We continue our tribute to Wes Craven this week by taking a look at some of his most underrated (and underappreciated) films. Everyone knows about A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, but if you look through his 40-year filmography, you might find that he has directed some films you’ve never seen (or heard of). Many of them are quite good (or at least incredibly entertaining). Have you seen the following five films?
Deadly Blessing (1981)
Deadly Blessing is one of Craven’s best films, but also one that hardly anyone knows about. The plot centers on Martha and Jim, a married couple who live on a farm (called “Our Blessing”) near a community of Amish-like citizens called Hittites. When Jim is eventually murdered by his tractor (stay with me) and a strange figure begins to torment Martha and her two visiting friends (one of whom is played by Sharon Stone). It’s not clear until the very end whether the figure is human or supernatural (or both), but Deadly Blessing showed Craven try to tone down the gore and produce a thought-provoking suspense film. It wasn’t highly regarded upon its release, but it has some fantastic set pieces (including one involving a spider falling into Stone’s mouth) and it has aged well over the decades. It’s definitely worth a watch. The bonkers ending alone is worth a purchase.
Deadly Friend (1986)
Deadly Friend isn’t a very good movie, but that’s not surprising considering all of the re-shoots and edits Craven was forced to perform on it after a disastrous test screening with audiences. You see, Deadly Friend was Craven’s Short Circuit (or even E.T.). It was intended to be a PG-rated family film about a teenage genius who resurrects his friend (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Kristy Swanson, in her first film role) by putting a computer chip in her brain after she is accidentally murdered by her abusive father. Audiences complained about the lack of gore in the film, so the producers and the Vice President at Warner Bros. demanded script re-writes and re-shoots, which completely changed the entire film. The film is most well known for it’s “decapitation by basketball” scene,
Music of the Heart (1999)
Otherwise known as “Wes Craven’s only non-genre film,” Music of the Heart is actually a sweet little film. Sure, it’s a little too sugary-sweet, and the hardships Roberta Guaspari must overcome never seem that difficult (oh no, the venue can’t be used anymore! will we ever find another one?), but this was Was Craven out of his element, and for the most part it’s a success. Shot between Scream 2 and Scream 3, Music of the Heart is a respectable effort by Craven. While it doesn’t match the heights of previous inspiring educator films (my personal favorite is Sister Act 2, but most would cite Lean on Me or Stand and Deliver) it boasts a strong performance by Streep (is there any other kind?) and a captivating story. Also, I firmly believe he cast Angela Bassett in the film as an apology for putting her in the atrocity that was Vampire in Brooklyn.
The People Under The Stairs (1991)
While being one of his most well known films, many people don’t seem to like it that much (Zac pretty much loathed it). This was understandable back when the film was released, because the promotional materials and all of the trailers touted the film as being a legitimate horror film, when in actuality it is a campy black comedy. The film tries to make a commentary on the racial divide of the early 90s with mixed results, but The People Under The Stairs is a delightfully fun house of horrors with two of the most memorable villains in Craven’s rogues gallery with Mommy and Daddy. The former could be a drag queen inspiration if I’ve ever seen one and the latter is a crazy guy in a leather S&M getup. It’s all pretty hilarious.
Shocker (1989)
What makes Shocker so fascinating is the story behind it. Craven felt New Line cheated him out of some money after A Nightmare On Elm Street came out, and so he went about making a new slasher film that he thought he could also turn into a franchise with dream sequences and unique kills. That film turned into Shocker, and while it’s by no means a great film, it’s fairly entertaining in its own right. What is also interesting about this film is that it was clearly the inspiration for Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing though. Still, you can’t deny Craven’s creativity and willingness to branch out with this would-be franchise starter.
Do you disagree with any of my choices? Did I leave out a Wes Craven film that you think is underrated? Let me know in the comments below! Feel free to Tweet me as well!