Better Late Than Never: A Review of “Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story!”

No matter how much special effects makeup he wears, or how thick of an accent his characters may have, you instantly recognize Robert Englund in any film he’s in.  Once he shows up as a creepy redneck, an eccentric doctor, or a hapless alien, we all instantly turn into that Leonardo DiCaprio meme.  His most recognizable character, of course, is Freddy Kruger, the dream-stalking child murderer with a razor glove.  Unless you’re a horror fan, Robert Englund and Freddy Kruger are one in the same, much to the chagrin of many, including I’m sure, Englund himself.  Enter directors Gary Smart and Christopher Griffiths, who’ve made “Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,” the definitive documentary on the guy who scared us stiff.

Behind the scenes of “Freddy vs. Jason”

It’s fair to say Freddy is the jewel in his acting crown, but as the film shows over it’s 2 hour and 15 minute runtime, it’s more like an ornament on his Christmas tree of characters.  We don’t even get to Elm Street until about 45 minutes in, but you’ll barely notice, as Englund has established himself as a raconteur by then.  There isn’t a set narrator, and the talking heads are plentiful (among them Lance Henriksen, Mick Garris, Kane Hodder, and several “Elm Street” alums), but nobody spins a yarn like Englund, himself.  The giddiness and enthusiasm he’s always shown in bonus features and soundbites is on full display as he shares anecdotes and deep cuts about working briefly on the set of “Halloween” and how close he came to being in “Star Wars” and “Kill Bill” (Quentin, what were you thinking?).  

His face wasn’t burned in EVERY movie, but it looked damn good in “Phantom of the Opera.”

Look, it’s no secret that a documentary like this is catnip for me, and it plays the hits you’d expect, but it also begs some examination of Englund’s life.  While detailing his rise as a horror film star, Griffiths and Smart ponder the golden handcuffs Englund found himself in: did playing such an iconic character make him typecast?  Sure, it afforded him a lot of love and respect, (plus pre-credit billing as of “Nightmare on Elm Street 4”) but did it mean the world at large would only know him as one character?  Could he have gotten wider recognition, or even won an Oscar if not for the role that permeated the culture?  It’s not that big of a stretch when you consider his career as a character actor, but it’s a credit to Griffiths and Smart that they bring it into consideration.  They make a point to show how Wes Craven was looking at stuntmen to Freddy before Englund was cast.  Can you imagine?  Or maybe it’s better that you don’t. 

Englund in his storytelling element.

“I haven't done 6 movies, I’ve done 1 role,” says Englund during a “Freddy’s Dead”-era interview, in full makeup.  It’s a sanguine, yet, workmanlike response, and one of the most revealing pieces of the doc.  He’s always been more than just Freddy Kruger, and thanks to Griffiths and Smart, the evidence is now on full display.  Welcome to recognition…”bitch.”

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: THE ROBERT ENGLUND STORY will be On Screambox, and Digital on June 6, 2023, and on Blu-ray July 25, 2023.

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