Wes Craven Quotes

Powerful Wes Craven for Daily Growth

About Wes Craven

Wesley Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor, renowned for his significant contributions to the horror and thriller genres. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Craven spent much of his childhood in Wheaton, Maryland, which he later described as a 'very normal, idyllic small town'. This tranquil setting would serve as a stark contrast to the dark and unsettling narratives that would become his cinematic trademark. Craven's interest in filmmaking was sparked during his time at Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Humanities. However, it was his move to Los Angeles in the late 1960s that marked the beginning of his career in the film industry. Craven's major breakthrough came with the release of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984), a horror film that introduced the iconic character Freddy Krueger. The film, which was influenced by Craven's own nightmares and his fear of not being able to escape from dangerous situations, was a massive commercial success and established Craven as a significant figure in the horror genre. Other notable works include 'The Hills Have Eyes' (1977), 'Deadly Blessing' (1981), 'Scream' (1996) - which revitalized the slasher film genre and introduced the characters Sidney Prescott and Ghostface - and 'Red Eye' (2005), a psychological thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. Craven's films were often marked by their intelligent scripts, complex characters, and social commentary, making him a respected figure in the industry. His innovative storytelling techniques and his ability to create suspense and fear have left an indelible mark on modern horror cinema. Despite battling cancer during his later years, Craven continued to work until his death in 2015.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Terror is when someone's watching you. Horror is when you're watching yourself."

This quote by Wes Craven suggests that terror is an experience of being under the scrutiny or control of another, often eliciting fear due to a sense of vulnerability and powerlessness. Horror, on the other hand, refers to confronting our deepest fears within ourselves - our own dark impulses, insecurities, or past traumas. In essence, horror is self-reflection that unearths personal demons, making us feel vulnerable towards ourselves rather than others.


"It's funny how a scary movie can make you feel good about your life."

This quote by Wes Craven suggests that, paradoxically, confronting fear in a controlled environment like a scary movie can have a cathartic effect. By facing the fictional horrors, we may gain a sense of perspective and appreciate the safety and normalcy of our everyday lives more keenly. It's a way to test our courage in a manageable context, thus boosting our self-confidence and feelings of wellbeing.


"The more you tell them, the less they know." - Nathaniel Loomis (from 'Hills Have Eyes')

This quote suggests that when providing too much information or detail, it can create confusion or misunderstanding rather than clarity or knowledge. The phrase "them" in this context seems to refer to individuals who are being informed, implying that the more facts, explanations, or details they are given, the less they may truly comprehend or grasp the essence of what's being communicated. It serves as a reminder that sometimes simplicity and brevity can be more effective than overloading with excessive information.


"I think you'll find that most serial killers are very attractive people, until you get to know them."

This quote by Wes Craven, a renowned horror film director, is suggestive of a profound and disturbing truth about human nature: Appearances can be deceiving, especially when it comes to individuals with hidden malevolent intentions. The attractiveness or charm people display on the surface might mask an underlying dark character or dangerous tendencies that are only revealed upon closer examination and interaction. This quote serves as a warning to be cautious in our judgments of others, lest we overlook sinister traits that could potentially endanger ourselves or others around us.


"We all have our little secrets. The trick is keeping them from the people who'd enjoy finding them out." - Freddy Krueger (from 'Nightmare on Elm Street')

This quote, though originating from a horror movie character, Freddy Krueger, encapsulates a profound human truth. It suggests that everyone has personal secrets, aspects of their lives they choose to keep private. The key message lies in the importance of preserving these secrets from those who might misuse or harm us upon discovering them. In essence, it underscores the need for discretion and trust, while acknowledging the existence of potential threats lurking in our social spheres.


I think everybody goes off and does their own vision. And I don't take responsibility for other people's work, frankly. It's bad enough taking responsibility for my own.

- Wes Craven

Think, Other, Everybody, My Own

All I'm doing is rearranging the curtains in the insane asylum.

- Wes Craven

Doing, Insane, Rearranging, Curtains

You learn a lot more from those bumps than from when things are going great.

- Wes Craven

Learn, More, Going, Bumps

You want to give the person as much freedom as you can within the boundaries of being a responsible producer with a contract to a studio. It's about giving as much freedom as you can, and the more the filmmaker proves he or she is on the track that you feel good about, then you just kind of watch dailies.

- Wes Craven

Feel, Studio, About, Contract

In the '60s, I was teaching humanities at a college in upstate New York and trying to publish a novel I'd written in graduate school. But nothing was happening. So I moved to New York City and got a job as a messenger at a place that made movies.

- Wes Craven

College, Upstate New York, Messenger

My whole background was in voracious book-reading.

