Thursday October 14th, 2021 Horror Hub Presents Down to Hell with two of horrors biggest stars: host Doug Bradley and special guest Robert Englund.
Robert Englund, who is most famous for playing one of horror’s most famous monsters, Freddy Krueger, in Nightmare on Elm Street. The genius and horrible invention of Wes Craven has haunted our dream world for more than twenty years now.
Doug Bradley, known for his brilliant role in the Hellraiser movie series as Pinhead, arguably one of the most intelligent inter dimensional demons, has also tortured us for more than 20 years now.
These two superstars of horror are getting together on Twitch Thursday October 14th, 2021 to talk about life, love, horror and anything else that comes to mind. Fans can ask questions in the live chat and interact with one another during the show.
Fun fact are these two actors are 2 of 3 horror actors who played the same role 8 consecutive times. The third being Tobin Bell from the Saw franchise.
Down to Hell is in its premiere season, produced by Horror Hub Marketplace the show is a casual conversation between host Doug Bradley, co-host Steph Sciullo and some of horror’s most interesting creators, actors, musicians, and personalities.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Freddy Krueger, originally “Frederick Charles Krueger,” is Elm street’s serial child killer starring throughout the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Most notably played by Robert Englund (from 1984 through 2003), the character prey son the children of Elm street through their sleep in the dreamworld. Freddy Krueger is traditionally powerless in the real world, and thus one of the most successful ways of ‘killing’ him, were to bring him into the real world by gripping onto him while being woken up from the dreamworld. Wes Craven’s Freddy Krueger is one of the most notorious fictional serial killers to grace the screen of horror…and one of the oldest, being a product of the 80s!
Fun Facts About Nightmare’s Freddy Krueger
Although there are seemingly infinite Freddy Krueger fun facts and trivia, some stand out as particularly interesting. Check out some of these unbelievable tidbits about one of our favorite horror slashers!
Freddy Krueger Fact #1: Casting the Perfect Freddy Krueger
Finding Freddy Krueger wouldn’t be easy, and although probably dozens or more actors would be considered, Robert Englund would be selected. Robert has explained that he went through some pretty gross last minute efforts before entering the building to talk to Wes, including running oil from his car’s dipstick through his hair, and cigarette ash under his eyes. I would say “WTF,” however, seriously…WHO’S LAUGHING NOW ?!
Freddy Krueger Fact #2: A Personality that Grew With Attention
Originally, Freddy Krueger was designed to be scary in many ways, however, his clever phrases made famous in later films wasn’t one of them. Wes Craven did not draw power from fearful dialog, however, a scary setting, a scary claw, a scary figure…and ultimately a scary dream. A dream you could not control. Your dream, taken over by a serial child killer. However, as Freddy Krueger’s Nightmare on Elm Street films grew with popularity, Freddy’s personality began to blossom and bask in glory! Freddy became more creative, cunning and clever with his dialogue than ever before, going on to star in many more films, all filled with a variety of memorable lingo.
Freddy Krueger Fact #3: The Boiler Room
The boiler room used for scenes throughout A Nightmare on Elm Street was actually the Lincoln Heights Jail of the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The scenes not only look super realistic and super scary, but the actual jail were closed at the time…being condemned and supposedly haunted in itself! Maybe if we replay the original flick enough, we’ll see a ghost or two from beyond the dreamworld!
Freddy Krueger Fact #4: The Transformation
A lot of Freddy Krueger and Nightmare on Elm Street fans alike ask “How long does the Freddy Krueger makeup take to put on?” Robert Englund answered this directly on his website himself stating that he would be sitting in a chair for 3-4 hours each day receiving his Freddy transformation. He describes it as a “jigsaw puzzle of twelve or more pieces of pre-painted foam latex” which would be glued to his face and then blended together. Once I was Freddy Krueger for Halloween (age 10), and it took my mother about half that long to apply the goop-based makeup kit the franchise commercialized!
Even the most enthusiastic Freddy Krueger and Nightmare on Elm Street fan would easily miss the birth of Freddy Krueger, which was revealed in Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Unfortunately Freddy Krueger’s mother, Amanda Krueger (the nun in the film from Westin Hills mental hospital) became pregnant after being raped by a gang of a hundred inmates. This was probably used as a way to create sympathy for the killer due to his increasing popularity.
Freddy Krueger Fact #6: A Child Murderer
Originally, Freddy Krueger was slated to be a child molester, as Wes Craven believed it was the epitome of evil; However, an outbreak of publicized, high-attention child molestation and abuse cases at the time posed a potential liability. Wes and others feared that it could have been misconstrued as a way of exploiting these cases, and ultimately decided to make Freddy Krueger a child murderer instead.
Freddy Krueger Fact #7: A Child Molester
Oddly enough, if enough time has passed, society must heal from anything…as the 2010 remake of Nightmare on Elm Street decides to portray Freddy Krueger as the child molester he was originally intended to be! Poor Jackie Earle Haley (we liked your performance as well though, and it’s not your fault society is jaded!).
Freddy Krueger Fact #8: Dreamweaver
A popular hit song called “Dreamweaver” emerged in the 1970s featuring the mind’s ability to weave dreams. Wes Craven has been quoted giving credit to Dreamweaver’s keyboard intro and exit (outro) being partly responsible for the Nightmare on Elm Street theme and ultimately Freddy Krueger’s most valuable strength: his ability to control dreams.
Freddy Krueger Fact #9: A tattered sweater
Wes Craven has explained in a number of interviews and other excerpts that Freddy Krueger were also inspired by a school age bully. This bully being an older man who haunted Wes one day on his way home…a homeless, disfigured man who wore a tattered green and red striped sweater. The man actually followed Wes all the way home, and up into the stairwell of his apartment building where his older brother lay waiting with a baseball bat to defend. Only when Wes and his brother entered the stairwell, the Freddy-like character were no where to be found.
Freddy Krueger Fact #10: Elm Street, only a movie name
Wes Craven recently revealed that the street name “Elm Street” was never spoken out loud during the original Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). This may come to some surprise to even the most hardcore Nightmare fans, as many of us know the words “Elm Street” are most certainly repeated throughout other Nightmare franchise films…almost incessantly.
Final Words
Freddy Krueger is one of the most creative horror killers available. With the franchise having no real anticipated “true end” (they have attempted to end the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise SEVERAL times with no success), Freddy Krueger is likely to amaze and impress us for years to come. As best said by Freddy himself… “This…Is God!”
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Freddy Krueger is an intimidating, nightmare-intruding horror movie killer! Being one of the only “reality manipulating” slashers, he holds a lot more power than the traditional horror movie slasher. In almost every Nightmare on Elm Street movie, they try to kill Freddy Krueger for good…but Freddy always seems to come back! Freddy’s repeated return to the big screen leaves Elm Street fans everywhere wondering…
Is Freddy Krueger Actually Immortal? Is there any way to kill Freddy Krueger for good? What are the most effective strategies to survive a Nightmare on Elm Street movie?
Ways Freddy Krueger Has Died (or Been “Killed”)
Freddy Krueger is an intrusive, finger-knived slasher who just keeps coming back. Still, here are some of the ways his victims have tried to take him out…
Death From Being Forgotten
When an entire town disbelieves in Freddy Krueger or otherwise “forgets” him, he is unable to kill. Freddy Krueger gets his power from the fear his victims feel and think after hearing horror stories about the finger-bladed slasher.
Drag Him Out of the Dreamworld
The Nightmare on Elm Street killer thrives in the dream world, where his power truly vibrates. With that said, many victims have discovered that Freddy Krueger can be pulled out of the dreamworld and into reality, where he is much weaker. And while he is still a very agile fighter in the real world and quite dangerous…at least the victims stand a better chance!
Killed by Fire
Although Freddy’s “real life” demise came from being burned alive while trapped in the boiler room…he was also burned alive, after being dragged into the real world at the end of the first movie.
