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

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum