2005 PARIS, JE T'AIME Paris, Je T'aime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location: Paris, the City of Love. Twenty filmmakers will bring their own personal touch, underlining the wide variety of styles, genres, encounters and the various atmospheres and lifestyles that prevail in the neighborhoods of Paris. Each director has been given five minutes of freedom, and we, as producers, carry the responsibility of weaving a single narrative unit out of those twenty moments. The 20 films will not appear in the order of the arrondissements, from one to twenty, but rather, in a pertinent narrative order, initially unknown to the audience. They will be fused together by transitional interstitial sequences, and also via the introduction and epilogue sequences of the feature film. Each transition will begin with the last shot of the previous film and will end with the first shot of the following film, and will have a threefold function: 1) The first is to extend the enchantment and the emotion of the previous segment, 2) The second is to prepare the audience for the surprise of the next segment, and 3) The third is to provide a general, comfortable and cohesive atmosphere to the feature film. The delightful and brief interludes of these transitions will enable the viewer to slide from one world to the next, featuring a recurring and unexpected character. This mysterious character is a witness to the Parisian life and helps create a continuous narration. It appears both in and in-between the films. In addition to the information these transitions will provide about the city and its people, their tone will be intentionally light often referring to famous scenes easily attributed to the history of Paris cinema. Similar specifications will be followed by the composer who will supervise the musical fusion between the films and the transitions as he creates the musical score of Paris, je t'aime. Considering the common theme of Paris and Love, the fusion between the films and the transitions, the fast pace of a fluid and complete storytelling, Paris, je t'aime will not be just another "anthology" picture. It will be a unique collective feature film that will constitute a two-hour cinematographic spectacle whose original structure will make for a dramatically different experience for its global audience. 2005 RED-EYE Monsters are scary, but human evil is scarier. In Red Eye, Wes Craven applies his considerable skills at building suspense to this, his first psychological thriller. In this film, a simple plane ride becomes a harrowing ordeal for Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) as she finds herself cornered and blackmailed by a stranger named Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). He forces her into participating in his plot to murder a government official, threatening to have an accomplice murder her father (Brian Cox) if she won't participate. The movie follows a life and death struggle that begins 30,000 feet in the air and traverses the country, finally coming to a adrenaline-inducing end in Miami. Between the on-screen thrills, viewers should keep an eye out for screenwriter Carl Ellsworth, several producers, and at least ten crew and production members who have cameos in the film. IMDB entry 2005 CURSED Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson reunited with Wes Craven for a postmodern approach to the werewolf genre: Los Angeles siblings Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) survive an attack by a hairy beast only to discover they now suffer the curse of lycanthropy. As they struggle to deal with the ways this condition is changing their bodies and personalities, they realize that someone in their day-to-day lives is the werewolf who put the bite on them - and said werewolf wants them dead. One of the unique aspects of Cursed is that it is as much a showbiz satire as it is a horror film: Ellie works for a talk show, which allows for plenty of barbed jibes at television and cameos by the likes of Craig Kilborn and Scott Baio. It's also probably the only horror film that has ever depicted a werewolf giving someone 'the finger.' That said, Craven never forgets to deliver the scary goods: highlights include the opening attack sequence - in which a werewolf exploits the opportunity of a young woman being trapped in a car wreck - and a tense finale that takes place in a horror movie-themed nightclub. Rick Baker, who won an Oscar for his lycanthropic creations in An American Werewolf In London, contributes to the special effects. IMDB entry 2000 SCREAM III The final film in the Scream trilogy takes the story to the only logical killing ground left - Hollywood, California. The storyline starts with a trademark suspense and scream sequence that results in the death of Cotton Weary - played by Liev Schrieber. Shortly after the same masked killer that brought down Weary strikes on the set of Stab 3, embarking on a series of grisly murders that shuts the production down. We then cut to the long-suffering Sidney (Neve Campbell) in seclusion at a cabin far up in the wooded Hollywood Hills. Learning of these murders, and determined to put