The Ghostface killer became a horror film icon the moment he, she or sometimes they first appeared in 1996’s “Scream,” terrorizing Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and the residents of Woodsboro. Since that Wes Craven classic has been released there have been 5 movies in the franchise. Each new and arguably clever Scream killer has had their mysterious identity revealed in the end of the film with varying responses from audiences. Much like Scooby Doo we all await the removal of the infamous Ghostface Scream Killer mask.

Scream 6 Killers (2023)

Scream 6 takes us to NYC where Tara has enrolled in college and Sam (billy Loomis’s daughter) has followed her half sister to protect her from future variations of Ghostface. Following our classic whodunnit format Scream 6 still manages to bring some fresh ideas and twists to the now notable franchise. In the end we have 3 killers in Scream 6.

Wayne Bailey, Quinn Bailey and Ethan Landry are the 3 killers in Scream 6. Quinn is a roommate who found the sisters through a local apartment ad as is Ethan who befriended and became roommates with Scream 5 survivor Chad. Finally, Wayne Bailey (Quinn and Ethan’s father) is a NYC police detective.

The killers connection to Sam and Tara in Scream 6 is that Wayne Bailey, Quinn Bailey and Ethan Landry are related to Ritchie (Scream 5 killer). They have come to take revenge on Sam for dispatching him in the previous film.

Scream (2022) Killers aka Scream 5

Scream 5 picks up in Woodsboro 11 years after Scream 4. The characters have had an entire decade of normal life since the last killers were taken care of. Dewey and Gail have divorced and Dewey has taken to the bottle. Sidney has children and a life of her own far away from Woodsboro. With calm comes the innevitable storm though.

The release of Stab 8 has fans furious with deviations from the original plot and the introduction of ridiculous new weapons and characters. And Ghostface is determined to re-write this as a proper requel.

Ghostface re-emerges bringing the original characters back together. As a requel requires a sacrifice of an original character, Dewey does not make it through this film.

Amber Freeman and Richie Kirsch are the Scream 2022 or Scream 5 Killers

The killers from Scream 5 are reveled as Amber and Richie two fanatic fans of the Stab movie that have taken the requel into their own hands. They attempt to frame Sam Carpenter (turns out this is Billy Loomis’s daughter from Scream 1) but ultimately meet the usual demise.

Scream 4 (2011) Killers

Scream 4 2011 was a bit of surprise since the trilogy had been completed with Scream 3 in 2000. Wes Craven and much of the original cast announced in 2010 that Scream 4 (Scre4m) was a go and we got another chance to see the Ghostface slasher in action. Scream 4 aka Scre4m performed a bit better with audiences than Scream 3. Receiving a decent 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Scream 4 is fun, but more clever-clever than fiendishly ingenious

Philip French Guardian

Sidney Prescott, in order to get over the trauma of the Ghostface Killer’s murderous rampage a decade earlier, has written a self-help book. She returns to Woodsboro for her book tour and reconnects with old friends Gale Weathers and Sheriff Dewey. Sidney’s arrival home sparks Ghostface’s return, putting Sidney and everyone she loves in danger.

Jill Roberts and Charlie Walker are Scream 4’s Killers.

This time around it is Sidney’s niece, Jill Roberts who dons the Ghostface mask and costume. Jill’s homicidal rampage is the result of growing up with the infamous Sidney and always being second to her epic tragedies and life. Her jealousy overcomes her so she decides to become the next Scream Killer. Like Billy, she betrays her co-murdered, Charlie Walker by stabbing him in the heart. Albeit more successfully than Billy did with Stu in the original.

In the closing scenes Sidney shoots Jill in the hospital even though reporters claim that Jill is the only one to survive the massacre. Did Jill somehow survive and will make a re-appearance in Scream 2022? We’ll find out January 14th!

Scream 3 (2000) Killer

Scream 3, the finale of the trilogy had a rough go with fans receiving abysmal scores on Rotten Tomatoes and other review sites. This was originally meant to be the final movie, however 10 years later Ghostface returned in Scream 4 and now in 2022 we have Scream 5 or Scream 2022 coming out. You just can’t keep Ghostface down!

The cast is good. And so are director Wes Craven’s inventive stagings of these set-tos. Not so good is the absence of hip cross-references to the classic horror tropes.

Richard Schickel – TIME Magazine

Scream 3 picks up in Hollywood where Stab 3 is being shot, with Gale Weathers and Dwight Riley on set as advisors to director Jennifer Jolie. Ghostface, who has other plans, decides to kill the cast in the order of the screenplay. Sidney aka Sid Prescott comes out of seclusion to help solve the mystery and stop the latest Scream Killer.

