We Played a Game of Screen Drafts to Figure Out the Best Wes Craven Films

 Screen Drafts is a film game podcast where collaborators try to create the best possible list on a film topic. Players have vetoes and veto overrides. If something is vetoed, it is only vetoed at that spot. If the veto is overridden, the movie stays at that spot. If the game ends and players still have a blessings, one veto or override per player can carry over into the next game. 

Four of us (myself, my wife Vanessa and friends Nick and Scott) played on a late Tuesday night at Mulligan's pub. Everyone had an extra override. Vanessa also had an extra veto. The films eligible were Wes Craven's theatrical output (including The Fireworks Woman), his novel Fountain Society, a proposed The Hills Have Eyes sequel that became something else (Mindripper), the third Elm Street film because Wes had a hand in the writing and a film Wes acted in called The Fear. 25 total options in all. There were sixteen total picks (four for each of us). We did all the prep watching and then another friend, Rene, provided trivia to determine which picks everyone got. I won trivia and ended up with Option A: 1 veto, 2 overrides (picks 16, 12, 5 and 1) Scott ended up with Option B: 2 vetoes (picks 13. 11. 6 and 2) Vanessa ended up with Option C: 2 vetoes, one override (picks 14, 9, 7 and 3) and Nick ended up with Option D: 2 vetoes, one override (picks 15, 10, 8 and 4).

I really wanted number one for this game and was lucky enough to win it in trivia. I am going to do something different than my usual game write ups. I am going to list how it all turned out then explain how we got there.

This (The Last House on the Left) is the reason I wanted to win trivia. I love this film. I was worried because it was played in the top ten a few times but vetoed in those spots (We left this game without any vetoes.). I needed House at number one because of David Hess and because of the way it uses goofy music, goofy cops and making a birthday cake to contrast terrible violence. Craven had not seen many movies before making one so there is an aspect of "I didn't know what I could get away with" and that enlivens the film. A young boy in the 90's ran into Craven and asked him why he doesn't make kick ass movies like Last House anymore. I want to go back in time and high five that kid. His comments led Craven signing up for Scream. 

1. The Last House on the Left (1972)

2. The People Under the Stairs (1991)

3. Scream (1996)

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

5. My Soul to Take (2010)

6. Music of the Heart (1999)

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

8. New Nightmare (1994)

9. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

10. Scream 4 (2011)

11. Scream 2 (1997)

12. Fountain Society (1999)

13. Cursed (2005)

14. Deadly Friend (1986)

15. Scream 3 (2000)

16. Red Eye (2005)

This is how we got there.

16. Red Eye (Picked by Dennis)

I think Red Eye is a good film. I just think it kinda falls apart when Lisa and Jackson are not on the plane. I found the scenes with Lisa's father dull and all the hotel stuff dull as well. Vanessa liked the whole film, found it exciting, found real chemistry among the leads and thought Cillian was super hot. She vetoed the pick at sixteen hoping to see it higher. Nick agreed with V's decision, but Scott agreed with my assessment and it was overridden and stuck at sixteeen.

15. Scream 3 (Picked by Nick)

Nick felt this was the weakest of the series. He lamented the way that Syd's mom is integral to the plot. We all hated Gayle's bangs. But he found enough to like with some of the kills, the opening sequence and Parker Posey's nice work. Besides Nick, no one had it on list but no one was against this placement either.

14. Deadly Friend (Picked by Vanessa)

Vanessa liked the weird tone of this one and found it a fun movie overall. We all agreed that the basketball scene is an all timer. Scott found the film's treatment of Samantha (played by Kristy Swanson) depressing. I found it to be a top four Craven and comparable in genre and quality to early Tim Burton. I only had one veto though so this stayed.

13. Cursed (Picked by Scott)

Scott liked this pick because of its Universal Monsters feel. We all enjoyed the transformation scenes and commentary on gay culture. Nick was all in on Joanie (Judy Greer). We all agreed that the first version with Skeet Ulrich in the cast sounded more interesting but no one wanted to veto this at 13.

12. Fountain Society (Picked by Dennis)

This was a pretty good book. I had to commend Wes for finishing a novel. And I really enjoyed the pull the character of Peter has towards Elizabeth. That moved me. There were sections (the fugitive section) that I thought were poorly paced but nothing I regret reading. Vanessa and Nick found the book upsetting in the way Beatrice is treated and the coldness of the lab scenes. Nick did not like the way the novel went from tech logic to dream logic at times. Nobody felt strong enough about it to veto so here it stayed.