an end to this madness, Sidney ventures to Hollywood to confront the killer, discovering some interesting things about her mother's murder along the way. Craven and new screenwriter Ehren Kruger take delight in using the premise to skewer Hollywood while also delivering some memorable set pieces, including a creepy scene where Sidney is stalked on a movie set that replicates her old home. Courteney Cox and David Arquette reprise their roles in this film, joined by new cast members Patrick Dempsey and Parker Posey. Cameos include Carrie Fisher - who makes a witty Star Wars joke - and iconic B-movie producer Roger Corman. Kevin Smith fans should notice that Smith and Jason Mewes make cameos here as their Jay and Silent Bob characters - and Craven makes his own cameo in the background during their appearance. IMDB entry 1999 Fountain Society Wes Craven's debut novel is a story of breakthrough medical technology run amok, a terrifying government conspiracy, and a life-after-death romance. Amazon link 1999 MUSIC OF THE HEART Although he has come to be known as a master of horror, Wes Craven long harbored the desire to make a non-genre film. He finally got his wish with Music Of The Heart, a film inspired by the real-life story chronicled in the documentary Small Wonders. Meryl Streep delivers an Academy Award-nominated performance as Roberta Guaspari, a divorced teacher and mother of two who struggles against the odds to establish a violin class in a Harlem school. She has to fight indifference, both in and outside the classroom, but manages to instill a love of music in her students that changes their lives forever. Music Of The Heart was a milestone in Craven's career, proving he could direct a complex adult drama with the same skill he brought to horror fare. Streep's convincing performance, which included learning the violin for the film, carries the movie with grace, and her work receives excellent support from costars Angela Bassett and Gloria Estefan. Classical music fans take note: world-famous violinists Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Josh Bell, Midori and Arnold Steinhardt plus several others all appear as themselves during the film's stirring concert finale. IMDB entry 1997 SCREAM II Scream 2 follows Sidney and her surviving friends as she goes off to college and tries to separate herself from the bad press surrounding the events of the first movie. Unfortunately, she is followed to her college by a new killer that uses the same mask and methods of his predecessor. Stars Jamie Kennedy, Courteney Cox and David Arquette all return for this sequel and are joined by newcomers Jerry O'Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Sarah Michelle Gellar. O'Connell plays Sidney's would-be suitor who belts out a version of the Partridge Family hit "I Think I Love You" in the middle of the college cafeteria. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson works several clever riffs on the concept of the sequel into the film's dialogue and Craven gives it several taut set pieces, including a dazzling opening scene where two audience members (one of whom is Jada Pinkett Smith) become the new killer's first victims while attending Stab (a movie-within-the-movie based on the events of the first film). Celeb-watchers should study that theater scene closely: Heather Graham and Tori Spelling appear in the Stab footage and Rose McGowan, a victim in the first Scream, can be seen in the audience watching Stab. Craven makes a cameo elsewhere as a police officer and Scream alumnus Matthew Lillard pops up during a party scene. Oh, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette by now are deeply in love and headed for marriage! IMDB entry 1996 SCREAM No one could have imagined that the slasher movie could still be a viable genre after its 1980s heyday, but Wes Craven proved the doubters wrong with this uniquely postmodern thrill-ride. Scream takes place in the small town of Woodsboro, where a young lady named Sidney (Neve Campbell) is trying to get over the murder of her mother. She also has to contend with reporter Gail Weathers (Courtney Cox), who is determined to dig up dirt on the case. Things get even worse for Sidney when a masked killer starts calling her, asking trivia questions about horror movies and murdering her friends. Horror fans are still talking about the infamous opening sequence, a grueling mini-movie in itself that features Drew Barrymore as the first victim. At the film's last act, Sidney's friends gather for a party at a parentless house the killer closes in, setting the stage for a series of intense suspense set pieces that culminate in a genuinely surprising twist ending. The combination of Craven's skill at creating suspense and Kevin Williamson's witty, genre-savvy script helped Scream become a huge, oft-imitated hit that spawned two equally successful Craven-helmed sequels. Scream also made screen stars of Campbell and Cox, not to mention newcomers Jamie Kennedy, Matthew Lillard and David Arquette. Pop culture fans will want to keep an eye peeled for cameos by Linda Blair, Henry Winkler and Craven himself as 'Fred the high school