Wes Craven

On trouvera une analyse de l'esthétique des films de Wes Craven dans Le Cinéma d'horreur et ses figures (Paris, PUF, 2005), qui montre comment les films de ce réalisateur sont ordonnés autour d'une réflexion sur « les puissances de l'image ».

Wesley Earl “Wes” Craven (born August 2, 1939) is an American and writer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films.

Craven's first marriage to Bonnie Broecker produced two children. The marriage ended in 1970. In 1982, Craven married Millicent Eleanor Meyer. However, the two divorced, according to Joe Eszterhas's book American Rhapsody, after she began an affair with actress Sharon Stone

Craven's first marriage to Bonnie Broecker produced two children. The marriage ended in 1970. In 1982, Craven married Millicent Eleanor Meyer. However, the two divorced, according to Joe Eszterhas's book American Rhapsody, after she began an affair with actress Sharon Stone

Craven’s works tend to share a common exploration of the nature of reality. A Street, for example, dealt with the consequences of dreams in real life. “brushes against” (but does not quite break) the fourth wall by having actress Heather Langenkamp play herself as she is haunted by the villain of the film in which she once starred. At one point in the film, we see on ‘s word processor a script he has written, which includes the exact conversation he just had with Heather — as if the script was being written as the action unfolded. The Serpent and the Rainbow portrays a man who cannot distinguish between and reality. In Scream, the characters frequently reference horror films similar to their situations, and at one point tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie. This concept was emphasized in the sequels, as copycat stalkers reenact the events of a new film about the Woodsboro killings occurring in Scream. Scream included a scene mentioning the well-known urban legend. Craven stated in interviews that he received calls from agents telling him that if he left that scene in, he would never work again. He is currently directing . Craven was also set to direct Beetlejuice but dropped out to co-write and executive produce the third outing for . The “Elm Street” is located in Potsdam,NY (a small town just south of the Canadian border).

Craven also frequently collaborates with Sean S. Cunningham in his filmography. In Craven’s debut feature, The Last House on the Left, Cunningham served as producer. Later, in Craven’s most famous film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Cunningham directed one of the chase scenes, although uncredited. Their infamous characters, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, appeared together in the 2003 slasher film Freddy vs. Jason with Cunningham acting as producer, while screenwriter Victor Miller is credited as “Character Creator”. Later, in The Last House on the Left remake, both Cunningham and Craven share production credits. Craven announced on 22 March 2010 via Twitter his return to the Scream franchise.

Although known for directing horror/thriller films, he has worked on two that were outside this genre: the 1999 film Music of the Heart, and as one of the 22 directors in the 2006 collaboration Paris, je t’aime.

Films directed by Wes Craven

Year Film
1972 The Last House on the Left
1977 The Hills Have Eyes
1978 Stranger in Our House
1981 Deadly Blessing
1982 Swamp Thing
1984 Invitation to Hell
Nightmare on Elm Street
1985 Chiller
The Hills Have Eyes Part II
The NEW Twilight Zone
1986 Deadly Friend
Casebusters
1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow
1989 Shocker
1990 Night Visions
1991 The People Under the Stairs
1992 Nightmare Cafe
1994 Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
1995 Vampire in
1996 Scream
1997 Scream 2
1999 Music of the Heart
2000 Scream 3
2005 Cursed
Red Eye
2006 Paris, je t’aime
2007 Agitation
2010 My Soul to Take
2011 Scream 4

Awards

During his career, Wes Craven won nine cinematic awards and received three nominations.

In 1977, he won the ‘Prize of the International Critics’ Jury’ in the “Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival” for his film The Hills Have Eyes.

In 1985, his horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street won the ‘Critic’s Award’ at the “Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival”.

In 1992, the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film presented him the Pegasus Audience Award for the thriller The People Under the Stairs. His Fantasporto won the International Fantasy Film Award for Best Screenplay while the Best Film award went to his film Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, the final A Nightmare on Elm Street film he directed. His Shocker was also nominated for Best Film in 1990.

The Gérardmer Film Festival granted him the Grand Prize in ’97 for Scream.

In 2006, he was honored at Spike TV’s Scream with the Mastermind Award (the tribute was presented to him by Neve Campbell).

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