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      Wes Craven

      Wes Craven

      Highest Rated: 95% A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

      Lowest Rated: Not Available

      Birthday: Aug 2, 1939

      Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

      Though he originally intended to be a college professor, writer-director Wes Craven ditched academia to become one of the most widely recognized practitioners of the horror film, eventually becoming synonymous with the genre itself. After emerging onto the filmmaking scene with the reviled revenge flick "Last House on the Left" (1972), Craven worked as an editor and unproduced screenwriter until his next film, "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977), a cult classic that helped establish a fan base that propelled his career forward. He continued along with several mid-level horror films before striking gold with "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), which introduced the malevolent Freddie Krueger to the world, one of the most iconic horror villains of all time. Though the film spawned numerous sequels that earned over $500 million at the box office, Craven was unable to reap the rewards due to signing away all financial rights in order to get the film made. Despite such a colossal business error, the director went on to make numerous film and television projects throughout the ensuing years, most of which lacked the ingenuity and freshness of the original "Nightmare." But he finally had a large scale Hollywood success with "Scream" (1996) and its sequels, which both reveled in and parodied all the horror conventions that Craven helped establish throughout his career. Eventually settling for his share of the "Nightmare" profits after negotiations decades later, the director settled into a comfortable groove of compelling shockers like "Red Eye" (2005) and "My Soul to Take" (2010), confirming that Craven was above all others as a true master of horror. His death from brain cancer at the age of 76 on August 30, 2015 was met with tributes from fans, friends and other film industry professionals around the world.

      Photos

      WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE, director Wes Craven, on-set, 1994, (c) New Line Cinema DEADLY FRIEND, director Wes Craven, Kristy Swanson, 1986, © Warner Bros. / PARIS, JE T'AIME, segment: Pere-Lachaise, aka 20th arrondissement, directed by Wes Craven, director Wes Craven, on location, 2006. ©First Look Pictures SCREAM 2, director Wes Craven, Neve Campbell, on set, 1997. (c)Dimension Films SCREAM 2, center: director Wes Craven, Jerry O'Connell, on set, 1997. (c)Dimension Films SCREAM 4, (aka SCRE4M), from left: director Wes Craven, Courteney Cox, on set, 2011. ©Dimension Films RED EYE, director Wes Craven, Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy on set, 2005, © DreamWorks / RED EYE, director Wes Craven, Rachel McAdams on set, 2005, ©DreamWorks MUSIC OF THE HEART, director Wes Craven, 1999, ©Miramax RED EYE, director Wes Craven works on some ideas between shots, 2005, © DreamWorks / THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, director Wes Craven, 1988. (c) Universal SCREAM, Wes Craven, Drew Barrymore, 1996 THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS, director Wes Craven, on set, 1991. (c) Universal Pictures/ WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE, director Wes Craven, on set, 1994. (c)New Line Cinema RED EYE, Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, director Wes Craven on set, 2005, © DreamWorks /

      Filmography

      Movies

      Credit
      17% 21% The Girl in the Photographs Executive Producer - 2015
      No Score Yet 80% Trespassing Bergman Unknown (Character) - 2013
      60% 57% Scream 4 Director $38.2M 2011
      11% 26% My Soul to Take Director,
      Screenwriter,
      Producer
      $14.6M 2010
      43% 52% The Last House on the Left Producer $32.7M 2009
      No Score Yet 72% Fantastic Flesh Unknown (Character) - 2008
      12% 40% The Hills Have Eyes 2 Writer,
      Producer
      $20.8M 2007
      27% 29% The Breed Executive Producer - 2006
      86% 84% Paris, je t'aime Director,
      Writer
      $4.9M 2006
      No Score Yet 74% Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film Self - 2006
      55% 59% Feast Executive Producer - 2006
      11% 27% Pulse Writer $20.3M 2006
      52% 58% The Hills Have Eyes Producer $41.8M 2006
      80% 64% Red Eye Director $57.9M 2005
      15% 30% Cursed Director $19.3M 2005
      52% 75% Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Self $30.1M 2001
      67% 74% American Nightmare Self - 2000
      17% 39% Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 Executive Producer $33.0M 2000
      41% 38% Scream 3 Director $89.1M 2000
      64% 72% Music of the Heart Director $14.8M 1999
      No Score Yet 21% Don't Look Down Executive Producer - 1998
      82% 58% Scream 2 Director $101.3M 1997
      25% 39% Wishmaster Executive Producer $15.7M 1997
      81% 80% Scream Director $103.7M 1996
      No Score Yet 10% Wes Craven Presents Mind Ripper Executive Producer - 1995
      11% 31% Vampire in Brooklyn Director $18.7M 1995
      No Score Yet 26% The Fear Dr. Arnold (Character) - 1995
      79% 67% Wes Craven's New Nightmare Self,
      Director,
      Screenwriter,
      Executive Producer
      $18.1M 1994
      70% 61% The People Under the Stairs Director,
      Screenwriter,
      Executive Producer
      $21.9M 1991
      22% 32% Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Writer $34.0M 1991
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Night Visions Director - 1990
      30% 31% Shocker Director $15.5M 1989
      62% 57% The Serpent and the Rainbow Director $19.0M 1988
      68% 68% A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Executive Producer,
      Screenwriter
      $44.1M 1987
      20% 38% Deadly Friend Director $8.9M 1986
      42% 33% A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge Screenwriter $29.9M 1985
      0% 19% The Hills Have Eyes Part II Director,
      Screenwriter
      - 1985
      95% 84% A Nightmare on Elm Street Director,
      Writer
      $57.3M 1984
      No Score Yet 23% Invitation to Hell Director - 1984
      60% 41% Swamp Thing Director,
      Screenwriter
      - 1982
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Kent State Producer - 1981
      33% 28% Deadly Blessing Director - 1981
      No Score Yet 31% Stranger in Our House Director - 1978
      67% 54% The Hills Have Eyes Director,
      Writer,
      Film Editing
      - 1977
      65% 50% Last House on the Left Director,
      Writer,
      Film Editing
      - 1972

      TV

      Credit
      61% 59% Scream Executive Producer 2015-2016 2019
      82% 87% Castle Unknown (Guest Star) 2013
      No Score Yet 36% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest 2011
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2010
      No Score Yet No Score Yet On the Lot Judge 2007
      0% No Score Yet Stark Raving Mad Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Twilight Zone Director 1986