Roman Bridger is Scream 3’s Killer

Scream 3’s killer is discovered to be Roman Bridger Sidney’s half brother. Turns out her mother had another child when she herself was an actress in Hollywood. Side note – Sidney’s parent’s infidelity has certainly fueled this franchise.

Roman Bridger is the first Scream Killer to act alone. He is driven by jealousy of Sid’s fame. In the end he dies much like Billy in the first Scream.. shot in the head after several dramatic final attempts at Sid’s life.

Scream 2 (1997) Killers

The horror comedy sequel did not disappoint. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the trilogy, provided a five-page outline for the sequel to Scream when auctioning his original script, hoping to entice bidders with the potential of buying a franchise. So, that worked out really well. Scream 2 fell just short of the original earning 172 million, which is a huge accomplishment for a sequel. Especially one behind such an epic release.

The rest of the cast of disposable archetypes deadpanned about why ”sequels suck” — a particularly funny joke, since this one didn’t.

Chris Nashawaty – Entertainment Weekly

Sidney and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers survived the events of the first “Scream,” but their nightmare isn’t over. When two college students are murdered at a sneak preview of “Stab,” a movie based on the events from the first film, it’s clear a copycat killer is on the loose. Sidney and Gail, as well as fellow survivors Deputy Dewey and Randy have to find out who is behind this new murder spree, before they all end up dead.

Mrs. Loomis (Debbie Salt ) and Mickey Altieri are the Killers in Scream 2

Mrs. Loomis aka Debbie Salt uses film student Mickey Altieri who wants to be caught so that he can blame violent horror movies for his crimes. Sound familiar? Mrs Loomis blames Sidney for Billy’s death in the original Scream and she plots out her revenge with the impressionable Micky. Seems the Loomis family really know how to charm accomplices. Neither killer make it out alive though and Sidney lives to fight another 3-4 movies.

Scream (1996) Killers

Well this was epic was it not? Loaded with twists and turns this whoidunit slasher mystery crossover breathed new life into the genre. The 80’s were the slasher golden era and by the end of the 90’s slasher flicks were headed straight to video, but leave it to none other than Wes Craven to bring something a little different to the table. Scream performed extremely well with audiences, especially for a slasher flick. . And it was the birth of the now infamous Ghostface Killer.

Through reinvention and self-awareness, Scream brought the slasher genre to new, fun, and bloody heights.

Kristy Strouse Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying

The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There’s a killer in their midst who’s seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody…

Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are the original Scream Killers

Billy sets out to take revenge on the Prescott family who he blames for his parents splitting up and his mother abandoning him. Both Sidney and her father are to die for her father’s affair with Billy’s mother that drove her away. In a complex plot, including framing a side character Cotton Weary for the murders, Billy and Stu go on a murderous rampage in the quaint town of Woodsboro. Stu has little excuse aside from being influenced by the charismatic Billy. Their demise is epic, but the Ghostface costume they use becomes the thread for the next 4 movies.

Ghostface has already gone down in history. You can find the costumes everywhere these days and in 2022 we expect that trend to continue. Once we know how Scream 2022 ends we will update this list. Is that really going to be the end or are we going Jason, Freddy or Michael Meyers here? TBD

Tritone

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.

puzzleboxhorror.com

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Last House On The Left (1972)

Craven clearly wanted to shock the world from the get-go. His first horror outing centred around two girls looking for drugs after attending a concert in the city. They run into a gang of escaped convicts who kidnap them for a night of rape, torture and their eventual muder. When the convicts later hide out at the home of one of the murdered girls, her parents soon work out what happened and plot their revenge. Last House managed to land itself on the Video Nasties list and was actually refused a certificate for cinema release by the British Board of Film Censors for its depictions of horiffic sadism and sexual violence.

The script, written by Craven in 1971, was originally intended to be a hardcore pornographic feature before filming began, whereupon it was decided that a much softer approach would be taken. One can only imagine what the original idea had in store for viewers. The story is inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s Swedish film The Virgin Spring (1960), which in turn is based on a Swedish ballad, Töres döttrar i Wänge. Who would’ve thought such classic and artistic inspiration could have gone into what is now an infamous rape/revenge horror?