Janitor.' IMDB entry 1995 VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN Wes Craven's films have always had a sense of humor, however dark, but Vampire In Brooklyn represents the first time he's blended his unique take on the horror genre with overt comedy. Eddie Murphy (who co-wrote the story and stars) is Maximillian, the last survivor of a Caribbean vampire brood. He journeys to New York to find a female descendant of their breed and convince her to become his bride. His intended is Rita (Angela Bassett), a tough police officer with no clue of her vampire heritage. The dark romance angle of Vampire In Brooklyn is offset with some macabre slapstick comedy: in keeping with his love for playing multiple roles in the same film, Murphy also portrays a corrupt, heavyset evangelist and a smalltime Italian hood. Craven directs the story with an eye for dark atmosphere and his work is bolstered nicely by often-stunning makeup effects from KNB-EFX Group. Fans should look out for cameos by Shocker star Mitch Pileggi as a hitman and model Jerry Hall as a woman who encounters Maximillian in a park. IMDB entry 1994 WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE After several successful sequels made by other directors, Wes Craven made a momentous return to THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films with this unusual meta-movie take on the horror genre. The off-beat premise showcases the return of Heather Langenkamp, playing herself as a happily married actress with a makeup effects artist husband and a son (Miko Hughes). After her husband dies in a bizarre on-set accident and her son starts having nightmares about Freddy Krueger, Heather finds herself the target of a stalker imitating Freddy Kreuger, or - much worse - Kreuger has figured out how to slash his way out of the dream-world of movies and into Heather's reality. Wes Craven's New Nightmare gleefully rubs out the line between reality and fantasy. Robert Englund and John Saxon play themselves in the film and New Line Cinema boss Robert Shaye and Craven himself also make appearances. Way ahead of its time, Craven's genre-deconstructing approach foreshadows his later success with the Scream series. In 1994, New Nightmare received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Picture. Horror fans should note that Miko Hughes made his first star appearance in another family-driven horror film playing Gabe, the ill-fated son in the screen adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Semetery. The child under the bed! He also later became a regular on the TV series Roswell. IMDB entry 1992 NIGHTMARE CAFÉ (TV Series) This television series, described by Wes Craven as "The Twilight Zone meets Cheers," represented a daring experiment with the episodic television format. Nightmare Café takes its title from a mysterious 24-hour restaurant that represents a barrier between life and death for the people who end up there. Each episode focused on a new protagonist receiving the opportunity to relive and change a failed moment from their past and thus earn their chance to return to the land of the living. Their progress was watched over by the café's staff, which included A Nightmare on Elm Street star Robert Englund as Blackie, the café's mysterious but playful owner. Nightmare Café offered a unique take on the anthology format - depending on the nature of the weekly protagonist's back story, the episode could turn out to be a thriller, a romance, a message drama or even a slapstick comedy. In addition to creating this series, Wes Craven also penned the lyrics for a song featured in the show, "Rollercoaster Of Love." This song was later issued on a soundtrack CD and has become a unique collectable for the director's fans. IMDB entry 1991 THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS This film, based on a story Wes found in a small town newspaper, contains many of the classic themes from his earlier works, but featuring a new, razor-sharp political and social commentary, hidden within a scary urban fairy tale. The People Under the Stairs starts with a group of amateur crooks (led by a young Ving Rhames) attempting to rob an old mansion in the middle of a rundown urban neighborhood. The word is that there is a collection of gold coins inside, and the burgling duo intend to make it their own. Accompanying them is the 13-year-old nephew of one of them, a boy known only as Fool. Based on the Tarot card of that name, Fool's journey to wisdom is the hidden subtext of this movie. Unfortunately the burglars, this place is the home of an incestuous pair of siblings, known only as Mom and Dad, who have turned their home into a booby-trapped fortress. This sick duo is also trying to find the perfect child by kidnapping children, looking for that "perfect" child who will worship them and never question a thing they do. So far, except for one pale girl who is too terrified to stand up to them, all the rest of the captured children have been rejected and thrust down into a dingy basement prison, where they've become the crazed, cannibalistic sub-humans mentioned in the title. The People Under the Stairs is one of Craven's