Flasz On Film

I think it’s safe to say that every horror hound knows who Robert Englund is, or specifically that he is the man behind the character of Freddy Krueger. Ever since Wes Craven’s iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street saw the light of day in 1984, he has been a fundamental part of the canon of slasher villains, together with Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface and – a bit later on – Chucky. Englund’s name has become synonymous with Freddy’s character to such an extent that those same genre hounds may not be able to connect him to many more titles. Maybe some will remember him as a red herring in Urban Legend. Maybe others will connect him to Wishmaster, The Mangler or Eaten Alive.  

I suppose this is where Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story might come in handy. Despite its rather unwieldy title, it is a compelling resource for anyone wishing to deepen their own knowledge of who Robert Englund is as an actor, filmmaker and, dare I say, an icon in his own right. Granted, the documentary itself is not the most inspired piece of filmmaking, let’s just put it out in the open. But it’s OK because at least from where I was sitting, its creators’ thoroughly educational approach was what I required to immerse myself in the subject matter without necessarily being distracted with unwarranted attempts at artistry. There is a time and place for everything, and I can only surmise that in the case of concocting a documentary about a guy like Englund talking heads and bits of behind-the-scenes footage and are all you really need. The mission of this movie is to inform and educate by way of exposing the viewer to the man himself and flanking him with an array of friends, colleagues and genre experts like Lance Henriksen, Eli Roth, Lin Shaye, Kane Hodder, Heather Langenkamp and many others who would offer their two cents on what it was like to be around Robert Englund, work with him and see him become a bona fide genre hero. 

I would even go as far as to suggest that well-seasoned Englund fanatics might find something new to chew on in here, as the movie retraces his career comprehensively (yet without a shred of tediousness). So, if you didn’t know he once auditioned to be in Apocalypse Now! and Star Wars, you will be able to hear the man recount these events himself. You will even learn that he may have also (as long as we discount the possibility he might be self-mythologizing a teeny-tiny bit, but who am I to say otherwise?) been instrumental in getting Mark Hamill the role of Luke Skywalker.  

Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart, who co-directed this effort, truly give the man his due and treat him not only as a stalwart of the genre without whom the 80s would have been completely different (and millions of kids would have probably avoided living through traumatic nightmares on the back of watching A Nightmare on Elm Street and its many sequels at dangerously young ages), but as a genuine personality and a seasoned character actor who’s been around the block for decades. Not only that, Englund is allowed to express himself, in addition to how he is described by his friends, as a guy who truly loved to work and never looked down upon even the trashiest acting opportunity. He’s a guy who worked with big New Hollywood lads like Bob Rafelson (Stay Hungry) and John Milius (Big Wednesday), Wes Craven, Dwight H. Little, Tobe Hooper, Roger Corman and a whole legion of indie whippersnappers to boot. He never shied away from TV work (did you know he was in most of the Lake Placid sequels that nobody ever saw?) and you can hear from the way he talks about these varied experiences, that he cherished them all.  

Interestingly, you may also glean out of the movie that on the side of Englund’s deep appreciation for his stunning career as a prolific character actor you might also find hints of well-processed regret. After all, many actors begin their careers hoping to become recognizable stars themselves, and Englund perhaps had his thunder stolen by the character he co-created with Wes Craven. You won’t tease this kind of information out of a Wikipedia entry, I’ll tell you that much.  

Therefore, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, once you look past the utterly lengthy title clearly inspired by biographies you can pick up from an airport bookstand before a long-haul flight, presents itself as an incredibly useful educational piece suitable both for fans of Freddy Krueger wanting to learn a bit more about the man behind the mask, and for complete newbies who may have stumbled upon it while surfing their streaming library. It won’t win any awards or draw attention of highfalutin movie critics, but it’s certainly a much welcome documentary that helped me recontextualize his work and maybe even allowed me to jot down a few titles I should check out. Also, I am now somewhat consumed by a percolating desire to revisit Wishmaster that I last saw when I was perhaps much too young to be watching it.