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While Robert Englund may mostly be known as Freddy Krueger, this doc gives a spotlight to his entire impressive career.

PLOT: 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.

REVIEW: I remember reading Robert Englund’s Autobiography when I was in college. It was a wonderful account of Englund’s life and career, and painted a picture of a humble actor who simply wants to perform. When I heard that they were making a full-length document, I was excited. Englund was a decade older than the book when it was published. Englund’s status as a horror god is an understatement. It’s a feat that very few actors achieve. It’s easy to understand why with Hollywood Nightmares and Dreams. It’s a great way to make them come alive. This documentary stands out because of its editing. William Bit’s bit about changing in stage plays is my favorite. It was moments like this that took it out of that vanilla documentary trap. It’s only around the 40-minute mark when we get to see Krueger. This section is a dream for me as a Nightmare on Elm Street lover. His insights bring new life to scenes that we’ve seen dozens of time. It was great to see the co-stars’ reactions, as they were in awe. It’s also great to see his co-stars reacting in awe. This is more about Englund as a person, with equal emphasis on films like

Phantom Of The Opera

and

Behind The Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon. They even mention Englund’s role as Krueger in ABC’s The Goldbergs, and Stranger things. So this really does feel all-encompassing.One of the more interesting aspects is when Englund covers the roles he lost out on. Carrie,

Star Wars, and Kill Bill amongst others, show that rejection is still present in the life of such a Hollywood icon. It’s amazing to see how many connections Englund has with such large properties. Whether it’s telling Mark Hamill about the Luke Skywalker role, or collecting dead leaves that would later be used while filming John Carpenter’s Halloween, Englund had a brush with so many Hollywood classics.I really enjoyed Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares and would recommend it to any fan of Englund’s. I’m sure there will be a lot of people tuning in because of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but I hope that others can discover some previously undiscovered gems. Because Englund’s career is a diverse one in the horror world and deserves more than to be pigeon-holed as one character.

Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is STREAMING ON SCREAMBOX JUNE 6th, 2023

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Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch