Making its debut this October is the documentary movie, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. The film – from directors Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart – serves up a detailed look at the life and career of actor, director, and horror icon, Robert Englund.
Starting from his early years as a child, and running through many of his acting gigs in later life, the docu-film charts Englund’s journey, highlighting all of his major movies along the way. As Englund fans would expect, Freddy Krueger and The Nightmare on Elm Street films become a big focus of the feature, but there’s plenty of room to discuss the actor’s other roles too.
Everything from Dead & Buried and Galaxy of Terror, through to V and The Phantom of the Opera get thrown into the spotlight, to ensure this isn’t just a documentary about one character or one franchise. This is a two-hour jaunt about all of his notable projects, with time spent talking about the highs and the lows.
Set out as an ongoing conversation with Englund, interspersed with plenty of archive material, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares offers an interesting look at Englund’s life. Englund leads the piece, serving up plenty of anecdotes and insights, but the documentary also features lots of input from his colleagues and peers too.
A host of horror icons pop up during the course of the docu-film, including Heather Langenkamp, Eli Roth, Lance Henriksen, Mick Garris, Lin Shaye, Doug Bradley, and Tony Todd, amongst others. The contributors talk about Englund, his character, his famous roles, and everything in between, to help provide a clear understanding of his status in the industry.
One thing that comes out of this documentary, is just how well liked Englund is. There’s a great deal of appreciation going on here for the actor, from many people who have worked with him.
But this isn’t a puff piece, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is a fascinating and fun feature, which shows how Englund has developed as a person, as an actor, and as a star. He didn’t become Freddy overnight, Englund had to work his way up the ranks via bit parts in lesser-known films, and this helped shape who is.
As well as his career, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares includes details about Englund’s relationship with his parents, as well as his marriages. The actor is open about these aspects of his life, and his love for his wife.
The docu-film also looks at Englund’s (sort of) brush with the Star Wars universe; his work as a director on 976-EVIL; and even mentions a project with Arnold Schwarzenegger that unfortunately never got off the ground. There are also discussions about his return to the role of Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, and then again in Freddy vs. Jason, as well as his cameos in Wishmaster and Urban Legend.
Overall, there is lots on offer in this documentary, especially if you’re a fan of the horror genre. While Englund has played many parts, horror is the field he’s best known for and this becomes a significant focus of this film.
Should you wish to check it out for yourself, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story will receive its UK premiere exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from Monday 2nd October. The docu-movie will also be available via digital download and a special collector’s edition Blu-ray from Monday 6th November.
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