Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | |
---|---|
Directed by | Daniel Farrands Andrew Kasch |
Written by | Thommy Hutson |
Produced by | Daniel Farrands Thommy Hutson |
Narrated by | Heather Langenkamp |
Cinematography | Buz Wallick |
Edited by | Andrew Kasch Michael Benni Pierce |
Music by | Sean Schafer Hennessy |
Production company | 1428 Films |
Distributed by | 1428 Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 240 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $404,982 [1] |
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a 2010 American direct-to-video documentary film that chronicles the entire Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, except for the 2010 remake. The documentary also explores the rise of New Line Cinema. Written by Thommy Hutson, produced by Daniel Farrands and Thommy Hutson, and co-directed by Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch. Heather Langenkamp, who portrayed Nancy Thompson in three of the Nightmare films, served as the project's executive producer and narrator. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] As of February 2019, the documentary has grossed over $400k from video sales.
Farrands, Hutson, and Kasch first worked together on the documentary film His Name Was Jason . Farrands and Kasch were subsequently reunited by Paramount Pictures to create bonus features for Friday the 13th DVD deluxe editions, and they later worked together on bonus features for Farrands' The Haunting in Connecticut . According to Farrands, who reunited with Hutson shortly thereafter, they jointly decided that it was time to tell the backstories of how the various Elm Street films were created and decided to fund the entire project independently. [3] In referencing the difficulties faced during the shooting of His Name Was Jason, the Elm Street retrospective would be produced by a smaller core group of artists and editors who were more dedicated to creating a quality film. Interviewees were asked to provide any rare footage, or behind the scenes photos, that had not been seen before. By way of example, Farrands reported that David Schow brought in a tape from his own work on Freddy's Nightmares that included ten minutes of Robert Englund footage that had never been aired. He also shared that during the shooting of the Elm Street films, cast and family members of cast would often take personal photos, which would be highlighted in the finished documentary. At the time of their interview with FEARnet , the production had shot a teaser trailer for the project, some on-location spots and B-roll, and they anticipated principal photography to require a 20- to 25-day shoot. [7] In referencing the writing, Farrands made note that Hutson spent hours creating outlines and structural pieces for production to follow and wrote both the narration and "tens of thousands of questions for the interviewees". [2]
In 2009, as the film was being planned, the production company, 1428 Films, shot a 2-minute teaser-trailer with Heather Langenkamp which was released online to initiate early interest. As interest in the documentary grew, the producers contacted a number of Elm Street alumni and the producers were in turn contacted by many others. The final total of unique interviews was 106 individuals. [3]
In both a nod to the original series and a wish to utilize some of the talent who contributed to the franchise, the makers of the documentary procured the services of poster artist Matthew Joseph Peak to create the original art for the release poster and DVD, and composer Charles Bernstein, who composed the score for the original A Nightmare on Elm Street for the film's main title theme. [2] [3]
In exploring the Elm Street saga, the film presents photographs, storyboards, conceptual art, publicity materials, archival documents, and behind-the-scenes footage that have never been previously shared. Never Sleep Again expands on Wes Craven's motivations in creating the first Elm Street film. It also explores behind-the-scenes of the original film and all of its sequels. Through interviews, the film shares how cast and crew brought their own worst nightmares to life on screen and examines the impact the series and its mythos have had on pop culture and the horror genre in general. The documentary also explores the rise and fall of Robert Shaye's New Line Cinema and its reputation as "The House That Freddy Built".
