Farewell to Wes – Dread Central Writer Todd Rigney
Todd Rigney
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Truth be told, I honestly cannot remember a time when movies weren’t a part of my life. Some of my earliest memories involve my parents taking me to see such classic films as Return of the Jedi and E.T. on the big screen, the latter of which I sat through with a blanket over my head out of sheer, unbridled terror. I was an easily frightened child, which may explain why my parents steered me away from the horror genre for the longest time, much to my endless dismay.
My mom and I had some pretty epic showdowns over horror movies, especially when it came to what I could watch when I spent the night at a friend’s house. I assured her that fright flicks were off the proverbial menu, but I’d always end up watching something terrifying when I was away from home. The nightmares would inevitably arrive, and I’d spend weeks trying to get the imagery out of my head. But I secretly loved the thrill of it all, to the point that it almost became an addiction.
Unlike a lot of horror fans, my first exposure to the joys of Wes Craven’s body of work didn’t arrive in the form of Freddy Krueger and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In fact, my first Craven flick was the 1986 endeavor Deadly Friend. Of course, I’d seen Swamp Thing countless times before experiencing Deadly Friend, but I had no idea that one of my favorite directors was responsible for creating what I thought was one of the coolest sci-fi/action movies ever made.
Deadly Friend almost broke my tender little brain. In addition to watching Samantha (Kristy Swanson) die at the hands of her abusive father, I witnessed Paul’s (Matthew Labyortreaux) devastation when they disconnect her life support at the hospital. Using his knowledge of robotics, Paul brings Samantha back to life, though she’s not quite the person he remembers. Samantha is looking to get a little revenge on the people who tormented her when she was alive.
Looking back, Deadly Friend is a bit cheesy, but at the time, it was a truly terrifying experience. What’s more, it introduced me to concepts that were certainly out of my wheelhouse. Parental abuse, life support, and the unexpected and heartbreaking loss of a good friend were aspects of life I had fortunately avoided at that age. But Craven took these horrifying, real-life ideas and packaged them into a sci-fi/horror tale that left an indelible impression on my young mind. And that was the genius of Wes Craven — he took everyday horrors, such as nightmares and abuse, and used them to tell creepy, frightening, and memorable tales. With the help of robots and monsters, of course.
After Deadly Friend, I slowly began to discover Craven’s other masterpieces, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and The Hills Have Eyes, among many others. I was there on opening day when Scream hit theaters, and I remember feeling the same excitement I experienced whenever I sat down with one of his films for the very first time.
You could say that Deadly Friend prepared me for Wes Craven’s passing. Paul watched helplessly as Samantha was taken from his life, and in some weird way, I feel that I’ve lost a close friend, someone who led me through a cinematic landscape filled with terror and hard life lessons. And no matter what I do, I can’t bring him back. I realize now that Craven was an important part of my childhood, and I doubt my love of horror — and movies in general — would be the same without him.
— Todd Rigney
With the tragic passing of Wes Craven, literally everyone in the industry has been reeling and expressing love for the man and his work. Several people have been writing in to Dread Central to ask if it would be cool to post their thoughts. So this Farewell to Wes feature will be their opportunity to share their feelings and their thoughts with you, the horror community.
Some will be long, some will be short, but all are important and will be featured with love and caring. It’s our honor to be able to do this for the man who gave us so very much.
Categorized:News
