KWEENY'S FAVORITE WES CRAVEN FILMS

The horror world was rocked this week when we found out one of our beloved creators, Wes Craven, died. It was a shock too a lot of us. I know I personally was so devastated I had a good cry about it, and I needed time to formulate my thoughts on the matter. Wes was not just a filmmaker. He was one of us. He was a lover of the horror genre and fought his cancer bravely. He will be deeply missed.

I talked about my feelings a little bit on Archivists Bet On Sexy Witches, a podcast I co-host with my other fellow Witches. We all shared our feelings about him, and I was in awe how deeply the horror community was touched by this. We all have come together in one form or another to share our feelings on Wes, because whether you like his films or not, you cannot deny his impact on the genre as a whole. Personally, I think he was a brilliant man, who showed us the power of nightmares made flesh.

Speaking of nightmares made flesh, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Wes Craven movies with you. These movies shaped me as a kid. Watching them late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping was one of my favorite pastimes. Hell, sometimes my mother would watch them with me anf forget to punish me for staying up.

I do get my love of horror from her.

KWEENY'S FAVORITE WES CRAVEN FILMS

5. Scream

When Scream came out it reinvented the slasher genre, while at the same time giving us great satire. It was gory, funny, and had some amazingly shot kills. One thing Wes was good at was framing a scene, and many scenes in this movie are really great to watch. Plus, the twist ending made the movie live on in slasher history.

4. People Under The Stairs

I love this film for it's weirdness. It has some amazing acting and over-the-top shit like the S&M family relationship. As things unravel we get some really good commentary on child abuse, and I still get chills watching poor Alice clean up after her "parents". The family is downright creepy, and it definitely teaches you that you may be able to break into a house, but you might not find a way out alive after.

3. Last House On The Left

This film is a hard one to sit through for many reasons. It has a great soundtrack and powerful imagery, but it's really not a gentle film. I mean, you know things are going to be bad when the two teens in this film come across some escape convicts who are in the mood to be assholes. The torture and rape in this film is hard to stomach, but I applaud Wes for not pulling punches with it. He shows it ALL. The twist with the parents exacting revenge is well done and really satisfying.

2. The Hills Have Eyes

I put this one above Last House On The Left because I honestly enjoyed it more for the weird, cannibalistic family. It's one of those vacation-horror films that really makes you wonder about people who live in the mountains. There is a strong commentary on suburban folk as well, and how they demonize those they don't understand. Of course, in this case they have a right to be afraid. This time. The kills in this movie as brutal-as-fuck, but that's why I love Wes. He doesn't hold back when he unleashes horrors on you.

1, Nightmare On Elm Street

I know it's probably cliche, but I love this movie best of all. I think out of all his movies, it is the most creative and inventive, and I still get shivers watching Freddy Krueger stalk Tina Grey. There are some really beautifully horrible scenes, like Tina in the body bag, that just stick with me. I watched this at a really young age, and I still remember how afraid I was to sleep after. Krueger is a monster, through and through, and though he becomes more lovable as the series goes on, I never forgot that he was a child-killing bastard who just wanted to hurt people.

--

So those are a few of my favorite Wes Craven movies. He will live on among us monster kids in our dark dreams. What are some of your favorite movies? I think I am going to watch The Hills Have Eyes tonight. I haven't seen that movie in years. RIP Wes Craven. Thank you for all the nightmares.