Hypnocil
Hypnocil is one of Freddy’s indirect weaknesses. The fictional “Elm Street” prescription eliminates dreams, effectively eliminating Freddy Krueger’s back door entrance to slaughtering endless Elm Street victims.
Holy Blessings
Freddy Krueger is pure evil, and thus hates all things “church.” When anointed correctly with holy water or otherwise blessed, Freddy Krueger cannot sustain power. The catch? His bones have to be blessed and they are buried in a super creepy automobile graveyard. Bring a cross.
Steal His Power
In one movie, a heroine successfully ‘steals’ the power from some of her fallen friends. Before Freddy knows what hit him, she beats his butt, sending him away for a long time. The down side, is that only some people seem to have the power to absorb skills and abilities from their dead friends.
Distraction
Krueger is a softie for attention. In fact, he absolutely loves the limelight! So any opportunity for attention usually takes priority for the glove-wielding slasher. Victims have used his vanity and attention-loving weakness as a way to escape him or otherwise take him out. One time, he was even beheaded after being distracted.
Trapped Souls
Freddy’s power gets greater as he absorbs the souls of his victims, trapping them in his evil forever. However, sometimes it is possible to find ‘cracks’ in Freddy’s spirit, freeing the trapped souls enough for them to fight back. When the souls fight back, they fight back hard, typically dragging Freddy back to hell.
Freddy Always Comes Back
The Nightmare on Elm Street slasher is one tough killer. No matter how they try to take Freddy out, he always comes back. Freddy is even seen winking, taunting the audience in 2003 as Jason carries his head out of the water. Part of the problem people do not realize when trying to kill him, is that he is pure evil himself. Bottom line: Freddy Krueger is immortal, despite being able to die in the real world.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Dungeons and Dragons and Nightmare on Elm Street [Horror Movie Trivia]
The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise relies heavily on the underlying beliefs that supernatural powers are possible. Without belief in the supernatural, Freddy is literally powerless. Besides, what isn’t supernatural about an immoral slasher who kills from within your nightmares? With Freddy’s increasing popularity, writers were probably under a lot of stress to produce a creative story line. Dungeons and Dragons, commonly known as “D&D”, was a tabletop game that gave people a way to roleplay a fictional character, such as a ninja, a wizard or a knight. D&D was a big deal in the eighties, so it only makes sense it would work its way into a movie or two.
Do They Use D&D to Defeat Freddy Krueger in the Dream Warriors Sequel?
Dungeons and Dragons is about the use of character abilities, talents that are unique to a certain class, to defeat enemies and advance throughout the dungeon. There is almost always a supreme monster or ‘boss’ at the end of a dungeon or series of dungeons. Drawing a parallel to the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, the boss would be Freddy Krueger. The script of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) gives each of the main protagonists an “ability” which is unique to their character. The abilities may only be available in their dreams, but that’s exactly where they are needed, for that’s where they’re haunted! Here are some of the characters and their respective abilities.
Kristen may be an ordinary, troubled girl in real life, but she has a powerful ability when she is sleeping. Kristen is able to pull other people into her dream. This ultimately (at the cost of a few lives), helps the entire team defeat Freddy (working together as a “party” is normally an important facet of victory in D&D). Her class would likely be “paladin,” being able to use some good magic but also possessing some agility.
Kincaid may love chilling with his dog in the real world, but when he falls asleep…he is super strong. Very similar to the warrior class in D&D.
Taryn is a lot like a Ninja. She is decked out in 80s style grunge leather, looks pretty cool and can do some high flying karate. She also has blades, making her a dangerous adversary in the dream world.
Will is probably the coolest of them all. He is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic who is actually into D&D in the real world…but becomes a magic-wielding wizard in the dream world.
The characters all have their unique abilities which can be used to help defeat Freddy. Just like a party in D&D, the characters have to work together to successfully take him on, and kick his butt back to hell!