In an article written by Brent Hartinger for After Elton, it is stated that a "frequent debate in gay pop culture circles is this: Just how 'gay' was 1985's A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (the Elm Street sequel)? The imagery in the movie makes it seem unmistakably gay — but the filmmakers have all along denied that that was their intention." During his interview segment for the documentary, screenwriter David Chaskin admitted that the homosexual themes were intentionally written into the script. The rest of the cast and crew stated that they were unaware of any such themes at the time they made the film, but that a series of creative decisions on the part of director Jack Sholder unintentionally brought Chaskin's themes to the forefront. In his interview, Sholder stated, "I simply didn't have the self-awareness to realize that any of this might be interpreted as gay", while "now-out actor" Mark Patton stated, "I don't think that [the character] Jesse was originally written as a gay character. I think it's something that happened along the line by serendipity." [8]
The documentary was released as a 2-disc DVD set on May 4, 2010. [2] [3] In promotion of the documentary, the filmmakers gave away a limited edition poster autographed by Heather Langenkamp to anyone who ordered the documentary from the official website, with the DVD cover art from original Nightmare poster artist Matthew Joseph Peak. Anyone who ordered the DVD from the website was also entered into a drawing to win one of three 27"×40" teaser posters signed by dozens of the people who worked on the films and were interviewed in the documentary. [7]
The first disc shares 106 interviews with many of the cast and crew spanning all of the Elm Street projects, including:
Interviewee | Involvement with Elm Street |
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Wes Craven | creator of the film series, director of A Nightmare on Elm Street and New Nightmare |
Robert Englund | portrayed Freddy Krueger in the first eight films |
Heather Langenkamp | portrayed Nancy Thompson in Elm Street Part 1 , Part 3 and New Nightmare |
Robert Shaye | producer, New Line Cinema |
Lisa Wilcox | portrayed Alice Johnson in Elm Street 4 and 5 |
Jeff Katz | producer, New Line Cinema |
John Saxon | portrayed Lt. Thompson in Elm Street Part 1, Part 3 and New Nightmare |
Leslie Hoffman | portrayed Hall Guard in A Nightmare on Elm Street |
Mark Patton | portrayed Jesse Walsh in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge |
Clu Gulager | portrayed Ken Walsh in Elm Street 2 |
Christopher Young | composer, Elm Street 2 |
Alice Cooper | appearance in Freddy's Dead |
Dokken | musicians, Elm Street 3 |
Monica Keena | star of Freddy vs. Jason |
Renny Harlin | director, Elm Street 4 |
Chuck Russell | director, Elm Street 3 |
Kane Hodder | portrayed Jason Voorhees in four of the Friday the 13th films. He also portrayed Freddy in a small cameo in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday . |
Ronny Yu | director, Freddy vs. Jason |
Tuesday Knight | portrayed Kristen Parker in Elm Street 4 |
Kelly Jo Minter | portrayed Yvonne in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child |
Miko Hughes | portrayed Dylan Porter in New Nightmare |
David Newsom | portrayed Chase Porter in New Nightmare |
Tracy Middendorf | portrayed Julie in New Nightmare |
The second disc includes extended interviews and a "first look" at Heather Langenkamp's I Am Nancy. It also includes the featurettes:
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100%, based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. [9] Michael Gingold of Fangoria gave the documentary their highest marks, writing that "the amount of behind-the-scenes and other footage the filmmakers have assembled is nothing short of amazing. Never Sleep Again contains a treasure trove of rare and never-before-seen deleted scenes, FX-creation shots, etc", concluding, "... [the film] truly does do justice to the Elm Street legacy, and even the most die-hard devotees are guaranteed to hear and see a wealth of stories and content they’ve never been aware of before. Fedoras off to the team responsible for this high-water mark in genre documentaries…". [10]
Ryan Daley of Bloody Disgusting also gave the film the site's highest marks, saying, "A perfect 5-Skull rating should serve as a testament to the talent of Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch, the filmmaking duo behind this brilliant Nightmare on Elm Street documentary. Even for the casual fan, this is one hell of an educational film." He concluded his review by offering, "There's a lot to love about Never Sleep Again, and virtually nothing to hate. It's not only an expertly crafted film about a beloved horror franchise, it's also a film about the legacy of New Line Cinema, and ultimately, a film about the horror genre as a whole. Frankly, you won't find a horror documentary better than this one." [11]
Jeremy Thomas of 411mania wrote of the documentary, "The first thing to realize regarding Never Sleep Again is the length. The documentary is very nearly four hours long, a length that completely dwarfs that of His Name Was Jason, the documentary made by the same crew which covered the Friday the 13th series". He noted that while a good portion of the film is directed toward coverage of the eight Elm Street movies, he also found "that what's key with each of these segments is that they never seem rushed or superfluous. Each of the interviews adds to the discussion and while some of them joke around a bit, they all provide their own tidbits that add up to a true wealth of knowledge." He noted that while interviews of Johnny Depp, Patricia Arquette and Breckin Meyer were not included, the rest of the interviewees provided information that filled that loss. He also offered that "one of the greatest joys is that the interviews allow us to see where the cast and crew are now". He summarized that the length might cause concern that the documentary might be overlong, but offered that due to "directors Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch however, the film is very well-paced and the time flies by." His review concludes by offering detailed information about the video, the audio, the packaging, and about the included special features. [12]
