horror maestro |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref> The tenth episode of the horror television series ''[[Scream (TV series)|Scream]]'' and [[Scream (2022 film)|the fifth film in the franchise (2022)]] were dedicated in his memory.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kathy Sales |date=2015-09-02 |title=Scream's 10th episode, dedicated to Wes Craven's memory |url=http://freedistrict.com/entertainment/screams-10th-episode-dedicated-to-wes-cravens-memory-14394.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150902171910/http://freedistrict.com/entertainment/screams-10th-episode-dedicated-to-wes-cravens-memory-14394.html |archive-date=2015-09-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title='Scream' review: It's smug, bloody and fairly entertaining. Neve Campbell leads a better cast than this latest sequel deserves. |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/michael-phillips/sc-ent-scream-movie-review-0113-20220113-d4aw42gnbbdvjhmb73vosssvka-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune|date=January 13, 2022 }}</ref>

Craven was buried at the Lambert's Cove Cemetery in the town of [[West Tisbury, Massachusetts|West Tisbury]] on the island of [[Martha's Vineyard]] in [[Massachusetts]].
==Trivia==
The first scholarly collection of work dedicated to Craven was published by Edinburgh University Press in July 2023.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-refocus-the-films-of-wes-craven.html|title=ReFocus: The Films of Wes Craven|editor=Calum Waddell|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9781399507004|date=2023}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{{Main|Wes Craven filmography}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
!Year
!Title
!Distributor
|-
|1972
|''[[The Last House on the Left]]''
|Hallmark Releasing / [[American International Pictures]]
|-
|1977
|[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|''The Hills Have Eyes'']]
|Vanguard
|-
|1978
|''[[Stranger in Our House]]'' (''Summer of Fear'')
|
|-
|1981
|''[[Deadly Blessing]]''
|[[United Artists]]
|-
|1982
|''[[Swamp Thing (1982 film)|Swamp Thing]]''
|[[Embassy Pictures]]
|-
|1984
|''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]''
|[[New Line Cinema]]
|-
|1985
|''[[The Hills Have Eyes Part II]]''
|[[Castle Hill Productions]]
|-
|1986
|''[[Deadly Friend]]''
|[[Warner Bros.]]
|-
|1988
|''[[The Serpent and the Rainbow (film)|The Serpent and the Rainbow]]''
| rowspan="3" |[[Universal Pictures]]
|-
|1989
|''[[Shocker (film)|Shocker]]''
|-
|1991
|''[[The People Under the Stairs]]''
|-
|1994
|''[[Wes Craven's New Nightmare]]''
|New Line Cinema
|-
|1995
|''[[Vampire in Brooklyn]]''
|[[Paramount Pictures]]
|-
|1996
|''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Dimension Films]]
|-
|1997
|''[[Scream 2]]''
|-
|1999
|''[[Music of the Heart]]''
|[[Miramax|Miramax Films]]
|-
|2000
|''[[Scream 3]]''
| rowspan="2" |Dimension Films
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
|''[[Cursed (2005 film)|Cursed]]''
|-
|''[[Red Eye (2005 American film)|Red Eye]]''
|[[DreamWorks Pictures]]
|-
|2010
|''[[My Soul to Take]]''
|Universal Pictures
|-
|2011
|''[[Scream 4]]''
|Dimension Films
|}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |author=Wes Craven |title=Fountain Society |url=https://archive.org/details/fountainsociety0000crav |url-access=registration |date=November 1, 1999 |publisher=Thorndike Press |isbn=978-0-7862-2270-4}}
* {{cite book |author1=Wes Craven |author2=[[Steve Niles]] |title=COMING OF RAGE #1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0W4tBQAAQBAJ |date=October 25, 2014 |publisher=Liquid Comics |isbn=978-1-62665-913-1}}

==Awards and nominations==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Wes Craven}}
Throughout his career, Craven was nominated for and won numerous awards, including multiple [[Saturn Awards]] and several [[film festival]] honors.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.saturnawards.org/Saturn-Awards-History.php | title=THE SATURN AWARDS | publisher=[[Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films]] | access-date=31 August 2015}}</ref>

In 1977, Craven won the critics award at the [[Sitges Film Festival]] for his horror film ''[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/arxiu/1977/palmares#01 | title=Awards | publisher=Sitges Film Festival | access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref> In 1997, the [[Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer|Gérardmer Film Festival]] granted him the Grand Prize for the slasher film ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]''.<ref name="Gérardmer">{{cite web | url=http://festival-gerardmer.com/2015/historique/ | title=Historique | publisher=[[Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer]] | access-date=31 August 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103010050/http://festival-gerardmer.com/2015/historique/ | archive-date=3 January 2019 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2012, the [[New York City Horror Film Festival]] awarded Craven the Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name=":3">{{cite web | url=http://nychorrorfest.com/past-festivals/2/ | title=2012 | publisher=New York City Horror Film Festival | access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Wes Craven's unrealized projects]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Wes Craven}}
* {{IMDb name|0000127}}
* {{Find a grave|151479035}}

{{Wes Craven}}
{{The Life Career Award}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Film|Ohio|United States}}
{{Authority control}}

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