R.I.P. Wes Craven (1939 - 2015)

This is a very sad day in Hollywood, as various news outlets have reported that horror director Wes Craven passed away from brain cancer today.

Wes Craven first gained notable in 1972 with the film “The Last House on the Left. The film today has gained cult status from those in the horror community. He would go on to direct the cult classics “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977), Deadly Blessings (1981) and Swamp Thing (1982) before directing his most notable film of the eighties “A Nightmare on Elm Street” in 1984. The film today remains as one of his most popular films. Craven would make other films during the course of the eighties like “Deadly Friends”, “Shocker” and “The Serpent of the Rainbow” to name a few.

The early nineties wouldn’t be kind to him as “The People under the Stairs”, Vampire in Brooklyn” and “New Nightmare” would bomb at the box office. He would receive a career rejuvenation in 1996 with “Scream". The film would become his highest grossing film in his career making $103 million at the box office. He would later directed “Scream 2” that made $101 million. “Music of the Heart”, “Scream 3”, “Cursed”, “Red Eye”, a segment for “Paris, je t’aime”, “My Soul to Take” and his last film “Scream 4” in 2011.

Even though majority of his films are horror, Craven also did a couple of non-horror theatrical films of note. In 1999, he directed the drama “Music of the Heart” starring Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, pop singer Gloria Estefan and Angela Bassett. The film failed to provide a spark at the box office making only $14.8 million. He would also step out of the horror genre again in 2005 with the suspense thriller “Red Eye” which stared Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy and Brian Cox. The film would have a different result at the box office as it make $57.9 million and making back its $25 million dollar budget in the process. Wes Craven was 76 at the time of his death.

Film-Arcade.net and Anthony T’s Horror Chamber wishes to extend our sympathies to Wes Craven’s family and friends.

Wes Craven was a talented director and a master of horror that will truly be missed.