Nick Hyman of Under The Radar gave it a 9/10. He noted that while the earlier Friday the 13th retrospective documentary His Name Was Jason "...was severely gutted by studio interference, this documentary is independently financed and allows the interview subjects to be more candid in their recollections". He offers "While the doc is mostly for fans only, the best material is about the creation of this iconic series on a budget. Independent studio New Line Cinema's rise is mostly because of Elm Street, and the stories from director/creator Wes Craven, New Line head Robert Shaye, and star Robert Englund about financial struggles and tight deadlines are frequently the most enlightening." and concludes, "If you're a fan of the original films, this labor of love is a must-see." [13]
Neil Karassik of Eye Weekly noted that nearly everyone who was involved in the original projects were captured in interviews, opining that "all eight Freddy features plus one surreal syndicated series are explored with staggering depth that never gets tiresome", and also sharing that the "project often surpasses its own subject in terms of giddy inventiveness." [14]
Cameron McGaughy of DVD Talk stated, "Our long journey comes to an end with a beautiful closing where all of the big names share their sense of pride on the projects--a love you can see and feel through every minute of these wonderful four hours. Whether it's Langenkamp sharing Craven's importance in her life or Craven expressing awe that his little film became such an influence and part of pop culture, it's a fitting finish. And no moment is more moving than watching Shaye's eyes tear up as thoughts both painful (his ouster from the company he created) and joyous cross in his mind as he thanks the fans for the incredible journey." [15]
The film won in the "Best Direct-to-Video Title" and "Best in Show" categories at Home Media Magazine 's 2010 Reaper Awards, a yearly DVD show held at the Roosevelt in Hollywood, CA. [16]
The film was also the recipient of the 2010 Saturn Award for Best DVD Release of the Year.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American supernatural slasher media franchise consisting of nine films, a television series, novels, comic books, and various other media. The franchise began with the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), written and directed by Wes Craven. The overall plot of the franchise centers around the fictional character Freddy Krueger, the apparition of a former child killer who was burned alive by the vengeful parents of his victims, who returns from the grave to terrorize and kill the teenage residents of the fictional Springwood, Ohio in their dreams. Craven returned to the franchise to co-script the second sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), and to write and direct Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). The films collectively grossed $472 million at the box office worldwide.
Freddy Krueger is a fictional character and the antagonist of the A Nightmare on Elm Street horror film franchise. Created by Wes Craven, he made his debut in Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as the malevolent spirit of a child killer who had been burned to death by his victims' parents after evading prison. Krueger goes on to murder his victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the real world as well. In the dream world, he is a powerful force and seemingly invulnerable. However, whenever Freddy is pulled back into the real world, he has normal human vulnerabilities and can be destroyed. He is commonly identified by his burned, disfigured face, dirty red-and-green-striped sweater and brown fedora, and trademark metal-clawed, brown leather, right hand glove. This glove was the product of Krueger's own imagination, having welded the blades himself before using it to murder many of his victims, both in the real and dream worlds. Over the course of the film series, Freddy has battled several reoccurring survivors including Nancy Thompson and Alice Johnson. The character was consistently portrayed by Robert Englund in the original film series as well as in the television spin-off Freddy's Nightmares. The reboot portrays him as an undead groundskeeper accused of molesting the students.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare is a 1994 American meta supernatural horror slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, creator of 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street. A standalone film and the seventh installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, it is not part of the same continuity as previous films, instead portraying Freddy Krueger as a fictional movie villain who invades the real world and haunts the cast and crew involved in the making of the films about him. In the film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Craven originally intended, being much more menacing and less comical, with an updated attire and appearance. The film stars Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, and John Saxon.
Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp is an American actress, director, writer, producer, and disc jockey. Langenkamp played Nancy Thompson in Wes Craven's slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), which earned her recognition as a scream queen and in popular culture. She reprised the role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and played a fictionalized version of herself in the meta film Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). In 1995, she was inducted into the Fangoria Chainsaw Hall of Fame.
Tuesday Lynn Knight is an American actress, singer and designer. She is best known for her role as Kristen Parker in the 1988 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, replacing Patricia Arquette in the sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Her other film roles include Mistress (1992), The Fan (1996), Daddy and Them (2001), and How to Be Single (2016). Knight has had guest appearances on several television series, such as Profiler (1996) and The X-Files (1999), as well as a starring role on 2000 Malibu Road (1992). Outside of acting, her self-titled debut album was released in 1987 and her jewelry line was launched in 2001.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a 1991 American slasher film and the sixth film in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It is a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and was originally intended to be the final installment of the series; Wes Craven's New Nightmare was released three years later but takes place outside the series canon. A canonical crossover/sequel, Freddy vs. Jason, was released in 2003. This was New Line Cinema's first 3D film release.
