One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.
With the release of the Nightmare on Elm Street remake right around the corner, it’s like the ’80s all over again. To celebrate (and explore) the cultural impact that Freddy Krueger has had on horror-fiends, filmmakers Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch — two men with a healthy pedigree in horror documentaries — are debuting Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.
As a series, Nightmare on Elm Street has seen a lot of bizarre metamorphoses. Besides Freddy Krueger’s transformation into deadly boogyman into pun-cracking anti-hero child molester, the series has spawned more cross-media spin-offs than pretty much any other horror franchise. There have been novels, a television show, toys and even video games.
Clocking in at four hours in length, the documentary promises the definitive look back at the film franchise that made audiences afraid to give into sleep. Complete with brand-new interviews from a smorgasbord of cast and crew members that worked on the film series, the film is narrated by series’ star Heather Langenkamp and includes rare photographs, conceptual art, publicity material and behind-the-scenes footage.
In addition to the main documentary, the two-disc DVD set will also include an additional four hours of special features — including specialized mini-documentaries about the films’ merchandise, music, fans and more.
I’m sure I’m not the only Nightmare fan who’s biting at the chomp to dive into what looks like an exhaustive look at one of horror’s most enduring series. The DVD hits shelves stores May 4 but if you pre-order the DVD set at the official site you will receive a special commemorative poster signed by Langenkamp.
