Screenwriter Kevin Williamson worked with Wes Craven on four incredibly important films, the Scream series, and one that didn’t necessarily receive as much love as other Craven titles, Cursed. We’re not going to talk the merits or mistakes of any of those titles. Rather, we begin this piece to call attention to a fantastic memorial that Williamson wrote with his thoughts on Craven’s passing.
One of my favorite passages was Williamson talking about his experience on the set of the first Scream, where he was a “virgin”:
‘Scream’ was my first film, my first set experience. I was a virgin. There’s one on every show, and I was the one on ‘Scream’. And Wes embraced me from the start. He let me be a part of the process. I didn’t know at the time that this was unheard of on a set. Most directors would have grown annoyed by the writer dogging their every step, asking questions, whispering constantly in the background — but Wes allowed it. He said it was exciting to see my enthusiasm, and it was always nice to have “set virgins” for this very reason. They’re contagious. They remind everyone why we’re here — to make magic. I’ve never forgotten that.
I love that this explains how Craven never lost that passion to create magic, to create something really special. His films always had a certain feel to them and it warms my heart to know that he never lost that excitement.
Neve Campbell, who played Sidney Prescott in the Scream films, adds to this idea, explaining how Wes acted right after the scene where she stabs co-star Skeet Ulrich with an umbrella in the first film. “We cut, and from behind the monitor I hear a childlike giggle. Wes is beside himself. He can’t stop laughing. His over-6-foot-3 figure and long limbs float into the room like a gazelle as he chuckles away. “That was great,” he says with a boyish excitement.” She also wrote what might be the most defining and accurate line about Wes: “Wes Craven loved to play! On set, he was like a kid in a candy store. He loved what he did, he was great at it, and he was grateful for it.”
Both Bob Shaye of New Line Cinema and Bob Weinstein of Dimension films also share their memories with The Hollywood Reporter, which I highly recommend reading.
