It’s been a few weeks since Wes Craven passed away, and the hole he left in the horror community will be felt forever. Here at Bloody Disgusting, we’ve been celebrating Craven’s life by going back and watching all of his films (yes, even the bad ones and that one porno).* We figured ranking all of his films would be a great way to cap off our coverage and celebration of his life and career.** While not all of them were perfect, all of Craven’s films showed a man with an incredible imagination and willingness to try something different each time. RIP Wes Craven. You were one of the greats and you will be missed.

*This list only includes films that Craven has directed. If he simply wrote the film or produced it, then it did not qualify for this list. That means you will not see films like Wishmaster, Dracula 2000 and Carnival of Souls on this list.
**Please note that the rankings below are merely my opinion, and in no way represent that of the Bloody Disgusting staff as a whole.

26. The Fireworks Woman (1975)

The Fireworks Woman is a pornographic film about a woman who wants to have an incestuous relationship with her brother, who joined the priesthood after they had sex for the first time. Craven, who is credited as “Abe Snake” in the credits, does make one of his trademark cameos in the film, which is about the only bright spot in this poorly acted slog of a film. Thank God it’s barely over an hour long. It should be noted that it was never officially confirmed that Craven directed The Fireworks Woman, but his presence in the film leads many to believe that Craven was in fact Abe Snake. Quality-wise, it’s pretty terrible. It’s a porno. What do you want me to say?

25. Vampire In Brooklyn (1995)

I’m not sure what Craven was attempting to accomplish with Vampire In Brooklyn. Nothing about the film works at all. From the one-liners that fall flat (in once scene, Maximillian (Eddie Murphy) tells Rita (Angela Bassett) that he’s “more of a night person,” which she finds hilarious and instantly falls in love with him), to the lack of scares and the bad acting, Vampire In Brooklyn is a failure in every sense of the word. Worst of all, it’s boring. Another sample of a bad joke in the film:

Julius: Hey, man, my pops always said the quickest way to a woman’s heart – the church.
Maximillian: It’s actually through the ribcage, but that’s a bit messy.

Yes, that is real. It’s a bad film. Don’t watch it.

24. Night Visions (1990)

Night Visions was meant to be the pilot of a TV series, but low ratings prevented the network from moving forward with the series. It’s easy to see why, as it’s a fairly rote police drama. Detective Mackey (Dexter’s James Remar) is tracking a serial killer known as the “Spread Eagle Killer,” aptly named because he poses his victims on the ground with their legs spread, but must use the help of a psychic (Loryn Locklin) with a personality disorder to catch him. The problem with the film is that, aside from the different personalities that overtake Locklin (including a dominatrix, which is fairly amusing), nothing about Night Visions is very compelling or entertaining. If you’re curious to watch it, it’s available to watch on YouTube.

23. Stranger in Our House (1978)

This TV movie adaptation of Lois Duncan’s novel Summer of Fear isn’t terrible, it’s just cheesy and severely limited by TV restrictions. The film mostly consists of Linda Blair looking concerned, crying or complaining after her cousin moves into her family’s house when her parents and housekeeper died in a car accident. There’s nothing particularly notable about the film, but the car chase in the climax is actually a lot of fun. Random side note: Fran Drescher has a supporting role in the film as a nurse that helps out Linda Blair’s character.

22. Invitation To Hell (1984)

In the 80s, Susan Lucci was everything. Famous for her role on ABC’s All My Children, she was the Queen Bitch. This is why it’s not surprising that she is the lead villain in Invitation to Hell, another of Craven’s TV movie efforts. The film is essentially a mix of The Stepford Wives and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and it’s possibly the strongest out of all of the TV movies Craven directed. Once again bound by the constraints of a TV budget, the film suffers from being a little too tame. That didn’t stop it from being nominated from a Primetime Emmy (which it didn’t win). It’s still an entertaining watch though. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube too!

