Iconic Horror by Wes Craven 0
Five of the most influential horror films from director Wes Craven
Few people have had the impact on horror cinema, and the movie industry as a whole, as Wes Craven has had in his career. Next month, audiences will be treated to a remake of this classic 1972 film, “The Last House on the Left”, which is almost certainly guaranteed to be as shocking and unsettling today as it was decades ago. But “Last House” wasn’t the only film by Wes that has redefined the genre. Here’s a look at some of the most important works by a visionary writer director, all of which are as enjoyable today as they were the day they initially debuted.
Scream
In the mid 90s, the horror genre was dead and buried next to the freshly rotting corpses of hair metal and Steve Urkel. The slasher sub-genre in particular, having been beat like the proverbial dead horse, was not expected to rise from its grave anytime soon.
And then “Scream” came out, and all that changed.Scream re-defined what a horror movie should be, honoring the conventions of its predecessors but also building upon them, injecting Hitchcockian plot twists, A-list casting and top-shelf dialogue. Scream inspired many imitators, few of which came anywhere near the new bar that it had set. But the fact remains that the continued success of the slasher movie owes a great debt to Wes Craven for “Scream”.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Not only did “A Nightmare on Elm Street” jumpstart the career of Johnny Depp and give rise to New Line Cinema, it also introduced us to one of the most iconic characters in film history. Freddy Krueger terrified children and adults alike, such that he represented a fear that every person on Earth has experienced at one point or another. Killers like Jason and Michael Meyers were scary because they couldn’t be reasoned with and were nearly unstoppable. But at the end of the day, they were (mostly) mortal, physical beings. Freddy attacked you in your dreams, had a penchant for murdering children, and wasn’t particularly reasonable or stoppable either.
Because of its roots in the dream world, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” went on to become one of the most imaginative horror series ever made, and one that has yet to be equaled. Although it bears mention that Wes Craven had little to do with most of the progressively ridiculous (but still awesome) sequels.
Last House on the Left
Coming about two years before “A Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and four years before “I Spit on Your Grave”, “The Last House on the Left” was obviously a huge influence on both of those horror classics. “Last House” was so unflinchingly violent, it shocked critics and audiences alike and was banned in several countries. The depictions of molestation, abuse, rape and torture seemed unnecessarily graphic at the time, but a revenge story is nothing if it doesn’t make the viewer desperately want to see the villain get paid their comeuppance, and “Last House” certainly paid out in this regard.
To this day, “Last House” is viewed as a classic in the horror and exploitation genre for bravely pushing the boundaries far beyond what was generally considered acceptable.
The Hills Have Eyes
“The Hills Have Eyes” was sort of like a cross between “Mad Max” and “Deliverance”, though it preceded “Mad Max” by at least a couple of years. In “The Hills”, a tribe of inbred, cannibalistic crazies descend upon a vacationing family pretty much for sport. The Carter family’s descent into savagery as they attempt to defend themselves from their attackers blurs the lines between who the humans and who the monsters are.
To this day, the likelihood of vacationers packing heat in their Winnebago is exponentially increased after watching this film.
The People Under the Stairs
“The People Under the Stairs” is an underrated gem about a botched burglary that transforms into a grim fairy tale about a young boy, who gambles his freedom and his life in order to liberate a house of horrors from two bondage-loving, psycho shut-ins. “People Under the Stairs” features an early appearance by Ving Rhames and also bears the distinction of being one of the first mainstream horror pictures to feature an urban cast and setting, as opposed to the usual suburban, cracker ass horny teens you usually see in most horror films. This blueprint would be followed closely by the horror classic “Candyman” less than a year later, and then completely ruined by “Leprechaun in the Hood”, “Bones”, “Tales from the Hood”, etc. over the following decade.
Currently, Wes Craven is wrapping up as the lead producer on this year’s “Last House on the Left” remake, which is due to hit theaters on March 13th. Additionally, he is hard at work directing his latest picture, “25/8”, about a serial killer who returns to his hometown to slaughter seven teenagers who share the same birthday as the date he was believed to have been put down. If either of these films even approaches the precedent set by Wes in the films we’ve already discussed here, then horror audiences are in for a real treat in 2009!
