History Creator / WesCraven

* ''Film/MusicOfTheHeart'' (1999)

** In one scene during ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', Creator/SamRaimi's ''The Franchise/EvilDead'' is playing on a TV in the background, which itself is a ShoutOut to Sam Raimi putting a poster of Craven's ''TheHillsHaveEyes'' in the background of ''The Evil Dead''.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Craven was raised by a Baptist family and was reportedly a target for bullies (including one with [[NamesTheSame the same name]] as his most famous creation). After leaving home, he gained an education in English Literature, Psychology, and Writing; he then married, and started a family. His marriage ended after five years, and his children left with his ex-wife. He moved to New York, and eventually directed ''TheLastHouseOnTheLeft'', followed five years later by ''TheHillsHaveEyes''. The success of these movies made him a seminal name in horror cinema.

Additionally, he directed a lot of episodes of ''TheTwilightZone'' in the 80's and, quite bizarrely, the {{biopic}} ''MusicOfTheHeart''. Craven joked that he went "from violence to violins" in directing a movie about a music educator played by MerylStreep.

* MagnumOpus: ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' or ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}''.

* ActionGirl - Nancy Thompson and Sidney Prescott being the most notable examples.
* AdultsAreUseless - Either that, or the adults are a serious part of the problem.
* {{Deconstruction}} - ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'' was so successful that it made [[TheEighties the 80's]] [[SlasherMovie slasher]] [[GenreKiller impossible to take seriously anymore]]. It did however lead to a resurgence of slasher movies in the late 1990s and the 2000s, typically self-aware or at least lampshading several genre tropes.
* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence - Virtually all of his movies.
* FinalGirl - In most films, although ''Film/{{Shocker}}'' features a Final Guy.
* {{Gorn}} - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', in particular.
* MagnumOpus - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' or ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}''.

* RapeAsDrama - His characters tend to either be raped, are implied to be raped, are raped as a backstory, or are rapists themselves.

* SlasherMovie - Two of the most famous examples, too.
* TooSpicyForYogSothoth - He once walked out of ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' because the extreme violence disgusted him. Wrap your brains around THAT.

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' (1984) and its sixth sequel, ''Film/WesCravensNewNightmare'' (1994).

* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', and all of its respective sequels.

* MagnumOpus - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' or ''Film/{{Scream}}''.

* ''DeadlyFriend'' (1986)

* ''VampireInBrooklyn'' (1995)

* ''MusicOfTheHeart'' (1999)

* ''They'' (2002)
* ''[[Film/{{Cursed 2005}} Cursed]]'' (2005)

** In one scene during ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', SamRaimi's ''The Franchise/EvilDead'' is playing on a TV in the background, which itself is a ShoutOut to Sam Raimi putting a poster of Craven's ''TheHillsHaveEyes'' in the background of ''The Evil Dead''.

'''Wesley Earl [[MeaningfulName Craven]]''' (born August 2, 1939) is an American film director, producer and writer, and is the creator of many iconic and genre-defining horror films. He is probably best known for his creation of Freddy Krueger, the dream-haunting villain introduced in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''. He also found great success a decade later with the movie ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', a {{deconstruction}} of the [[SlasherMovie slasher sub-genre]] that launched a [[FollowTheLeader slew of late 90's imitation horror films]].

** In one scene during ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', SamRaimi's ''TheEvilDead'' is playing on a TV in the background, which itself is a ShoutOut to Sam Raimi putting a poster of Craven's ''TheHillsHaveEyes'' in the background of ''The Evil Dead''.

* TooSpicyForYogSothoth - He once walked out of "Film/ReservoirDogs" because the extreme violence disgusted him. Wrap your brains around THAT.

* TooSpicyForYogSothoth - He once walked out of Film/ReservoirDogs because the extreme violence disgusted him. Wrap your brains around THAT.

* TooSpicyForYogSothoth - He once walked out of "Film/ReservoirDogs" because the extreme violence disgusted him. Wrap your brains around THAT.