Final Notes: D&D in Nightmare on Elm Street
Whether it was Wes Craven or suspected D&D enthusiast Frank Darabont who suggested and eventually implemented Dungeons and Dragons into the script itself…the movie is a masterpiece as it stands. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) may or may not be based upon Dungeons and Dragons, but it is most certainly resonating with a strong D&D vibe. Watching it today, is like sitting in on an old D&D adventure from back in the day!
Fun Fact: Did you know that Ira Heiden (who played wheel-chair bound Will) was a real life Dungeon Master? His real life skills of providing players a Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons, made him an excellent fit for his role as a DM in one scene, as well as his role as a wizard in the nightmare world.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Nightmare on Elm Street Cameo Appearances By Celebrities
The Nightmare on Elm Street movies have largely been well funded and filled with talented cast and crew members. Due to the great number of people involved on the project and the many number of sequels, the Nightmare movies are more likely to include cameos than many other films. The creators of the Nightmare movies have been very careful in how they implement cameos…but they are still found throughout the franchise. Maybe they should have called them Screameos instead? What would Elm Street be without screams and famous actors?
List of Nightmare on Elm Street Cameos
Horror Enthusiast has set on a mission to list all of the cameos in the Freddy Krueger movies. Many famous actors have appeared in horror movies before their careers started. Here is the full list as it stands today for Nightmare on Elm Street.
Robert Shaye
Newline Cinema owner and Nightmare on Elm Street original producer, Robert Shaye lends a voice twice in the film. The audio clip of the news reporting Tina’s death and the voice of the station announcer both belong to Shaye.
Shaye plays an actual character in the second film (which he also produced). Shaye can be seen as the S&M bartender serving Jesse in the gay bar.
Shaye works his way into a cameo during the fourth film in the franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) as one of the high school teachers.
Freddy’s Dead, the 6th installment in the franchise, features a Robert Shaye ticket booth operator. He is responsible for selling bus tickets in cameo!
Shaye cameos as himself in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (like some of the actual actors from the original film).
Again, Shaye makes his way into another film in Freddy vs Jason (2003), playing Laurie’s high school principal.
Robert Shaye’s Sister
The producer’s sister found herself a cameo in the original Nightmare movie (1984) as a teacher…and again in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare as a nurse.
Johnny Depp
One of the stars of the original Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Johnny Depp, can be seen in a picture within Kristen’s magazine in the fourth film, A Nightmare on Elm Street4: The Dream Master (1988). He also has a short cameo appearance in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991).
Renny Harlin
The director of the fourth film in the franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), Renny Harlin, cameo’d as a student in a classroom.
Eric Singer
Famous drummer for a number of bands, including Kiss, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and Badlands makes a cameo in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) as a band member shown on TV.
Alice Cooper
In Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Alice Cooper makes a cameo appearance as the abusive father.
Tom Arnold and Roseanne Barr
These two celebrities can be seen playing the childless couple found about 23 minutes into the 6th movie in the franchise, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991).
Tuesday Knight
Chase’s funeral scene in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare hides a Tuesday Knight cameo.
Rey Mysterio
The famous wrestler made a cameo appearance in Freddy vs Jason (2003) as a guy who does a fantastic jump.
Evangeline Lilly
The girl in the green long-sleeved shirt present in the crowd right under half an hour into Freddy vs Jason (2003), is Evangeline!
…And Almost a Couple Others
Heather Langenkamp played the main protagonist in the original nightmare movie. She was offered a cameo as a waitress in the latest 2010 remake of Nightmare on Elm Street…but declined the offer.
John Saxon played Heather’s father and the town’s police chief in the first movie, reprising his role in the third film, and then playing himself in A New Nightmare (1994). Saxon was offered a cameo in the 2010 remake as well, but schedule conflicts never let it happen.
Final Cameo Notes
In the many plentiful Nightmare on Elm Street movies, there have been many cameos and celebrity appearances. There are probably many more cameos which have yet to be discovered. As a horror fan, you are obligated to help! If you find any cameos in any Nightmare on Elm Street movies which you do not see listed here, please comment below!
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
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