When Wes Craven died on 30 August 2015, the eulogies sounded properly awestruck by the career of a filmmaker who left his imprint upon not one, not two but three different decades. From The Last House On The Left (1972), through A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) to Scream (1996), he had done more than most to help shape the modern horror film. Last House, with its memorable tag line (to avoid fainting, keep repeating, Its only a movie), was one of the few Drive-in shockers that lived up to the hype, and its raw power inspired countless imitators. Reflecting the changing times, Elm Street and Scream were softer and slicker but no less influential, and were followed by sequels, spin-offs and knock-offs. But thats only a fraction of Cravens output. Also worthy of your time are The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Deadly Blessing (1981), The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988), The People Under The Stairs (1991) and Red Eye (2005).
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
