"Welcome To Prime Time Bitch!"
-Freddy Krueger 1987
Not just prime time, but the movie scene itself was changed in 1984 when Director Wes Craven released "A Nightmare on Elm St."
With much creative writing, Craven brought real life scenarios to the cinematic table with producers Robert Shaye and Sara Risher. With the power house team New Line Cinema was bound to have an international hit! New Line Cinema didn't start off big, but it surly became "The House That Freddy Built". New Line, the company which became home to many new actors of Hollywood, only to become the infamous faces we would never forget.
Nearly 30 years of terrifying Nightmares, writer/producer Thommy Hutson (writer/producer of "His Name Was Jason") along with co-director/producer Daniel Farrands (who Hutson worked with on "His Name Was Jason") brings us the In's and outs of the blood, sweat and tears it took to make the films that have forever changed cinematic history with "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy"
An innovated collection of interviews with the stars of the original series, from the first film to the 8th. (including "Freddy V.S. Jason") with detailed stories of the magical making of the films, the good and bad times, the who's who, the cast rivalries and much, much more! This documentary is packed with more entertaining stories than any "E! True Hollywood Story"!
In 1984 Craven (director) casts actors: John Saxon, Heather Langenkamp (Executive Producer of NSA) and America's heart throb Johnny Depp to star in his most clever slasher flick. Even though Glen (Depp) gets unwillingly pulled into his bed that appears to operate like a life size blender about 50 min into the film, we still get to see Nancy (Langenkamp) come face to face with Krueger. No sleep, no friends and no time to drink more coffee, Nancy brings Krueger out of her dream and brings the child killer to his knees.
Earlier in the film as Nancy is talking to her Mother (Ronee Blakley) we learn that Fred Krueger murdered a dozen kids in the neighborhood before being caught and arrested. We also learn that he is then set free on a technicality because somebody signed the search warrant in the wrong spot... not far off from real life huh?
Then the parents of Springwood, took matters into their own hands and burn Krueger alive, which starts the never ending murder sprees.
Langenkamp is confirmed to be appearing in the interview process and to tell us all that went into bringing Nancy Thompson alive. Not only did she make it through the first film, but she reprises her role as Nancy in 1987's Chuck Russell's "A Nightmare on Elm St. 3: The Dream Warriors" written by Russell and Craven (Director of The First Film)
Starring again with John Saxon and new comers, Laurence Fishburne (What's Love Got To Do With It), Patricia Arquette (Medium), Jennifer Rubin (The Crush / The Doors), with Legendary Priscilla Pointer (Mommy Dearest / Carrie) and Brooke Bundy (Heart to Heart / Charlie's Angels)
In this film Krueger is after the last of the Elm St. children, and I find in this film the kids are lucky because they have Nancy there, to give them the heads up on the homicidal maniac. As to previous films nobody had any idea what was going on. not that anybody believes her anyways, but its always the thought that counts right? Even though Nancy finds a temporary solution to the problem at hand, which is to prescribe an experimental dream suppressant drug (which makes sense to me.) but not all the hospital staff is happy with her idea to save the kids. Dr. Simms (played by Pointer) disagrees and fires Nancy and Dr. Neil Gordon (Craig Wasson) and decides to sedate all of the kids. (It's obvious what happens now, yea you know that saying "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep"? Absolutely doesn't apply anymore, shame on you Priscilla!)
Needless to say the doctors of the hospital take Nancy's plan later in the future... (as seen in Freddy V.S. Jason)
Gifted with special dream powers, the kids and Nancy go into what could be their final Nightmare. Again putting Krueger back where he belongs, (He sure is not going down without taking a few with him.) We see the un-nerving death of Nancy (Langenkamp). (Which to me is the most disturbing death of all the films.) Now speaking with my opinion this would have been the perfect opportunity to have Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" as the theme music, because this was much more of a tragedy for me than little old Jack Dawson falling into the ocean. But they decided to go with Dokken's "Dream Warriors" instead. (Hey, I'm just an observer, whom am I to say anything?)
Surviving would be Kristen (Arquette) and co-stars Rodney Eastman (Joey) and Ken Sagoes (Kincaid) I guess three is far a better number, than before... but who's counting?
