In memoriam: Wes Craven
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Published by Sareth Ney on Aug. 30, 2015 at 11:29 p.m.
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Photo Credit: wescraven.com
PALM COAST, Fla. – I received a phone call, less than an hour ago. It was from one of my childhood friends and he mentioned Wes Craven had passed away. My immediate reaction was I could not believe what he told me. He continued to speak but my mind was still on Craven.
Craven made a huge impact, as far as I can remember. I remember sleeping over at a family friend’s household and it was the time when “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” (1987) appeared on VHS. I was exposed to Freddy Krueger at the age of five. The scene where one of his victims was turned into a puppet still haunts me, to this very day. The screenplay was by him and I knew it had the Craven flair to it. At first, I thought it was cruel to be forcefully exposed to it. Later, horror would come knocking on my door and I’ll get to it later.
As time went on—I continued to view Craven’s work, including the inspiration it had on the television series, “Nightmare Café”. I was hooked onto horror and it did not matter where it came from. I often compared it to a roller coaster. When I reached the ultimate high, life would drop and I would be surrounded by screams. I loved the thrill of the chills.
After doing research, I learned where “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984) came from. It was about a Southeast Asian boy who had trouble sleeping because of his nightmares. I often heard it was about a Cambodian boy. After being up for three days, he went to bed and died in another nightmare. At times, sleep paralysis would take me on a dreamscape and I would end up in another nightmare.
During my apprenticeship with Clive Barker, one of my co-workers at another job suggested I reach out to Craven and his office. He sent me a screenshot of his business information and e-mailed it to me. I declined his suggestion because I still believe loyalty over royalty.
After watching the “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (2010), it did not give me the same effect. Johnny Depp was not in it and did not compare. I am going to unleash the horrors in my mind again. You will be missed, Mr. Craven. Thank you for the memories, even if they were nightmares.
Craven made a huge impact, as far as I can remember. I remember sleeping over at a family friend’s household and it was the time when “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” (1987) appeared on VHS. I was exposed to Freddy Krueger at the age of five. The scene where one of his victims was turned into a puppet still haunts me, to this very day. The screenplay was by him and I knew it had the Craven flair to it. At first, I thought it was cruel to be forcefully exposed to it. Later, horror would come knocking on my door and I’ll get to it later.
As time went on—I continued to view Craven’s work, including the inspiration it had on the television series, “Nightmare Café”. I was hooked onto horror and it did not matter where it came from. I often compared it to a roller coaster. When I reached the ultimate high, life would drop and I would be surrounded by screams. I loved the thrill of the chills.
After doing research, I learned where “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984) came from. It was about a Southeast Asian boy who had trouble sleeping because of his nightmares. I often heard it was about a Cambodian boy. After being up for three days, he went to bed and died in another nightmare. At times, sleep paralysis would take me on a dreamscape and I would end up in another nightmare.
During my apprenticeship with Clive Barker, one of my co-workers at another job suggested I reach out to Craven and his office. He sent me a screenshot of his business information and e-mailed it to me. I declined his suggestion because I still believe loyalty over royalty.
After watching the “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (2010), it did not give me the same effect. Johnny Depp was not in it and did not compare. I am going to unleash the horrors in my mind again. You will be missed, Mr. Craven. Thank you for the memories, even if they were nightmares.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sareth Ney is the entertainment journalist for A Quarter and Dream Pictures. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and Center for New Media from Colorado State University-Pueblo. After graduating—he continued his apprenticeship with master of horror, Clive Barker. After he met members of the Wu-Tang Clan, he became the journalist/superhero known as Wu-Man Chu. He inducts everyone into his hall of fame, his goal is to write 150 articles in select time zones, he is the founder and co-host of No Cover Podcast and the festival director for Sareth-Fest Music, Comedy and Short Film Festival.