Welcome back everyone! I hope you liked last week’s post. I did get some feedback that people didn’t like some of the implications of the post. I want to make sure before I get into this week’s post that something is very clear. Posts like the last one that were CLEARLY satiric are not meant to be taken seriously. Also, I am not going to apologize for my writing. I found it funny, it’s my blog post, and as long as it doesn’t make Justin or the “Here’s Johnny” podcast look bad, I am going to keep writing what I find funny. So let’s move on to something fun.
A few weeks back, I was notified by the overlords at Twitter that it was Wes Craven’s birthday on August 2nd, and the anniversary of his death in August 30th. His movies have not only been very important to me, but they helped define, create, and redefine this genre that I love so much. Even though some of his movies are TOUGH to watch, they are incredibly important to see where horror cinema has developed both cinematically and fundamentally. So with that being said, I am going to rank the Top Five Wes Craven Films (to me). I will say that this was hard to put together, in particular the top three. So with all that being said, let’s start off with an honorable mention, because I couldn’t not include this one…
Honorable Mention: The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Woof. Even if you haven’t seen this one or its remake and/or sequels, you know exactly what the story is. Family traveling across the desert gets ambushed by hill people and terrorized. Its brutal, and its inherently scary because who hasn’t looked out of the window on a cross country drive and wondered what’s out there in the hills. I know for sure that I have. However, the other five movies are a lot better in my opinion.
5. New Nightmare (1994)
Spoiler Alert. This is not going to be the first time Freddy Kreuger shows up on this list. The reason why I love this movie so much is because it is a return to form as to what Freddy was supposed to be. Dark. Terrifying. Non-comedic. Scary. This movie is also a lot of fun because it is meta as hell. The basic plot is that the “Nightmare” movies exist and the actors who played them (and the director who created them) are themselves. However, reality starts to cross with fiction when Heather Langenkamp (the actress who plays Nancy in the movies) starts to see Freddy in real life. The film plays homage to its predecessors without having to fall into the campy traps that tied them up. Wes Craven plays himself in this film, which is awesome just on its own. If you want to see Freddy as he was meant to be portrayed, watch this film.
4. The Last House on the Left (1972)
One of the most brutal movies I have ever watched. There is a difference though in the brutality in this film when compared to the unnecessary brutality of films like “Human Centipede”. For those who do not know what the brutality is to which I speak, I will briefly explain the plot of this film. Some local girls are kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a roving band of criminals. The previously described actions are shown explicitly and are very, very hard to watch. The criminals then seek shelter from a storm, relying on the kindness of strangers. The strangers happen to be the parents of one of the girls. The parents come to realize who and what these people are. And so, the parents take their revenge. My first experience with this film is the remake which came out my senior year of high school. The plot is very similar, and Wes even produced the film. The horror in this film comes from the awful things that happen to the girls. However, unlike other horror films we the audience get to see the villains get their due. It’s satisfying in a very good way.
3. Scream (1996)
Man, I love this film. From the opening scene, Wes lets you know that not only are you in for a terrifying experience, but he is also going to pay homage to the genre that he helped create. The characters are incredibly memorable, the 90’s cringe is real, and Ghostface is a terrifying villain. The thing about this film that I love the most is how it plays off the tropes of the horror genre. They are critical, yet they show Wes’ love of the genre. Scream is also one of the first scary movies I remember seeing as a kid, and for weeks after I didn’t want my parents to have the babysitter over. Mainly because she looked just like Drew Barrymore and I didn’t need her getting gutted in my front lawn.
2. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
I told you Freddy would be back! I had to pick this one as one of the top two Wes Craven horror films. No lie, after watching this film the first time I did not sleep for two days. I also couldn’t believe I watched Edward Scissorhands get sucked into a bed and turned into a soup. Freddy is one of the best villains ever created. Everyone knows what he looks like, from the fedora to the red and green sweater to the clawed glove. He has impacted American pop culture in a way that few other horror villains have, outside of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. There have been seven movies based on this film, and Freddy has even appeared in Mortal Kombat! This film also was a less graphic horror film when compared to Wes’ older works (i.e. The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes) which show that he was able to change the delivery of his horror as the film industry changed.
1. Scream 2 (1997)
Some people who have listened to the podcast are probably confused. I have spoken at length about how I do not necessarily care for remakes or sequels. So why the hell do I have a sequel rated above the original on the same list. How the hell did it beat Freddy? I have two reasons for this. The first is that this film does something similar to the original. It keeps the same tone and plays off the tropes of other sequels in the horror genre. However, even though it is poking fun at the genre, the horror is there throughout, and it never takes you out of the film. The second reason why this film makes the number one slot is that this film is meta. There is a whole scene at the beginning of the film where the characters are in a film class talking about the merits of movie sequels. It is brilliantly scripted and plays just like you think young college age kids would talk. Kevin Williamson is the writer for both this and the original and he is just great. He also wrote The Faculty (my all-time favorite) and Dawson’s Creek (not a horror but it speaks to the point that the man knows his angsty teenagers!). I also love the actors in this film, because they all do such a great job. In particular I love the dynamic between Deputy Dewey and Gail. I know that this film would not exist without the original and that the other films in Wes Craven’s filmography are the reason why this exists. However, this is my list and I truly believe that this is the crown jewel in Wes Craven’s repertoire.
So that’s my list. What do you think? How would you rank them? Please comment on the post or send the show an email and let me know what you think! I can’t wait to hear from you!! Until then, if someone calls and asks for your scary movie, get the hell out of your house ASAP.