21. Chiller (1985)

Chiller is actually Craven’s best TV movie, but it hasn’t aged well (I watched it on Amazon Instant and it looks atrocious). Basically, a man who has been cryogenically frozen due to a terminal illness that has no cure is thawed out by accident. He manages to survive surgery but it turns out he doesn’t have a soul anymore. Out of all of Craven’s TV films, it has the most suspense and is the best directed. Like all of the other ones though, it’s just limited by the TV medium. Paul Sorvino does get to have some fun as a priest who immediately suspects something is amiss with the newly thawed antagonist, an having Paul Sorvino in your movie is never a bad thing.

20. The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985)

The Hills Have Eyes Part II was a cash-grab for Craven, and it shows. The film is particularly lazy, with much of the first half devoted to flashbacks to the first film a la Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (even the dog has a flashback!), and the second half devoted to multiple bloodless killings. There’s even a blind girl who is psychic with a heightened sense of smell and hearing, which plays a big part in the first half but apparently just stops working in the final act when she is being stalked by Reaper, the new head of the Jupiter family.

19. My Soul To Take (2010)

The last film written by Wes Craven was certainly one of his worst. The film has found some followers over the years (I confess that I even own the Blu-Ray to hate-watch occasionally), but My Soul To Take really is a mess of a film. Craven’s dialogue is laughable (did he really think that is how teenagers talked?), character development is paper thin (Why was Fang such a bitch? Why did Penelope speak maybe two lines before dying?), the kills are dull and the ending doesn’t make much sense. It’s an ambitious failure, but it is a helluva lot of fun to watch and had a fun trailer:

18. Deadly Friend (1986)

Speaking of a failure that is fun to watch, Deadly Friend is possibly one of the worst movies of all time, but it has an energy to it that ranks it above the previous films on this list. 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. As bad as it is, it’s worth watching for the “death by basketball” scene alone.

17. Cursed (2005)

This was another of Craven’s films that was edited to the point of ruining the film (although Craven said he was never really feeling the movie during filming, so perhaps it was doomed from the start). Cursed‘s unrated version is definitely better than the theatrical release, which had to be cut down to a PG-13, neither film is particularly good. It all comes across as Scream-light, even with the severed upper half of Shannon Elizabeth’s torso crawling across the ground to escape a werewolf. It does have one very funny scene though.

16. Shocker (1989)

One of Wes Craven’s least-liked films was actually a moderate success upon its release in 1989, but its also one of his silliest films (and that’s saying something). I mean, just look at the ending! It’s so ridiculous and the rules of Horace Pinker’s abilities are never fully clear. It doesn’t help that the film isn’t particularly gory (it had to be submitted to the MPAA 13 times to get an R rating). The dialogue is cheesy, the acting is pretty bad (Mitch Pileggi is the ultimate scenery-chewer), but for some reason I can’t help but enjoy the film. It’s a fun ride!

15. Swamp Thing (1982)

Swamp Thing saw Craven attempt to show the major studios that he could handle a big budget film with special effects. He sort of succeeded. It’s competently made, and you have to respect him for picking this DC Comics character out of all the options, but Swamp Thing is also a little too cheesy for its own good. I know it’s a comic book movie, but the film hasn’t aged particularly well. Also, the rubber suit costume of the titular hero looks really bad.

14. Scream 3 (2000)

The only entry in the Scream series that could be considered mediocre, Scream 3 is at least better than almost half of the other films in Craven’s filmography. It gets a little too much hate, and I think that had to do with the fact that (at the time) it was the conclusion to the trilogy so a lot of fans felt underwhelmed. Now that Scream 4 has come out, Scream 3‘s failures don’t seem as flagrant. While there are things that don’t work in the film (the shift into pure comedy, the killer’s reveal, the lack of gore), there are things that do (every scene between Parker Posey and Courteney Cox, the meta qualities and Neve Campbell’s performance). Scream 3 is a fine film, it’s just not as good as the others.