most original and distinctive films, blending the 'civilization vs. savagery' theme explored in his early stories with contemporary social concerns such as urban poverty, the wealth of an arrogant, twisted few, and even child abuse. It also satirizes the family unit in a ruthless style, getting a lot of mileage out of the villains' twisted interpretation of 'family values.' The resulting film's sophisticated blend of dark comedy and horror movie thrills has made it an enduring cult favorite among the director's fans. Avid television viewers will notice that McGill and Robie also played an offbeat and troubled romantic duo on the cult television series Twin Peaks. IMDB entry 1990 NIGHT VISIONS (TV Movie) Wes Craven's final television movie to date is this unusual murder mystery. Night Visions revolves around Sergeant Thomas Mackey (James Remar), a policeman trying to solve a string of serial murders that target beautiful women. He soon finds himself partnered with Dr. Sally Powers (Loryn Locklin), a psychologist who posses otherworldly powers that give her a unique insight into the killer's motives. Together, the two hunt down the killer in an eerie tale that blends psychological suspense with a touch of the supernatural. The supporting cast includes Shocker star Mitch Pileggi, who plays Mackey's superior officer, and an amusing turn by Dr. Timothy Leary as a New Age minister. Fans of 1960s pop should look for former Paul Revere and the Raiders frontman Mark Lindsay Chapman in a bit role - he would also later play Anton Arcane in the TV series version of Swamp Thing. IMDB entry 1989 THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR (TV Series) This offbeat television series was created by Wes Craven in collaboration with Bruce Wagner. Both men had previously collaborated on the script for Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and they brought a similar sense of the bizarre to this blend of fantasy and situation comedy. The People Next Door focuses on Walter Kellogg (Jeffrey Jones), a cartoonist whose already odd imagination becomes positively disturbed when troublesome neighbors move into the apartment next door. For instance, the stuffed moose head on his wall suddenly develops a habit of coming to life to carry on a conversation. Separately, Wagner and Craven would go on to further unusual experiments with television: Craven later created the series Nightmare Café and Wagner wrote the Oliver Stone-directed miniseries Wild Palms, then went on to become Hollywood's premier writer, capturing the dark underbelly of Tinsel Town in a series of acclaimed novels. IMDB entry 1989 SHOCKER Shocker found Wes Craven returning to the subject of the supernatural serial killer. This time, the foe in question is Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi), a murderous TV repairman, who uses black magic to escape his death in the electric chair. Using the fatal surge of electricity to transform his soul into pure energy, Pinker travels through electrically-powered devices to continue his devilish deeds. The only person who can stop him is Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg), whose dreams provide the teen with a unique 'link' to the killer. Shocker is a singular blend of horror and black comedy, bringing a satirical undertone to its scares as Pinker uses his powers to do things like ironically taunt Jonathan via his television set. He can also 'jump' into his victims, leading to a memorable scene where a sweet little girl is transformed into a foul-mouthed sociopath. Shocker remains a cult favorite with horror fans today, thanks in part to an impressive performance by Pileggi, who would go on to play FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner on the hit TV series The X-Files. Peter Berg also went on to bigger things, and is now a director himself. Friday Night Lights is his most recent film. IMDB entry 1988 THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW Wes Craven enjoyed one of his biggest creative and commercial successes with this adaptation of a book by Wade Davis. The Serpent and the Rainbow focuses on the travails of Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman), a scientist who travels to revolution-torn Haiti to research the medical phenomenon behind the 'zombies' supposedly created by voodoo magic. Dennis soon finds the line between magic and science is all too thin, as he is drawn into the country's voodoo underworld by Peytaud (Zakes Mokae), a corrupt police official who also happens to be a practitioner of black magic. Craven continued to develop his knack of horror-tinged surrealism with this film, which features several arresting dream sequences and a genuinely unnerving scene where the hero is buried alive. During this harrowing sequence, Dennis utters the film's unforgettable tagline: "Don't bury me! I'm not dead yet…" However, the film's most squirm-inducing scene may be a tense moment where Peytaud uses a nasty secret-police torture tactic to get Dennis to talk. It is also worth noting that the 'Voice of the Dead' in this film is provided by legendary avant-garde composer and performer Diamanda Galas. The film, by the way, is based on the book of the same title, written by Dr. Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist who actually experienced the events depicted in the film. IMDB entry 1986 DEADLY FRIEND After the success of A Nightmare On Elm Street, Wes Craven made his first major studio film with this adaptation of a novel by Diana Henstell. Deadly Friend recasts Frankenstein for the teenage set, features a young genius named Paul Conway (Matthew Laborteaux). Paul suffers a two-pronged tragedy when his robot creation is destroyed by a neighbor and his next door neighbor (Kristy Swanson) is killed by her abusive father. Paul revives her using his robot's computer brain, only to discover that he has transformed the girl he loves into a superhuman killer. In addition to bringing Craven into the Hollywood mainstream, Deadly Friend is further notable to horror fans for featuring one of the most bizarre decapitations ever filmed. The film's screenplay was penned by Bruce Joel Rubin, who would later write the smash hit Ghost. Kristy Swanson went on to portray the role of Buffy in the film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. IMDB entry 1986 CASEBUSTERS (TV Movie) This television special marked a serious change of pace for Wes Craven - not only is Casebusters devoid of horror elements, it's also aimed at a family audience. The heroes of this story are siblings Jamie (Noah Hathaway) and Allie (Virginia Keehne), who aspire to become professional sleuths and work towards this goal by helping out their grandfather Sam Donahue (Pat Hingle) with his security business. The children's curiosity embroils them in a major case that greatly tests their developing detective skills. Casebusters originally aired on ABC as an episode of the Disney Sunday Movie. This special also represented an early credit for writer Don Roos, who would later go on to write and direct the acclaimed independent film The Opposite of Sex. IMDB entry 1985 THE TWILIGHT ZONE (TV Series) Many a talented writer and director worked on the 1980s revival of Rod Serling's beloved horror and science fiction anthology show. Wes Craven was no exception to the rule and directed seven episodes of the series, including the fan favorite, "Shatterday," which featured a script by legendary science fiction author Harlan Ellison. This unforgettable tale of small-screen suspense starred Bruce Willis (in his first on-film performance in Hollywood) as a man who accidentally calls home, only to hear an identical-sounding voice claiming to be him on the other end. "Shatterday" was featured on the debut airing of the 1980s-era Twilight Zone and is fondly remembered by fans of TV horror. The other titles of his work on this series: "A Little Peace and Quiet," starring Melinda Dylan as a housewife who stops the world dead in its tracks, "Word Play," starring Robert Kline and Annie Potts, "Dealer's Choice," with a poker game between four chums (M. Emmet Walsh, Morgan Freeman among them) and the devil, played by Danny Haddaya, "Her Pilgrim Soul," a haunting love story between a brilliant young physicist and a woman brought from the past by the machine he invented, "Chameleon," a sly tail of an alien entity hitch hiking back to earth aboard the space shuttle, and "The Road Less Traveled," a dark tale of a Vietnam War vet's struggle to come to terms with his past. IMDB entry 1985 THE HILLS HAVE EYES Part II This sequel, begun before A Nightmare on Elm Street but released after that film, continues the horrific story of the battle between two families that began in The Hills Have Eyes. Part 2 focuses on two survivors - former mutant family member Ruby (Janus Blythe) and Carter family son Bobby (Robert Houston) - who have married and now run a motorcycle shop. Ruby accompanies a motocross team to a competition in the same desert she came from back in her feral days. When the bus breaks down dangerously near the stomping grounds of her old mutant family, the stage is set for another grueling, horrific clash between city-dwellers and cannibalistic mutants. Craven works in several memorable suspense sequences, including a terrifying moment where a blind woman tries to find her way through the mutants' lair. Fans will be happy to see Michael Berryman returning as the feral killer Pluto. Also of note, the film's stunt team includes Kane Hodder, who later portrays Jason Voorhees in several Friday the 13th sequels. Lastly, it must be mentioned that this film features the only known dog flashback in cinematic history! IMDB entry 1985 CHILLER (TV Movie) The field of cryogenics provides the inspiration for this tale of medical science gone wrong. Miles Creighton (Michael Beck) is accidentally revived during a lab malfunction after spending ten years in suspended animation. His mother Marion (Beatrice Straight) has his life saved with emergency surgery but Miles returns to the world with a very different personality. The procedure may have revived Miles' body and mind, but presumably his soul is missing and he's become a very dangerous man. Paul Sorvino also plays an important role in the film as a minister who confronts Miles over his newly-evil