Chronicling the life of a living legend, the new documentary from Dead Mouse Productions goes behind the mask (and glove) of one of horror’s greatest icons
When approaching a documentary that profiles the life and times of the man portraying possibly the most recognisable horror villains of the 80s, it would be easy to assume the full focus would be around said villain, in this case, Freddy Krueger. However, in Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares, directors Christopher Griffiths & Gary Smart look to subvert the expectation and give you a deep dive into the life and (current) times of their inspiration, Robert Englund.
From his early years on stage starring as Peter Pan to his more recent credits in which he seems to embrace his status as an icon, serving up great performances in horror-based cameos, this is a version of Englund having almost a sense of freedom. With the Krueger-based shackles lifted, he allows us into aspects of his life we may never have known about, and talks emphatically regarding all his work, be it Urban Legends or Phantom of the Opera. no matter how great or small his appearance, Englund has a reverence for every project.
When it comes to his personal life, it becomes quite clear that his wife Nancy Booth, whom he married in 1988, is his grounding influence. Stories of their early flirtations add a soft touch to the almost mythical persona and give the audience even more reason to have affection for a man already well-loved.
An absolute must for “Fred Heads”, but also worth checking out if you’re a general movie fan, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is another perfect notch on the belt of Dead Mouse.
Inevitably, we come to Freddy. The man who spawned a thousand nightmares (and almost as many sequels). His influence over the career and success of Englund is obvious, and something the man himself doesn’t shy away from. He talks with great delight about using his almost jealous feelings toward younger cast members on the first Nightmare On Elm Street to influence his performance, his anger. He revels in the re-imagining of Freddy in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, giving possibly his best performance as the dream dweller almost come to life, and arguably Freddy’s most terrifying on-screen appearance. While he clearly has a love for the craft of acting, and the other roles afforded to him, Englund is not the type to hold resentment towards his most famous creation. He loves Freddy, he loves the fanbase, he loves meeting the obsessives at Cons and never takes any of this whole, wild amalgamation for granted.
The love for this great man is shown, also, by the other appearances throughout the story. Eli Roth waxes lyrical about the influence Englund had over him, Lin Shaye talks not just of him as a person, but as the phenomenal, committed actor he is. For the 80s kids though, there is what you could maybe class as the triumvirate: Englund, Tony Todd (Candyman) and Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees). The absolute epitome of the greatest era of horror, sharing a screen and memories together. Not for the first time, of course, but certainly a well-needed reminder of what we had, what they were (and are), and what we now have due to their undoubted influence.
An absolute must for “Fred Heads”, but also worth checking out if you’re a general movie fan, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is another perfect notch on the belt of Dead Mouse. To paraphrase the purveyor of nightmare fuel, this is the prime time for icon documentaries.
Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares – The Robert Englund Story is on Screambox from 5th June 2023
