Spotlight

Published September 5, 2015

Wes Craven, horror maestro, dies at 76

WES Craven, the famed maestro of horror died last Sunday, August 30, after a battle with brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles.

Craven is the man behind the first five Nightmare on Elm Street movies, the first four Scream movies, The Last House on the Left (1972) its remake (2009), The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and many more.

Craven had an eye for discovering talent. While casting A Nightmare on Elm Street, he discovered Johnny Depp. He cast Sharon Stone in her first starring role, for Deadly Blessing, and he gave Bruce Willis his first featured role in an episode of the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone.

Craven was also a nature lover and committed bird conservationist. He penned a monthly column, “Wes Craven’s The Birds,” for Martha’s Vineyard Magazine.


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Astronaut joins cast of Star Trek fan film

A EUROPEAN Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is famous for wearing her Star Trek uniform on the International Space Station has returned to Earth in June after 199 days on the ISS and the makers of fan-produced film Star Trek: Axanar have now announced she is joining the production in an as-yet unspecified role.

Cristoforetti’s affection for the movie became clear in April, when she donned a Star Trek: Voyager-style uniform and snapped a series of selfies aboard the ISS.

Star Trek: Axanar is a fan-produced film following the character Garth of Izar, who appeared in original Star Trek episode “Whom Gods Destroy”. The fan film takes place about 21 years before the first episode of Star Trek.

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