ways. Wes Craven uses the premise to create an interesting tale that blends suspense with a thoughtful exploration of how science can become dangerous when it overlooks morality. The script for this television film was written by J.D. Feigelson, who also penned the cult TV movie favorite Dark Night of the Scarecrow. FX wizard Stan Winston, a friend of Wes, contributed the special effects. Horror fans should look for future scream queen Jill Schoelen in a bit role. IMDB entry 1984 A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Wes Craven reasserted his importance as a master of the horror genre with this innovative and imaginative reinvention of the 'bogeyman' archetype. The disturbing plot focuses on a group of teenagers who discover their dreams are being invaded by the spirit of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a child molester who was secretly murdered by their parents years ago. When no adult believes her story, brave teen Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) is forced to confront Krueger on his own terms at the place where dreams meet reality. The resulting film is as scary as it is smart. It is also packed with surreal, stunning images, including a bed devouring its occupant and a slimy tongue emerging from a phone's mouthpiece. A Nightmare on Elm Street became a major hit upon release, spawning seven sequels, a spin-off that pitted Krueger against Friday the 13th villain Jason Voorhees and countless cinematic imitations. It also made an international horror icon out of Robert Englund, who successfully transformed Krueger into the role of a lifetime. First time viewers will want to look for a young Johnny Depp, who plays one Nancy's boy friend and one of Krueger's luckless victims. IMDB entry 1984 INVITATION TO HELL (TV Movie) In one of the more unusual pairings of his career, this made-for-television film found Wes Craven working with legendary soap opera star Susan Lucci. Invitation to Hell stars Robert Urich and Joanna Cassidy as Matt and Patricia Winslow, a couple who moves to a suburban California town where life centers around an exclusive country club that also happens to be a gateway to hell. When his family is endangered by this club, Matt uses an unusual tool from his work as a scientist to fight back. Lucci enjoys one of her most memorable non-soap opera roles as the country club's alluring but deadly president, and the script takes some amusing jabs at the 'greed is good' mentality of the 1980s. Horror fans will be delighted by the supporting cast for this film, which includes Invasion of the Body Snatchers star Kevin McCarthy, former Bad Seed Patricia McCormack and The Hills Have Eyes star Michael Berryman. Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye also pops up in an early role as one of the Winslow children. IMDB entry 1982 SWAMP THING The legendary DC Comics hero makes its transition to the silver screen with this action-packed, affectionately campy take on the concept of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Swamp Thing tells the tale of Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise, later of Twin Peaks fame), a scientist who becomes a muck-encrusted beast (played by stuntman Dick Durock) after an accident at his secret lab in the swamps. Adrienne Barbeau is Alice Cable, a tough government agent, and Louis Jourdan turns in a sly performance as Anton Arcane, the film's scientist villain. Swamp Thing is also notable for Craven's pop-art approach to the visuals - which include plenty of comic book-styled transitions - and for featuring one of the most impressive fire stunts ever committed to film. That impressive stunt was performed by Tony Cecere, who would go on to work with Craven another ten times as a stunt coordinator. Tony also did the memorable Freddy burn stunt in the climax of the original Nightmare on Elm Street. Fans should look for a cameo by Last House on the Left star David Hess as a soldier who ends up on the wrong side of the Swamp Thing. IMDB entry 1981 DEADLY BLESSING Again producer Max Keller figured in Wes's life - asking Wes to rewrite a script he owned. Wes did the rewrite, Max found the money, and Deadly Blessing was on its way. This film found Wes Craven drawing upon his religious upbringing to bring a uniquely claustrophobic atmosphere to a tale of rural terror. Deadly Blessing tells the tale of Martha (Maren Jensen), a young woman who marries a man trying to break away from a strict religious sect known as the Hittites. Think Amish, only darker. When he dies in a mysterious accident, the close-knit community refuses to talk, so Martha calls in two female friends to help her solve the mystery. Unfortunately, the killer's reign of terror is not over yet and the film builds to a creepy twist ending. Horror fans remember Deadly Blessing's stunning dream sequence that involves a really big spider and a sleeping young woman who should have slept with her mouth closed. There's also a nerve-tingling scene where a snake slips into Martha's tub while she's relaxing in the bath. Deadly Blessing co-stars Ernest Borgnine as Isaiah, the town's ill-tempered leader, and The Hills