13. Paris, je t’aime Segment – “Père-Lachaise” (2006)

It’s only about 6 minutes long, but Craven’s segment in the romance anthology Paris, je t’aime is one of the stronger ones in the film. Set in the Père-Lachaise cemetery, it tells the story of a woman (Emily Mortimer) who is having second thoughts about marrying the man she loves (Rufus Sewell) because he doesn’t make her laugh. Add in the ghose of Oscar Wilde (played by director Alexander Payne), and you’ve got a sweet supernatural romance. Give it a watch!

12. 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 Vampire in Brooklyn.

11. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Craven delved into voodoo territory with The Serpent and the Rainbow. A lot of people seem to really enjoy this film, but it just didn’t really click with me. I’ve never been one to find voodoo that scary, so that may have something to do with it. The film has some fantastic set pieces (a coffin filling with blood, a snake jumping out of a corpse’s mouth, etc.) but Craven relies on his nightmarish dream sequences a little too much (clearly trying to recapture what made him a household name). The Serpent and the Rainbow is competently made and has some good chills. I can’t deny that it is one of Craven’s stronger efforts. It just doesn’t rank higher on the list because I don’t find the subject matter that interesting.

10. Red Eye (2005)

Red Eye is a damn good film and screw the naysayers who say it falls apart in the final act. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. For its first two acts, we are essentially watching Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy talk to each other. Craven slowly ratchets up the tension until it boils over in the final act, which essentially becomes one long chase scene in a slasher film. Some people say this is a devolution, but I disagree. A certain suspension of disbelief is required to fully enjoy the movie, but at a brief 85 minutes, Red Eye is a solid little thriller.

9. The Last House on the Left (1972)

The first film isn’t always the best. The Last House on the Left is notable only because it put Craven on the map and because it featured some crazy intense violence. As shocking as The Last House on the Left may be (and it is shocking, even by today’s standards), it’s not a very good film. Still, you have to respect what Craven did on such a small budget ($87,000). Craven also gave us one of cinema’s greatest villains with this film: Krug. It’s a dirty little grindhouse feature that may not be of the highest quality, but it has the ability to truly get under the skin and ends up being a truly affecting piece of work. You know it’s intense when the R-rated remake tones down the violence.

8. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

1977 saw Wes Craven a little more sure of himself with this slasher film. It hasn’t aged as well as some of his other films (especially since the 2006 remake is a superior film), but you can’t deny the fact that the trailer scene still packs one Hell of a punch. It still kills me every time Lynne (Dee Wallace) dies protecting her baby. Again, Craven proves he knows how to write a villain, with the Family Jupiter proving the ultimate force to be reckoned with. It’s a brutal film and incredibly difficult to watch, but it’s one of Craven’s best.

7. Deadly Blessing (1981)

Deadly Blessing is an incredibly underrated film. 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 actually aged well over the decades. It’s definitely worth a watch. The bonkers ending alone is worth a purchase.

6. Scream 4 (2011)

While not a perfect film, Scream 4 defied all expectations upon its release, and will now most be remembered as Craven’s final film. At the time, the big question as: could Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson bring back the magic 11 years after the last installment? Turns out they could! Scream 4 had a daunting task of updating its meta qualities for a new generation of teenagers and technology, which it did extremely well. Some people harp on the Jill reveal, but it’s actually a brilliant hyperbole of the lazy and fame-hungry qualities that some people view in millennials.  There are also some great set pieces, which Craven was a pro at staging at this point in his career. Kirby’s phone call on remakes will be looked on as a classic later on and Jill hurting herself in the end is also hilariously disturbing to watch. It doesn’t hurt that it is also the goriest entry in the series since the original.

5. The People Under The Stairs (1991)

While being one of his most well known films, many people didn’t seem to like it that much at the time of its release. 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 (sort of a reverse Home Alone, since it’s the child that breaks into the villains’ house). 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 and shows Craven really having fun. If you’ve never seen The People Under the Stairs, get on it now.

4. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Otherwise known as the pre-Scream, New Nightmare was Craven’s first dabble into full-on meta territory. It is something that has taken years for people to really warm up to. Most critics liked it, some hated it, but the film didn’t really resonate with audiences. It took in a mere $19.7 million (the lowest box office gross in the series) on a reported $8 budget, so it wasn’t a complete flop, but it probably wasn’t the hit New Line was wanting. Numbers aside, New Nightmare is one of the best entries in the Elm Street franchise (it ranks below just 1 and 3) and is an insanely clever piece of work. Being the seventh film in a franchise (and released almost 10 years after the original), that is no small feat. It was refreshing for audiences to see Heather Langenkamp (playing herself, no less) on screen again after Nancy’s death in Dream Warriors, and of course Wes Craven playing himself was a nice touch. New Nightmare was the prelude to Scream, but it was truly a film that was ahead of its time. Had it been released today, it probably would have done a lot better.

3. Scream (1996)

Speaking of Scream, here we are. Craven had been known to revitalize the horror genre, and this is probably the most notable example of that fact. Slashers were dead in 1996. The Halloween, Friday the 13th and even the Nightmare on Elm Street franchises had stopped bringing in sizable dollars and none of the knock-offs were making any money either. Enter Scream. It can’t be stated enough how thankful horror fans should be that Scream exist. Without it, the horror genre would be in a very different place today and I don’t want to think about it, so don’t make me. From the perfect (perfect!) opening sequence with Drew Barrymore (which no movie has ever been able to top) to the incredibly witty script written by Kevin Williamson. For once, the characters in the movie actually spoke aloud the audience’s thoughts. It was a miracle and a revelation at the time and Scream will never be able to get enough accolades. I’ve lately seen a lot of hate towards Scream from (younger) people in the comments who say it’s overrated. Let me just tell you that this is not true. Had you been a fan of horror in the 90s and witnessed the state of horror at the time, you would have a very different opinion of the film. It is an important film that stands the test of time, and if added Sidney Prescott to the list of classic “Final Girls.” If you don’t like Scream, you suck.

2. Scream 2 (1997)

Look, I know the first Scream is a classic, but Scream 2 is the better movie. A lot of you have given me grief for it, but it is what it is. I can’t change my opinion (and even critics agree with me!). Scream 2 is not only the perfect sequel, it is the perfect slasher film. The reason I like Scream 2 over Scream is mainly because there is a bit of a 30-minute lull before the party in the first film where not much happens (the only reason Henry Winkler’s character was killed in the film is because the Weinsteins made Craven add it in after noticing that no one had died for 40 pages in the script). That is not the case with Scream 2, which is an extremely fast-paced, witty, scary and fun slasher movie. While no opening scene will ever match Drew Barrymore’s in the original, the movie theater scene with Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps is still great. Sarah Michelle Gellar has a stellar cameo in the film and the Mrs. Loomis reveal is fantastic. The Mrs. Loomis reveal is even more interesting considering that Scream 2 was a victim of online script leakage so they had to change the final act of the film (the original killers were Hallie and Derek).  Add to all of this Sidney’s phenomenal one-liner (“You’re forgetting one thing about Billy Loomis…I fucking killed him!”) and you’ve got a perfect slasher. If you don’t like Scream 2, you really suck.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

You didn’t think I would put any other film above A Nightmare On Elm Street, Craven’s masterpiece and most influential film, did you? I can’t really put into words how amazing this film is, and anything I say has probably already been said before by countless critics and viewers. I’ll just leave it at his: A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the best horror films ever created and should be required viewing for all movie-watchers, be they horror fans or not. This is the film that birthed Freddy Krueger and cemented his placement as one of the greatest villains in movie history. Filled with top-of-the-line special effects (barring those very obvious looking quicksand steps) and scares aplenty, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a seminal slasher film, and deserves its place at the top of this list. There is no argument.

Have you seen all 26 of Craven’s films (you will be forgiven if you missed the porno)? What are your thoughts on my rankings? Do you agree? Did I just manage to piss a lot of you off? Let me know in the comments below or Tweet me!