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

This is one of the rare occasions in horror where I actually prefer a remake to the original. Perhaps it has something to do with the similarities of Craven’s Hills with Tobe Hooper’s classic (and far more expertly crafted) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), or perhaps I simply didn’t feel that the gut-wrenching implications of some scenes could be fully realised with this particular cast of actors. That being said, this is still a fairly competent and satisfyingly violent film based on the legend of Sawney Bean, a scottish clan leader said to have lived in a sea cave and cannibalized over a thousand people in the 16th Century. Craven’s depiction features the Carter family on their way to Los Angeles who crash their camper in an area of the Nevada desert inhabited by murderous cannibals. When they start to die off the family must fight back against the savages, which they do in quite spectacular fashion. Craven’s vision was raw and unflinching with this piece, even if some of it did need to be trimmed due to an X-rating. While it doesn’t jump out as a masterpiece in the genre, it would be a crime to write it off as just another cheap shock-horror.

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Bill Pullman is excellent in this mystifying mashup of Live and Let Die (1973) and In The Mouth of Madness (1944). Anthropologist Dennis (Bill Pullman) heads to Haiti, in a time of severe social and political unrest, to study an alleged voodoo drug that has been bringing the dead back to life. With the help of a witch doctor (Brent Jennings) and a fellow researcher (Cathy Tyson) Dennis must dodge Haitian authorities and solve the deadly mystery before it consumes him completely. With some genuinely unsettling imagery, fantastically engaging performances from its lead cast and implications around life, death and madness that have the potential to chill viewers to the core, The Serpent and The Rainbow proves itself to this day one of the more original and enthralling of Craven’s back-catalogue.

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

I’ll start by saying that I had no idea what to expect from this film. Having borrowed the dvd from a friend and basing my expectations on its goofy cover art, I was expecting something akin to other campy 70s and 80s horrors like Fright Night (1985) or perhaps even Beetlejuice (1988). After multiple viewings I now class this as one of Craven’s darkest films, straight-up shocking in many places while crawling under your skin in others. Craven was adamant to portray a respectful account of class warfare and personal struggles in poverty-stricken ghettos, and has expressed in other films such as Scream 2 his views on the need for “black representation” in horror, so what better villain than a couple of rich, incestuous white landlords? The violent psychopathy displayed when things start to kick off is unrivalled, with much of the terror being derived not from monsters or ghosts, but the potential of pure evil from humans. With a stellar performance from Brandon Adams as ‘Fool’ and Everett McGill and Wendy Robie as the nameless, psychotic Landlord and Lady, this is close to the top of a list of personal favourites, not just of Craven’s work but of horror in general, and should not be missed.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Everyone is familiar with the Nightmare on Elm Street legacy, from the original breakout hit all the way to Freddy vs Jason, but I’d rather talk about what I consider the most interesting and underrated in the series. Now I’ll admit that when I first watched New Nightmare I was far too young to really be able to appreciate horror, never mind understanding any of the meta-layers underlying this gory flick. It still managed to shock me, and stick in my mind to this day, and it was one of my later revisits that helped me realise just what Craven was going for. Heather Langenkamp plays herself, years after the shooting of the original Nightmare films, when visions of Freddy begin to plague her in real life. This was definitely the beginning of Craven’s more self-aware phase which led onto the Scream series, and his playfulness in flirting with the fourth-wall more than pays off in breathing new life into Freddy as a villain, and the Nightmare series in general. I won’t give away too much, as there are several payoffs in Craven’s 1994 rethink that scream for multiple viewings.

Scream (1996)

Scream is such a fun ride. Somehow Craven managed to craft a film that is blatantly self-aware yet balanced enough so that the self-referential comedy doesn’t once get in the way of bloody scares. It is witty and clever in similar ways to New Nightmare but a lot more playful and sometimes goofy in execution. Some references and nods to horror tropes and even Craven’s earlier pictures are terrifically on the nose, and more than welcome in that, though repeated viewings are warranted with plenty of subtleties to find. Matthew Lillard is brilliant as Stu Macher, wacky and on the border of being a complete clown while somehow retaining an imposing and intimidating air through his sheer size and intensity. Scream gleefully and violently subverts expectations set by genre greats, while paying homage to all that inspired it, and somehow having a better ending to many of the films it parodies.

Scream 2 (1997)

Somehow this one passed me by until very recently, though I’m almost ashamed to admit it now. Scream 2 is one of the better horror sequels out there, majorly due to its self awareness (as if it only exists as a punchline to scream’s continuous mention of a sequel) though also due in part to Craven’s consistency in style and substance. I found myself overjoyed when characters from the first began popping up and reuniting, and enjoying the introduction of new characters that, like the film itself, feel more an extension of Scream rather than a tacked-on rethink. Featuring possibly a better ending than even its predecessor did, all while retaining the meta-layers in almost every scene that made the first great.

