Wes Craven Biography (1939-)

Full name, Wesley Earl Craven; born August 2, 1939, in Cleveland, OH; son ofPaul and Caroline (maiden name, Miller) Craven; married Bonnie Susan Broecker, June 1964 (divorced, 1970); married Millicent Eleanor Meyer (a flight attendant), July 25, 1982 (divorced, 1985); children: (first marriage) Jonathan Christian (an actor), Jessica (an actress). Addresses: Office: Craven/Maddalena Films, 11846 Ventura Blvd., Suite 208, Studio City, CA 91604.; Agent:ICM, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211; William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Director, producer, editor, cinematographer, screenwriter
Birth Details
August 2, 1939
Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Work
  • Assistant producer, director, and cinematographer, Together (alsoknown as Sensual Paradise), New Line Cinema, 1971
  • Editor, You've Got to Walk It like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat, JER Pictures, 1971
  • Director and editor, It Happened in Hollywood, Screw Film, 1972
  • Director and editor, Last House on the Left (also known as GrimCompany, Krug and Company, Night of Vengeance, and SexCrime of the Century), American International Pictures, 1972
  • Editor, The Carhops (also known as California Drive-In Girls and Kitty Can't Help It), 1974
  • Director and editor, The Hills Have Eyes (also known as Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes), Castle Hill, 1978
  • Director, Deadly Blessing, United Artists, 1981
  • Director, Swamp Thing, Avco Embassy, 1982
  • Director, A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Line Cinema, 1984
  • Director and editor, The Hills Have Eyes II, VTC, 1985
  • Director, Deadly Friend, Warner Bros., 1986
  • Executive producer, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, New Line Cinema, 1987
  • Director, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Universal, 1988
  • Director and executive producer, Shocker (also known as Shocker: No More Mr. Nice Guy), Universal, 1989
  • Director and executive producer, The People under the Stairs (alsoknown as Wes Craven's The People under the Stairs), Universal, 1991
  • Director and executive producer, Wes Craven's New Nightmare (alsoknown as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part 7 and New Nightmare),New Line Cinema, 1994
  • Director, Vampire in Brooklyn (also known as Wes Craven's Vampire in Brooklyn), Paramount, 1995
  • Executive producer, The Outpost (also known as Mind Ripper,Wes Craven Presents Mind Ripper, and Wes Craven's "The Mindripper"), 1995
  • Director, Scream, Miramax/Dimension Films, 1996
  • Director, Scream 2, Miramax/Dimension Films, 1997
  • Executive producer, Wishmaster (also known as Wes Craven's Wishmaster), Live Film and Mediaworks, 1997
  • Executive producer, Carnival of Souls (also known as Wes CravenPresents "Carnival of Souls"), Trimark Pictures, 1998
  • Director, Music of the Heart, Miramax, 1999
  • Director, Scream 3, Dimension Films, 2000
  • Executive producer, Dracula 2000 (also known as Dracula 2001 and Wes Craven Presents Dracula 2000), Dimension Films, 2000
  • Director, Cursed, Dimension Films, 2004
  • Codirector of the film Tales to Tear Your Heart Out; executive producer of Laurel Canyon.
  • Film Appearances
  • Himself, Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors (documentary), Media Home Entertainment, 1986
  • Man neighbor, Shocker (also known as Shocker: No More Mr. NiceGuy), Universal, 1989
  • Himself, Night of the Living Dead: 25th Anniversary Edition (documentary), Drive-In Cinema, 1993
  • Himself, Wes Craven's New Nightmare (also known as A Nightmareon Elm Street, Part 7 and New Nightmare), New Line Cinema, 1994
  • Dr. Arnold, The Fear (also known as Morty), A-Pix Entertainment, 1995
  • (Uncredited) Fred the janitor, Scream, Miramax/Dimension Films, 1996
  • (Uncredited) Man at hospital, Scream 2, Miramax/Dimension Films, 1997
  • Himself, Unmasking the Horror, 1998
  • Himself, Welcome to Primetime (documentary), New Line Home Video,1999
  • Himself, Behind the "Scream" (documentary short film), Dimension Home Video, 2000
  • Himself, Welcome to Hollywood, Phaedra Cinema, 2000
  • (Uncredited) Man with video camera on studio tour, Scream 3, Dimension Films, 2000
  • Himself, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Dimension Films, 2001
  • Himself, It's Only a Movie: The Making of "Last House on the Left"(documentary), MGM/UA Home Entertainment, 2002
  • Himself, Celluloid Crime of the Century (documentary short film),2003
  • Himself, Looking Back at "The Hills Have Eyes" (documentary), Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2003
  • Television Work
  • Series
  • Executive producer, The People Next Door, CBS, 1989
  • Creator and executive producer, Nightmare Cafe, NBC, 1992
  • Executive producer, Hollyweird, Fox, 1998
  • Producer, Project Greenlight, HBO, 2001
  • Executive producer, Kamelot, UPN, 2003
  • Movies
  • Director, Stranger in Our House (also known as Summer of Fear), NBC, 1978
  • Producer, Kent State, 1981
  • Director, Invitation to Hell, ABC, 1984
  • Director, Chiller, CBS, 1985
  • Director and executive producer, Night Visions (also known as Nightmare Cafe and Chameleon Blue), NBC, 1990
  • Director, "The Gas Station," John Carpenter Presents Body Bags, Showtime, 1993
  • Director, Wes Craven Presents Mind Ripper: Live in Horror, Die in Fear (also known as The Outpost), HBO, 1995
  • Executive producer, Don't Look Down (also known as Wes Craven Presents Don't Look Down), ABC, 1998
