Screams and Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven (Hardcover)

~ Brian Robb (Author) "Wes Craven began his directing career in 1972 with The Last House on the Left, still seen as a shocking and controversial film a quarter..." (more)
Key Phrases: people under the stairs, deadly friend, dream warriors, Elm Street, Wes Craven, New Line (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Until Scream (1996), director Craven's mainstream fame rested on the seven Nightmare on Elm Street films, whose level of invention and effects elevated them above the Halloween and Friday the 13th slasher series. Through personal interviews, secondary sources, and a wealth of photos, film-idol biographer Robb provides a sometimes worshipful picture of the Ohio-born, Fundamentalist-raised director. We witness a progression from low-budget shockers Last House on the Left (1972) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977) to the better-funded and -crafted The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), The People Under the Stairs (1991), and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995). Welcome attention is given the unsuccessful but enjoyable Swamp Thing (1982), although Robb forgets to discuss its lead character when examining a hallmark of Craven's work: the resourceful heroine. Just as shocking as Craven's subject matter is Robb's portrayal of how the Motion Picture Association of America sanitizes horror films. For larger public libraries and film collections.AKim R. Holston, American Inst. for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Malvern, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Robb scans Craven's film work from the seminal Last House on the Left (1972) to Scream 2 (1997). Featuring stills from cult favorites (e.g., The Hills Have Eyes) as well as Craven's more mainstream hits and sporting a reasonably detailed filmography, the book is essentially what the fans have wanted. One chapter is lavished on the entire Nightmare on Elm Street series, though Craven was not directly involved in any episode after Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Craven's ability to consistently craft box-office hits has guaranteed him ever larger budgets, despite which his features have retained their ooky charm. Robb is unremittingly positive about Craven, without sacrificing biographical value in tantalizing tidbits, such as that Craven's childhood was spent in a "deeply religious working class Baptist family," that give heart to amateur Freudians and other analysts. Based on interviews with Craven and the reporting of such genre-specific journals as Cinefantastique, GoreZone, and the always entertaining Fangoria, Robb's concoction is entertaining and informative about a recognized cinematic auteur. Mike Tribby

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 195 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover; 1st edition (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879519185
• ISBN-13: 978-0879519186
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,313,580 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INTRIUGING, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

I have been an avid fan of Wes Craven and his movies, But this book gives you more insight on his better movies, and gives you respect for his unsatisfactory movies. As well as getting inside his head and knowing what these movies really mean, After reading it you know what each movie is "really" all about. For anyone who is interested in Horror movies, or any genre of Movies, you should definately read this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Craven For More!, December 13, 2003

By	Barry "Barrybgb" - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Screams and Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven (Paperback)

At first thought, many people probably would have thought director Wes Craven to be some kind of unbalanced oddball because of some of the films he has made. Not to mention some of the gnarly and overly violent scenes he has created in his numerous films. What kind of a person would of made "The Last House On The Left", or "The Hills Have Eyes"?. Or have a geiser of blood shooting up from a teenaged boy's bed in the original "A Nightmare On Elm Street"?. Well, Mr. Craven. That's who. Newbies just finding his work and learning more about him, might be surprised to find that Mr. Craven is the exact opposite of what you would of thought. Instead of coming across as some crazy horror film director, he comes across more as a polished and highly intelligent man who looks and dresses like a college professor. "Freddy" star Robert Englund even once made that comment after meeting Wes for the first time after auditioning for the first Freddy movie. This book delves right into the entirety of Wes' career and offers glimpses into the makings of each ones, not to mention his own life. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 2, 1939. One other interesting note was how his family were a deeply religious baptist family. The religion and the nature of his family's religion is something Wes goes on to discuss a bit further in the book. It's also incredibly interesting to know that Wes never saw a movie until
he wasin college. The good and the bad from his work is brought to the forefront and dissected. A running theme thru the book is the effect that horror, and many of Wes' films, have had on the world. Is it good?. Is it harmful to children?. Is it responsible when someone commits a crime and says they did because of watching "Scream" or any other movie?. That is some of the interesting bits you will read about in this book. Author Brian J. Robb, an autobiogrpaher who has done work on such other people as Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, River Phoenix, and Leonardo DiCaprio, does a nice job of getting the information there and making it easily accessible and interesting to read. Granted, the book isn't entirely perfect. It's a thin and light book that could probably be read in one sitting. Also, many of the quotes seem like they were taken from many other sources. It doesn't feel like Wes had directly talked to this book or was involved in any interviews for it. I'm just guessing. It would of been better if it had a tad more in depth, but I'm not really complaining for as it is a great book. The "Nightmare On Elm Street" films are thoroughly researched and talked about here. It is kind of odd that every single one is accounted for since 4 of them had nothing really to do with Wes at all. I did get the feeling that Wes wasn't properly treated at time by New Line over the "Elm Street" series. These films were what really made Wes known, until a little movie called "Scream" came out to terrify theatergoers in 1996 and made Wes not only a household name again, but proved that he is master and back at the top of the horror list. Much talk and detail goes into all 3 of the "Scream" films as well. Overall, this is avery entertaining and enjoyable read. From his trouble with getting a film done, going without money, and the ever present cencorships board, and other things you will read about in this book, Wes Craven has had his struggles. But as always, he rolls with the punches and he always gets back on his feet again. This is a book that satisfy fans, newcomers to him and his work, and genre buffs all over the world.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For Craven fans only, January 28, 2002

By	"joeinlosangeles" (Glendale, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Screams and Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven (Paperback)

This is designed for big, big, big fans of Wes Craven. It is a slim book whose text seems to be primarily based on magazine articles and newspaper clips. The book gives a fairly good overview of Craven's history and philosophy in a readable and serviceable style.