11. Scream 2 (Picked by Scott)

Scott placed this here because he liked the Greek play aspects of Syd as a Cassandra figure. He also thought Laurie Metcalf was the best Scream killer. The Metcalf thing was met with boos by Nick and Vanessa. V in particular did not care for this one or the way Jada's character is a cliche in herself even while commenting on them. This was my favorite Scream and I would want it no higher. It does have problems, Jerry O' Connell for instance is terrible. But no one felt strong enough about this one to veto.

10. Scream 4 (Picked by Nick)

Nick first tried to play The Last House on the Left. This was vetoed by me. I told everyone I had my plans for what I am going to do but I would rather not have this on the list than have it this low. No override was offered thankfully. Nick found it to be interesting exploitation. Scott liked the menace but not the goofiness. And Vanessa liked it quite a bit.

Nick then tried to play New Nightmare. I felt strongly about that one. I liked it a lot. So did V. Scott liked it the most because he vetoed this pick, arguing that meta Scream does not exist without it. We all admired Heather Langenkamp's performance and the way Craven used details in her own life to flesh out the story.

Nick then played Scream 4 because Jill Roberts is his favorite character. We all talked about how prescient the film is. V did not like Emma or the pick but liked how passionate Nick was about it.

09. The Serpent and the Rainbow (Picked by Vanessa)

Vanessa wanted to make sure this one made the list. We all agreed that it was frightening with its zombie theme. There is no white savior so that was welcome and Pullman is great. I had this at two. Scott had it higher. Nick had it higher but we had few vetoes and had to live with it at 9. 

08. New Nightmare (Picked by Nick)

Nick replayed New Nightmare in this spot. Everyone was happy it moved up a little.

07. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Picked by Vanessa)

Vanessa tried to play The Hills Have Eyes. She admired it because of the husband character that fought back and the location. She grew up in Barstow, not too far from the filming. She also thought the film was quite good. Scott did not like a single character and enjoyed the sequel more. Nick loved the scene where the dead body is used as a distraction and vetoed the placement wanting it a bit higher. Sadly, the film died here as we all forgot to play it higher.

So Vanessa played Dream Warriors. She said it had the most iconic one liners, and we all liked the effects. I think it was the best sequel and everyone seemed fine with it here.

06. Music of the Heart (Picked by Scott)

 

Scott played Craven's only drama here. He found it touching and said it was better than Dangerous Minds. Nick found it touching too. I thought it was a one star film, as bad as any Lifetime film of the period. Vanessa agreed with me and used a veto. Nick used an override and kept this on the list. Quite fairly, I unknowingly played his least favorite at five.

05. My Soul to Take (Picked by Dennis)

I first tried to play Vampire in Brooklyn because Eddie Murphy and Angela Basset are fantastic in it and it has a new take on vampire lore. All were fine with this pick except Scott who is both an Eddie Murphy non-fan , and it came out later, a hater of pasta!! He used his last veto on the film. 

We all had a lemon drop shot to steady our nerves at this horrid turn of events and I went with My Soul to Take.

I love the aviary references in this film. I love the teen speak (so unlike the Williamson stuff). I love the darkness, the traditions, the killer and the innocent character. A lot of Craven films are about innocence fighting evil. And this character is the personification of that. Scott did not like the film much more than Vampire but all admitted that the condor scene is great.

Nick was the biggest detractor though. He hated the zoom camera work and the way schizophrenia is used as a plot point. He voted but V used an override because she had a soft spot for the film.

04. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Played by Nick)

Nick first tried to play The Last House on the Left. It was my number one but nothing I could do about it. Vanessa had one last veto that she used because she was being kind and also because she admitted it was the best option from what was left to be number one.

So Nick went with the first Elm Street for the subversive death in the beginning, for scary Freddy and for all the reasons the film is iconic.

03. Scream (Played by Vanessa)

Vanessa quite liked how Ghostface could get his butt kicked at times. She loved the iconic blood lick scene and how these were murderers but still very much teens. After watching all four, this was the only one she loved. No one had any vetoes but we were all happy with the pick for its qualities and iconic status.

02. The People Under the Stairs (Played by Scott)

Scott loved the way the film captured gentrification. He loved Ving's performance and the kink of the bad guys. He loved a number of characters and scenes. Nick liked the film while V and I thought it was sort of a kid's Home Alone horror thing that never really worked. It has its cult admirers and Scott really liked it. 

After that, I got my number one.  I hope you enjoyed this list. A Sam Raimi game is next.

01. The Last House on the Left (Played by Dennis)