Directed By: Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart
Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Tony Todd,
Doug Bradley, Kane Hodder
Plot Summary: A classically trained actor and director, Robert Englund has become one of the most revolutionary horror icons of our generation. Throughout his career, Englund starred in many well-known movies, but shot to super-stardom with his portrayal of supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise. This unique and intimate portrait captures the man behind the glove and features interviews with Englund and his wife Nancy, Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Tony Todd, Heather Langenkamp and more.
After drifting to sleep, you find yourself walking alone in a dark, steam-filled boiler room. Suddenly, you hear the echoes of the screeching of razors on pipes followed by the room filling with laughs that turn your blood to ice. The burnt figure pursuing you? His name is Freddy Krueger, and since the latter part of the twentieth century he has been invading nightmares and capturing horror fan’s imaginations. Yet, when you remove the iconic scar makeup, you see the face of a very gentle blue-eyed former surfer. His name is Robert Englund.
Directors Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart (the duo behind Pennywise: The Story of It) set out to peel back the layers and truly discover the man behind the iconic boogeyman. But does it do justice to such a monumental figure in pop culture? The answer, yes, very much so. Right away, it must be made clear that horror fans just looking for Nightmare on Elm Street stories for two plus hours will be disappointed. While there is a focus on Elm Street and Englund’s famous role, it wisely is more interested in the man himself, and his other roles. You may wonder if you’ve heard all of these stories before, and again, Chris and Gary do a great job at highlighting cool trivia and information that isn’t as well known.
The movie is laid out in a way that is easily accessible to lifelong horror fans and newcomers alike. The interviews are amazing, with of course a big focus on the man of the hour. Obviously, Englund is the glue to this project, and he is just as candid and charming as you could ever want. One really does feel like you’ve been on this journey with him, as he recounts his life, career and what it means to have played a character that is so firmly embedded in the pop culture zeitgeist.
His friends, colleagues and wife also help flesh out what you can firmly say is the definitive portrait of Robert Englund. It is a bit of a shame they do not have any archived interviews from Tobe Hooper, whom he worked with early in his career. Also notably missing is Ronny Yu, who may very well have been contacted but declined. For some context, although Yu cast Englund in Freddy Vs. Jason, he declined to have Kane Hodder back as Jason. The documentary is a treasure trove of rare photos and behind-the-scenes footage to complement the great interviews. There is also some nicely done animation that helps give an overall gloss to an already stellar film.
Does this film justify being over two-hours long? For the most part, yes, yes it does. As mentioned above, this movie is well laid out and gives a beat-by-beat account of the major career highlights and personal achievements. It’s so engaging that the time really does fly by, and there is no doubt fans will never be bored. Again, if you want just Elm Street information, you should probably just check out the excellent Never Sleep Again documentary. However, if you want a glimpse under the makeup, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares is an invaluable resource for fans and scholars.
Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story will be available on ScreamBox and on Digital platform on June 6, 2023.
Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares is an invaluable resource for fans and scholars.
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
