The master of horror himself, Wes Craven, died on Sunday from brain cancer.
[dropcap size=small]H[/dropcap]e was responsible for bringing about a new era of horror to movie theaters all across the United States. He created the hideous character Freddy Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street and he brought us the terrifying character Ghostface from Scream. Without Wes Craven horror movies of today would not be the same.
It was because of Wes Craven that youth horror films of today like the Freddy Versus Jason, Jeepers Creepers and many other exist. Even though his films were known for making audience members jump out of their seats, the man had a gentle side to him that few people knew. He was advocate for bird conservation and loved everything about nature.
It was in the film Music of the Heart, which Meryl Streep was given an Academy Award nomination for best actress and Wes Craven directed, that he proved that while he had a strong hand in creating horror films, he could take on anything that he put his mind to.
“I think it is an extraordinary opportunity and gift to be able to make films in general, and to have done it for almost 40 years now is remarkable. If I have to do the rest of the films in the [horror] genre, no problem. If I’m going to be a caged bird, I’ll sing the best song I can, ” Wes Craven said in his interview with writer and direct Mick Garris. “I can see that I give my audience something. I can see it in their eyes, and they say thank you a lot. You realize you are doing something that means something to people.”
Thank you so much Wes Craven for everything you’ve done. Your influence on the horror genre could never be summarized properly with words, you will be sorely missed.