Full Filmography

Joe Clements

Joe first knew he wanted to write in year six after plaguing his teacher’s dreams with a harrowing story of World War prisoners and an insidious ‘book of the dead’. Clearly infatuated with horror, and wearing his influences on his sleeve, he dabbled in some smaller pieces before starting work on his condensed sci-fi epic, System Reset in 2013.Once this was published he began work on many smaller horror stories and poems in bid to harness and connect with his own fears and passions and build on his craft.
Joe is obsessed with atmosphere and aesthetic, big concepts and even bigger senses of scale, feeding on cosmic horror of the deep sea and vastness of space and the emotions these can invoke. His main fixes within the dark arts include horror films, extreme metal music and the bleakest of poetry and science fiction literature.
He holds a deep respect for plot, creative flow and the context of art, and hopes to forge deeper connections between them around filmmakers dabbling in the dark and macabre.

linktr.ee/Joeclements

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The People Under the Stairs (1991) was one of Wes Craven’s greatest horror movies of all time. It gets a little less publicity than most of his other films, but it is a diamond among the rough! The movie is a little edgier than most horror films, but it pays off in huge scares and real terror. A wicked family keeps their sheltered daughter hidden from the world while collecting a number of other people ‘under the stairs’. Although the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it is without a doubt a cult classic and one of Wes Craven’s finest films.

The True Inspiration Behind The People Under the Stairs

The horror that transpired within the house that harbors the ‘people under the stairs’ is grim and the atrocities of this family are sincerely twisted.  Here is a little about what inspired The People Under the Stairs.

Wes Craven’s Inspiration Behind The People Under The Stairs

The real inspiration behind the movie came from a newspaper excerpt that Wes Craven was reading, about a family that got into trouble after police were called to a burglary scene.  Apparently, burglars tried to break into a house, but instead of finding the perpetrators…the police found locks everywhere and children who had never been allowed to go outside, raised in total abuse, totally indoors.

Although he would take the movie to an extreme, with the idea that the family was on the search for a perfect brother to match their ‘perfect daughter.’  Each boy that did not meet the standards, had their tongue cut out and now resides in the basement, in cages under the stairs.  They are malnourished and scary looking. One of Wes’ most interesting twists in the People Under the Stairs, is turning the home burglars into protagonists and the property owners into antagonists (normally the home owners would be victims of a home invasion or robbery, not the antagonists).

The movie was also meant to be a sort of adventure type of film. There are contraptions and traps everywhere, both to help and harm the protagonists. There are hidden rooms and a whole network of tunnels made throughout the walls of the house.  There is even a tale of gold to be had at the end!  The action is pretty solid as well, but still in a horror-thriller, suspenseful kind of way.

Modern Day Example: Real Life People Under The Stairs

Recently there was a case that came to light from the woodwork. A strongly religious family, much like the belief system of Alice’s parents in the movie, were found to be keeping their 13 children captive in their home basically their entire lives.  Although they appeared younger than they actually were, the children were all different ages, some even in their 20s. The David-Louis Turpin family is a perfect example of a real life People Under the Stairs situation.  Despite the fact the children were not abducted, the girl in the movie (Alice), was not abducted either, but apparently the family’s natural born daughter.

Another case a few years back also shines light on the possibilities.  Ariel Castro abducted Michelle Knight (one of three women abducted, actually), and kept her captive for more than a decade. There are several other cases of the similar sort, where victims are mutilated. Whether through abduction or natural child birth, unfortunately these are all very real fears that exist in the world, making such a movie about children kept captive for years in a basement so much more scary.

A Realistic Fear the Audience Can Feel

The story line behind The People Under the Stairs is absolutely heartbreaking and truly realistic in presentation.  There are real life thugs like Leroy, and there are hurting families out there willing to do nearly anything to help their situation.  Unfortunately, there are sadistic families that truly do keep their kids captive from the world, and it really is possible to have them mutilated as well. 

Be safe out there, as there is real evil in the world very similar to the evil seen in this movie, and you never know when there may be some people living under the stairs!

Fun Fact: Wes Craven once said he would remake The People Under the Stairs, alongside Shocker and The Last House on the Left, however, sadly he only had a chance to remake the last of the three.

Tritone

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.

puzzleboxhorror.com

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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 6^th 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 6^th 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

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.

puzzleboxhorror.com

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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

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.

puzzleboxhorror.com

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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!

https://www.robertenglund.com/about-robert/

Freddy Krueger Fact #5: An Evil Beginning

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

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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