Eastman and Sagoes have already been confirmed, and knowing Ken Sagoes I am sure that he will have us laughing the entire time.
By now Freddy Krueger has become a household name like... "Spam". No pun intended with the meat look a like contest.
The brand went off into: T-Shirts, Toys, Costumes, and Video Games! Who knew that people would be so unbelievably intrigued with a homicidal killer who stalked children in their dreams wearing a glove with knives? I mean when you start to see kids at the innocent age of 6 dressed up like Freddy, you know you are onto something good so why stop? But you never see anyone dressed up like the victims? Ponder that.
Along comes 1988 and the Freddy Franchise couldn't get any bigger, and the box office sales of Renny Harlin's "A Nightmare on Elm St. 4: The Dream Master" proves that. This film was the largest grossing "Nightmare" film to this day. And out did all other films coming into the theaters including "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and "The Little Mermaid" some of America's biggest grossing titles.
With an undeniable perfect cast, of course! Returning to this "Nightmare" was Ken Sagoes (Kincaid) and Rodney Eastman (Joey) and replacing Patricia Arquette was singer/actress Tuesday Knight (Mistress / The Perfect Mother / The X-Files) for the role of teenage insomniac Kristen Parker. Knight who had made her presence known in Hollywood with a record deal with CBS Records, was sought out by Renny Harlin for this role.
"I knew from the beginning that I was going to die in this role, but they always bring you back and it was just an amazing story." says Knight in her interview with VH1.
And Harlin (director) found many ways for Knight to bring her talents to the screen by asking her to do a song for the film. Knight says "My writing partner and I went back to the studio and wrote and composed an entire song within two hours and then played it for Renny Harlin and Rachel Talalay in my car, and they loved it. I had no idea it was going to be the opening song!"
Joining the three of them for this feature was: Lisa Wilcox (Alice), Andras Jones (Rick), Toy Newkirk (Sheila), Brooke Theiss (Debbie) and again the legendary Brook Bundy (Elaine Parker).
"Elm Streets Last Brat" (Knight) says "It was a lot of fun going back and talking about the days of the film. It was an amazing experience and I will never forget it, so when people recognize me for being Kristen Parker rather than a different role, I don't mind. I think when you have something good going for you... well, you work with it."
Freddy mania has not died down one bit, whats the saying "You just can't keep a bad guy down." or is it "good guy"? As the remaining films surfaced in late 80's thru the mid 90's the series had gained a vast amount of respect, from fans and critics to come.
Joining Lisa Wilcox (Alice) in the 1989 Stephen Hopkins film "A Nightmare on Elm St. 5: The Dream Child" was no other than Kelly Jo Minter (People Under The Stairs / The Principal / Summer School) as Yvonne. "Doing the interview for the documentary was cool, I talked about some really embarrassing moments, that happened during the film and a lot of other stuff too... but that was the way it happened! I feel very blessed to have been a part of a film that has made such a movement in the horror genre."
By this film Fred Krueger (Robert Englund) had gotten a reputation for those unforgettable one liners. "This boy feels the need for speed." was one of those moments as he becomes a living motorcycle, injecting Dan Jordan (Danny Hassell) with what appears to be fuel lines.
And as an audience we are also introduced to the temporary transformation into "Super Freddy". As Krueger was going in for the comic kill, the franchise was making a killing itself as the "A Nightmare on Elm St." Comic Books hit the stands.
Approaching 1991 we thought "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" a film directed by Rachel Talalay, would be the last and final time we would dream about Freddy. But only a few years after the film hit syndication, Wes Craven decided to make a film of life imitating art, or was it art imitating life?
In 1994 "Wes Craven's: New Nightmare" hit the box office to scare us one final time, and Craven knew the person who could make this film complete by portraying the gatekeeper of the films Nancy Thompson as well as herself, Heather Langenkamp faced off for the final time to force and keep the undying legend in the films.
Hutson and his team are a power house of their own, giving us an opportunity to live the films again. And not only getting familiar with the films but with the actors, directors, writers, producers of each brilliant piece of art. "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" has everything that the fans are needing to complete their love of Freddy Krueger, and his victims.
Non-Stop Entertainment and Education... The Legacy Continues in April of 2010.
-K!SSPROOF Entertainment 2009