  • Executive producer, Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies, HBO, 1999
  • Executive producer, They Shoot Divas, Don't They, VH1, 2002
  • Pilots
  • Producer, Hollyweird, Fox, 1998
  • Executive producer, Kamelot, UPN, 2003
  • Television Director
  • Episodic
  • "A Little Peace and Quiet," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Word Play," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Shatterday," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Chameleon," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Her Pilgrim Soul," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Dealer's Choice," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Casebusters," The Disney Sunday Movie, ABC, 1986
  • "The Road Less Traveled," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1986
  • "Aliens Ate My Lunch," Nightmare Cafe, 1992
  • Television Appearances
  • Miniseries
  • Himself, A-Z of Horror (also known as Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror; documentary), BBC, 1997
  • Movies
  • Pasty-faced man, "The Gas Station," John Carpenter Presents Body Bags (also known as Body Bags and John Carpenter Presents "Mind Games"), Showtime, 1993
  • Counselor, Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, Showtime, 1996
  • Specials
  • Himself, Heartstoppers: Horror at the Movies, syndicated, 1992
  • Halloween!, CBS, 1994
  • Interviewee, Anatomy of Horror, UPN, 1995
  • Halloween Homes, HGTV, 1998
  • Himself, Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius (also known as Dial H Hitchcock: The Genius Behind the Showman and Dian H for Hitchcock; documentary), TCM, 1999
  • Himself, The American Scream (documentary; also known as The American Nightmare), Independent Film Channel, 2000
  • Himself, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, IndependentFilm Channel, 2001
  • Himself, Scream: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2001
  • Intimate Portrait: Linda Blair (documentary), Lifetime, 2001
  • Tales of Edgar Allen Poe, The Learning Channel, 2001
  • Masters of Horror (documentary), 2002
  • Himself, AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains (also knownas AFI's 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains: America's Greatest ScreenCharacters), CBS, 2003
  • The 100 Scariest Movie Moments, Bravo, 2004
  • Episodic
  • Caged man, "Children's Zoo," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • "Fear in the Dark" (documentary), A&E; Stage, Arts and Entertainment, 1991
  • Terrance Sterling, "The Pigeon," Stark Raving Mad, NBC, 2000
  • Himself, Exposure, Sci-Fi Channel, 2000
  • Himself, "Storytime," The Chris Isaak Show, Showtime, 2001
  • Himself, "Poe's Tales of Terror," Great Books, The Learning Channel, 2001
  • Super Secret Movie Rules, VH1, 2004
  • Also appeared as himself, Project Greenlight, HBO.
  • WRITINGS
  • Screenplays
  • Last House on the Left (also known as Grim Company, Krugand Company, Night of Vengeance, and Sex Crime of the Century), American International Pictures, 1972
  • The Hills Have Eyes (also known as Wes Craven's The Hills HaveEyes), Castle Hill, 1978
  • (With Glenn M. Benest and Matthew Barr) Deadly Blessing, United Artists, 1981
  • Swamp Thing, Avco Embassy, 1982
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Line Cinema, 1984
  • The Hills Have Eyes II, VTC, 1985
  • (With Bruce Wagner, Chuck Russell, and Frank Darabont) A Nightmare onElm Street 3: Dream Warriors (based on a story by Craven and Wagner), NewLine Cinema, 1987
  • (Coauthor) Flowers in the Attic, New World, 1987
  • Shocker (also known as Shocker: No More Mr. Nice Guy), Universal, 1989
  • The People under the Stairs (also known as Wes Craven's The People under the Stairs), Universal, 1991
  • (With Michael DeLuca) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (based ona story by Rachel Talalay), New Line Cinema, 1991
  • Wes Craven's New Nightmare (also known as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part 7), New Line Cinema, 1994
  • Television Movies
  • (With Richard Rothstein) Invitation to Hell, ABC, 1984
  • (With J. D. Feigelson) Chiller, CBS, 1985
  • Night Visions (also known as Nightmare Cafe and Chameleon Blue), NBC, 1990
  • Television Pilots
  • Twilight Zone, CBS, 1985
  • Nightmare Cafe, NBC, 1992
  • Television Episodes
  • "Fay & Ivy," Nightmare Cafe, 1992
  • "Aliens Ate My Lunch," Nightmare Cafe, 1992
  • Song Lyrics
  • Wrote lyrics for Nightmare Cafe.
  • Books
  • (With Bruce Wagner) Dream Warriors, Abdo and Daughters, 1992
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street, Abdo and Daughters, 1992
  • The Fountain Society (novel), Simon & Schuster, 1998

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 6, Gale, 1991, Volume25, 1998
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
    • Muir, John Kenneth, Wes Craven: The Art of Horror, McFarland &Co.;, 1998
    • Newsmakers 1997, Issue 4, Gale Research, 1997
    • Robb, Brian J., Screams & Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven,Overlook Press, 1999
    Periodicals
    • DGA Magazine, December/January, 1998
    • Newsweek, December 15, 1997, p. 70
    • New York Times, January 2, 1997
    • People Weekly, November 13, 1989, p. 161
    • Rolling Stone, October 6, 1988, p. 91
    • Time, September 5, 1988, p. 66
    • Times (London), August 30, 1985
    Electronic
    • Wes Craven Official Site, http://www.wescraven.com/, April 23, 2004