‘I never set out to become a horror icon…’
Now, I love Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare movies as much as the next man but do I need a two-hour-plus documentary about Englund’s life and career? It turns out that the answer is yes. Yes, I do…
From the directing duo that created Pennywise: The Story of IT, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is an exhaustive rundown of Englund’s life and career, beginning with his first performances as a character actor in the ’70s through to his recent outing as Victor Creel in Stranger Things. Contributors include horror royalty Eli Roth, Heather Lagenkamp and Lynn Shaye, as well as some warm words from his fellow movie monsters Kane Hodder, Tony Todd and Doug Bradley (Jason Vorhees, Candyman and Pinhead respectively).
While there is plenty of Freddy stuff here, I was surprised at how compelling the rest of Englund’s career has been. Whether it be putting Mark Hamill forward for the role of Luke Skywalker, playing the eponymous monster in The Phantom of the Opera or gathering leaves in garbage bags to help out on the set of Halloween, nobody can deny that Englund has lived a long and fascinating life under the glare of the bright lights of Hollywood movie sets.
A notorious name-dropper and eloquent orator, Englund himself makes for a great interviewee. He clearly enjoys the opportunity to talk about his life and career in such detail and while this is very much of a puff piece, the kind words and pats on the back do seem to come from a place of genuine warmth and affection – so much so that it’s hard not to get carried away with it all.
As ever with such niche subject matter, casual fans need not apply, but for those of us who have followed Englund throughout his career, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is a resounding success.