Have Eyes alumnus Michael Berryman as one of the townspeople. Also of note: The film marks Sharon Stone's first speaking role as one of Martha's friends. The one with the spider… IMDB entry 1978 STRANGER IN OUR HOUSE (TV Movie) (aka SUMMER OF FEAR) Stranger in Our House was adapted from a novel by Lois Duncan, a writer who specialized in teen-oriented horror novels, and represented Wes Craven's first venture into television. Its producer, Max Keller, had seen Hills Have Eyes and tapped Wes for the job. Fittingly, Stranger in Our House paired Craven with another horror icon that emerged during the 1970's - Linda Blair. Here, Blair gets to play the nice girl: Rachel, a teen whose life is turned upside down when her family takes in her cousin Julia (Lee Purcell) after Julia's parents die in a car accident. Rachel becomes suspicious when Julia begins to usurp her place in the family and steal her friends. She ultimately discovers Julia has a dark, magical secret to hide and she's the only one who can stop her. Stranger in Our House debuted on NBC on Halloween night in 1978. It was later successfully rerun on CBS and also enjoyed a successful theatrical run in Europe under the title Summer of Fear. Future Nanny star Fran Drescher makes an early appearance here as Rachel's friend Carolyn. This was Wes's first 35mm film, first job in Hollywood, first job with name stars. IMDB entry 1977 THE HILLS HAVE EYES This grim shocker found Wes Craven refining his theme of the thin line between civilization and savagery to a sharp, incisive point with a wicked tale of two very different families fighting each other for survival. The Hills Have Eyes pits the innocent, city-bred Carter family against a feral brood of radiation-mutated cannibals who attack when the Carters' RV breaks down in an isolated tract of a Southwestern desert. After suffering terrible losses, the surviving Carters regroup and use their 'civilized' intelligence to deal out their own equally lethal brand of defense and then vengeance. Although the script is fictional, Craven drew his inspiration from the grisly deeds of the Sawney Beane family, a real-life clan of inbred cannibal killers that terrorized the Scottish countryside during the 15th Century. The resulting film is a tighter, more skillfully crafted affair than Last House on the Left but packs no less of a punch: the initial attack on the Carters by the mutant family is one of the most unsettling scenes in the Craven filmography. The Hills Have Eyes features an early performance by Dee Wallace-Stone, star of The Howling and E.T., and also turned star mutant Michael Berryman into an in-demand horror film star who would go on to appear in several other Craven films. The film's producer was Peter Locke, a friend of Wes's who came up with the film's $325 thousand budget by selling shares to district film distributors. IMDB entry 1972 THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT Wes Craven laid the foundations for his career as a horror auteur with this brutal, unforgettable revenge saga. The premise, partially inspired by Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring, deals with a pair of teenage girls (Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham) who venture into the city for a rock concert. Attempting to score a little grass before, the girls are entrapped by a trio of hardened criminals just escaped from jail. The band throws the girls into the trunk of their car and leave town, heading into the wooded suburbs of Connecticut. When their car's engine fails, the tougher of the two girls tries to escape, and the men decide to take both girls into the woods. Events spiral out of control, culminating in the rape and murder of the teens. Shocked by what they've done, the criminals want nothing more than to get out of the state, but their car needs repair. So in an ironic twist, they seek help at the one house they can see through the trees - and this house is the home of one of the girls. At first welcomed as guests in need, the true nature of this band of murderers is discovered in the middle of the night when the mother finds an article of clothing belonging to her daughter among the possessions of the gang. The stunned and grieving parents don't call the police, though. Instead they execute a retribution that is twice as shocking as the savagery of the criminals. Last House on the Left has a gritty, almost documentary feel that makes its scenes of utter brutality simultaneously riveting and repulsive to watch, even by today's standards. The film takes the time to humanize its villains (without excusing their deeds) and portrays the parents' revenge in a manner that is as unnerving as the villains' crimes. As a result, the film has lost little of its power and remains one of the most memorable screen shockers of all time. Last House on the Left was a huge hit upon its original release and made a horror icon out of star David Hess, who played lead villain Krug and also composed the film's distinctive musical score. Also of note: producer Sean Cunningham would go on to create the highly successful and influential Friday the 13th film series. IMDB entry