- Wes Craven

Background, Whole, Voracious

I've done a few interviews where I realized that 9/11 was the ultimate home invasion, not to be glib about it. You know, where the place that you think is safe and the people that you think are safe and far from evil are suddenly just slaughtered by it, and you have no control over it.

- Wes Craven

Over It, Interviews, About, Slaughtered

I had a musician friend once tell me that it's not in the orchestra that you get the true test of the musicians but in the little trios and quintets where you really get to see if they've got the stuff. And the composer.

- Wes Craven

Musicians, Tell, Had, True Test

'Last House' offended a lot of people. The results in the theaters, even in Boston, reminded me a bit of things from when I was studying Theater of the Absurd, and the rise and the appearance of Ionesco plays, and things like that.

- Wes Craven

Boston, Studying, Plays, Theaters

I went to a Christian college. You would be expelled if you were caught in a movie theater. It was ridiculous.

- Wes Craven

College, Movie, Caught, Expelled

Stories and narratives are one of the most powerful things in humanity. They're devices for dealing with the chaotic danger of existence.

- Wes Craven

Dealing, Stories, Narratives, Chaotic

It's great to be thought of as the master of anything. Even idiocy. Master of idiocy, Wes Craven. But if it's master of horror or fear or whatever, that's great.

- Wes Craven

Great, Thought, Horror, Idiocy

That's what's great about the horror genre is that you're getting a load of people together in the cinema at the same place and the same time, having them all experience extreme fear and come out alive at the end. It's an uplifting experience, and there's a sense of elation.

- Wes Craven

Alive, Elation, About, Uplifting

How can you have 'Scream' without Ghostface? It's like 'Friday the 13th' without Jason.

- Wes Craven

How, Like, Jason, Friday

A friend, Sean Cunningham, who went on to do 'Friday the 13th,' was given a small budget to produce a scary movie, and he told me to write something. I'd never seen a horror film in my life; I'd fallen in love with Fellini.

- Wes Craven

Love, My Life, Small, Friday

I did many things in my life - I painted, and I'd play guitar, and wrote and did many things. But it all seemed to come together in making movies, and almost accidentally.

- Wes Craven

My Life, Play, Making, Accidentally

I couldn't find an actor to play Freddy Krueger with the sense of ferocity I was seeking. Everyone was too quiet, too compassionate towards children. Then Robert Englund auditioned.

- Wes Craven

Play, Everyone, Freddy, Ferocity

I came from a very strict background.

- Wes Craven

Background, Very, Came, Strict

My mother wouldn't even let me read DC Comics. I came from a very strict background.

- Wes Craven

Very, Read, Comics, Strict

The whole business is changing dramatically, and the way fans follow and participate in movies, and make their own movies to emulate those movies, is profoundly different.

- Wes Craven

Business, Own, Participate, Dramatically

Basically, I've found that if you have two films that don't perform well, it doesn't matter that you've had a bunch of successful ones. The phone stops ringing, and after 'Deadly Blessing' and 'Swamp Thing,' that's what happened.

- Wes Craven

Matter, Had, Ringing, Blessing

I was paralyzed from the chest down when I was 19, so I kind of put my head together about dying, and I think I've come to terms with it.

- Wes Craven

Think, I Think, Chest, Paralyzed

The thing of sitting in an audience and going into a dream-like state with several hundred other people that are sharing exactly what you're feeling is a profound event.

- Wes Craven

Audience, Other, Hundred, Sitting

I don't know, I always had an active dream life, and there's something so profound and wonderful about a movie. It's so alive. It's so shared. The thing of sitting in an audience and going into a dream-like state with several hundred other people that are sharing exactly what you're feeling is a profound event.

- Wes Craven

Other, Shared, Hundred, Sitting

If something comes along that is totally outside of horror, fine, but I find there's an immense amount of freedom within the genre.

- Wes Craven

Horror, Within, Amount, Immense

Some people ask why people would go into a dark room to be scared. I say they are already scared, and they need to have that fear manipulated and massaged. I think of horror movies as the disturbed dreams of a society.

- Wes Craven

Some, I Think, Disturbed, Scared

There was a period around Columbine when horror films were being kind of assailed by the government. The studios got very afraid that they were going to be sued, and studios at about that time were all being taken over by corporations.

- Wes Craven

Over, Very, Films, Sued

I was anathema in polite society after I made 'Last House.' People literally would grab their children and run from the room.

- Wes Craven

Last, Made, Polite, Anathema

All of us have our individual curses, something that we are uncomfortable with and something that we have to deal with, like me making horror films, perhaps.

- Wes Craven

Deal, Making, Films, Horror Films

Everybody's making horror films and, to me, not especially well.

- Wes Craven

Making, Everybody, Films, Horror Films

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