Mark Patton is an American interior designer and actor. Beginning his professional acting career in 1982, Patton is perhaps best known for his feature film roles as Joe Qualley in the dramatic film Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and as Jesse Walsh in the 1985 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, a role for which he is touted as the first "scream king" in modern cinema.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Johnny Depp in his film debut. The film's plot concerns a group of teenagers who are targeted by Krueger, an undead child killer who murders teenagers through their dreams, as retribution against their parents who burned him alive.
Jesus "Jsu" Garcia, also credited as Nick Corri, is an American film and television actor and producer. Together with author John-Roger, he runs the production company Scott J-R Productions.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a 1987 American supernatural fantasy slasher film directed by Chuck Russell in his feature directorial debut. The story was developed by Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner and is the third installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Larry Fishburne, Priscilla Pointer, Craig Wasson, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Nancy Thompson, now a psychiatrist, and Kristen, a patient who can bring others into her own dreams, team up with other kids to launch a daring rescue into the dreamland and save a child from Freddy Krueger.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is a 1988 American fantasy slasher film directed by Renny Harlin, and is the fourth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Serving as a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), the film follows Freddy Krueger who, following the death of Nancy Thompson and completing his revenge against the families who killed him, reappears in the dreams of Kristen Parker, Joey Crusel, and Roland Kincaid, where he uses Kristen's best friend, Alice Johnson, to gain access to new victims in order to satiate his murderous needs. The Dream Master is often popularly referred to as "the MTV Nightmare" of the franchise.
Nancy Thompson is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. She first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as a teenager hunted in her dreams by enigmatic serial killer Freddy Krueger. In this film, she was portrayed by Heather Langenkamp—who reprises the role in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Langenkamp later portrayed a fictional version of herself who embodies the role of Nancy in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). A reimagined version of the character, Nancy Holbrook, is portrayed by Rooney Mara in the 2010 remake.
Kristen Parker is a character from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. She is a co-protagonist and final girl of the third film of the series A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the false protagonist in the following film A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, and has appeared in various merchandise as well. She is played by actress Patricia Arquette in Dream Warriors and Tuesday Knight in The Dream Master. She is the central member of the titular Dream Warriors, seven teens who have to learn to fight as a group in order to survive their spectral tormentor, enigmatic murderer Freddy Krueger, and has the ability to bring others into her dreams as well as being an Olympic-level acrobat in her dreams.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge is a 1985 American supernatural slasher film directed by Jack Sholder and written by David Chaskin. It stars Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Robert Rusler. It is the second installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film follows Jesse Walsh, a teenager who begins having recurring nightmares about Freddy Krueger after moving into the former home of Nancy Thompson from the first film.
Andrew Kasch is an American film director and editor.
I Am Nancy is a 2011 American documentary that follows actress Heather Langenkamp as she explores her role as Nancy Thompson in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, the fandom that surrounds the franchise, and why most of it focuses on Freddy Krueger, rather than Nancy.
Christina "Tina" Gray is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. She was created by Wes Craven. The character was portrayed by Amanda Wyss in the original film and Katie Cassidy in the 2010 film. Julianna Damm also portrayed the character as a preadolescent in the 2010 film's flashbacks and dream sequences. A high school student whose death is the catalyst for the events of the series, Gray is the false protagonist of the 1984 original film. She also appears in the novels, Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), 2010 reboot, merchandise based on the films, and a claymation version of the character is shown in the documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010). The imagery featuring Gray in the body bag during the dream sequences have been regarded as iconic.
Jesse Walsh is a fictional character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. He was created by David Chaskin and portrayed by Mark Patton. Making his debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge in 1985, Jesse became the first male protagonist of the series. In Freddy's Revenge, Freddy enacts a plan to possess Jesse, using his body to kill in the real world, slowly gaining the strength to manifest his form physically. Outside of the films, Jesse has a main role in the novels. Because of the LGBT representation in a mainstream film, Jesse has developed a large fan base in the gay community and has been called a gay icon. Jesse has been observed by some scholars as a variation of the "final girl" slasher film archetype, and instead a "final boy".
1428 Elm Street, also known as the Elm Street House, is a fictional residential house and street address in Springwood, Ohio, and is an important location in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, where it has been the home of Nancy Thompson and her mother, later Jesse Walsh and his family, and finally Lori Campbell and her father, throughout the film series. It has also been implied to have been Freddy Krueger's home at some point before the events that take place in the films. It appears in some form in nearly all the films, as well as literature, comic books, toys, and music videos. The house, like Freddy Krueger, Nancy Thompson, Tina Gray, and Kristen Parker, were all conceived by Wes Craven.