Wesley Earl [[MeaningfulName Craven]] (born August 2, 1939) is an American film director, producer and writer, and is the creator of many iconic and genre-defining horror films. He is probably best known for his creation of Freddy Krueger, the dream-haunting villain introduced in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''. He also found great success a decade later with the movie ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', a {{deconstruction}} of the [[SlasherMovie slasher sub-genre]] that launched a [[FollowTheLeader slew of late 90's imitation horror films]].

* {{Deconstruction}} - ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'' was so successful that it made [[TheEighties the 80's]] [[SlasherMovie slasher]] [[GenreKiller impossible to take seriously anymore]].

Wesley Earl [[MeaningfulName Craven]] (born August 2, 1939) is an American film director, producer and writer, and is the creator of many iconic and genre-defining horror films. He is probably best known for his creation of Freddy Krueger, the dream-haunting villain introduced in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''. He also found great success a decade later with the movie ''Film/{{Scream}}'', a {{deconstruction}} of the [[SlasherMovie slasher sub-genre]] that launched a [[FollowTheLeader slew of late 90's imitation horror films]].

* ''Film/{{Scream}}'' (1996), and all of its respective sequels.

* {{Deconstruction}} - ''Film/{{Scream}}'' was so successful that it made [[TheEighties the 80's]] [[SlasherMovie slasher]] [[GenreKiller impossible to take seriously anymore]].

* {{Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep}} - On ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'', ''ThePeopleUnderTheStairs'' and ''MySoulToTake''.
* PostModernism: ''Film/WesCravensNewNightmare'' and the ''Scream'' movies take this UpToEleven.

* ''Deadly Friend'' (1986)

Wesley Earl [[MeaningfulName Craven]] (born August 2, 1939) is an American film director, producer and writer, and is the creator of many iconic and genre-defining horror films. He is probably best known for his creation of Freddy Krueger, the dream-haunting villain introduced in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''. He also found great success a decade later with the movie ''Film/{{Scream}}'', a {{deconstruction}} of the [[SlasherFilm slasher sub-genre]] that launched a [[FollowTheLeader slew of late 90's imitation horror films]].

* {{Deconstruction}} - ''Film/{{Scream}}'' was so successful that it made [[TheEighties the 80's]] [[SlasherFilm slasher]] [[GenreKiller impossible to take seriously anymore]].

* SlasherFilm - Two of the most famous examples, too.

* {{Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep}} - On ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet198'', ''ThePeopleUnderTheStairs'' and ''MySoulToTake''.

* {{Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep}} - On "Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984", "ThePeopleUnderTheStairs" and "MySoulToTake".

* ShoutOut: ''Film/TheLastHouseOnTheLeft'' is a loose retelling (with a SettingUpdate) of [[IngmarBergman Ingmar Bergman's]] ''The Virgin Spring''.

* PostModernism: ''NewNightmare'' and the ''Scream'' movies take this UpToEleven.

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' (1984) and its sixth sequel, ''NewNightmare'' (1994).

Wesley Earl [[MeaningfulName Craven]] (born August 2, 1939) is an American film director, producer and writer, and is the creator of many iconic and genre-defining horror films. He is probably best known for his creation of Freddy Krueger, the dream-haunting villain introduced in ''ANightmareOnElmStreet''. He also found great success a decade later with the movie ''Film/{{Scream}}'', a {{deconstruction}} of the [[SlasherFilm slasher sub-genre]] that launched a [[FollowTheLeader slew of late 90's imitation horror films]].

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' (1984) and its sixth sequel, ''NewNightmare'' (1994).

* {{Gorn}} - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'', in particular.

* ShoutOut: {{Film/The Last House On The Left}} is a loose retelling (with a SettingUpdate) of [[IngmarBergman Ingmar Bergman's]] ''The Virgin Spring''.
** In one scene during ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'', SamRaimi's ''TheEvilDead'' is playing on a TV in the background, which itself is a ShoutOut to Sam Raimi putting a poster of Craven's TheHillsHaveEyes in the background of The Evil Dead.