Wes Craven: The Man and His Nightmares - Paperback

by John Wooley (Author)

The life and film genius of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream director Wes Craven

Wes Craven is one of the most successful and iconic horror movie directors in Hollywood. His masterful examination of the nightmarish nexus of dreams and reality helped spark a career that has spanned close to forty years. Then, with their mix of horror, sex, and humor, Craven's Scream movies helped revitalize the slasher film genre.

• An absorbing portrait of cult film director Wes Craven's life and career in film
• Draws on the author's new interviews with Craven, including little-known details about the director's life and work
• Insights into the making of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies and the Scream films--the #1 horror franchise of all time
• Fascinating stories about the director's work with a range of producers, screenwriters, and actors, including Robert Englund
• Publication timing ties in with the release of Scream 4

If you've ever had nightmares about Freddy Krueger or psychopaths wearing Halloween scream masks, or if want to know more about the director behind the new Scream 4, this is one book you simply have to read.

Back Jacket

"Wooley tells the stuff that Screams are made of, richly exploring the deep intelligence, wit, edgy controversiality, and absolute terror that only Wes Craven brings to the screen." --Ron Wolfe, coauthor of Old Fears and Death's Door

An absorbing portrait of horror's most terrifyingly imaginative writer-director

Wes Craven is one of the most successful and iconic horror movie directors in Hollywood, with a career that has spanned almost forty years. His examination of the nightmarish nexus of dreams and reality has enthralled millions around the world. This book goes beyond the screen to examine what really led to Wes Craven's nightmares--and ours.

Why was Craven reluctant to direct Scream, which spawned the number one horror franchise of all time? What led him to begin his career as a film director by making one of the most controversial horror movies ever? What inspired him to create the horrifying Freddy Krueger of A Nightmare on Elm Street? In this fascinating and insightful biography filled with new revelations from the author's most recent interview with Craven, you'll discover the answers to these and many more questions about the man whose name has become synonymous with horror.

You'll find out:

The source of the nightmares that haunted Craven's childhood and how he coped with them later in life

Craven's surprising scholarly roots

The real-life events that sparked the creation of the infernal Freddy Krueger

Why the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise didn't make him rich

The real story that inspired The Hills Have Eyes

The background dish on the Scream movies

Author Biography

JOHN WOOLEY spent more than two decades as the horror-film writer for the Tulsa World and as a regular contributor to Fangoria magazine. He coauthored The Big Book of Biker Flicks and the Forgotten Horror series, and his novels include Old Fears, which was optioned for film adaptation by Wes Craven.