Jay Rohr
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story is fabulous for fans of a horror icon. Those suspicious this is just another in a long line of Nightmare on Elm Street retrospectives will be pleasantly surprised. The documentary delves into the performer more than his most well-known part. In an odd way, the introduction of what made Robert Englund the most famous actually bogs down the story.
The movie is borderline autobiographical. Despite numerous interviews with a variety of friends, loved ones, and acting associates—Heather Langenkamp, Kane Hodder, Eli Roth, Tony Todd, Nancy Englund—Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares consists mostly of recollections from Englund alone. It feels like his story as he would tell it. At times, it seems like a one-man show. However, Englund never comes across as self-aggrandizing. What develops is an intimate self-portrait, at times touched up by brushstrokes from those who have known him best.
The film touches on certain sad memories. Yet, it rarely dwells. This allows the documentary to acknowledge without excessively lingering on decade old woes. Some may see it as hurrying by heartache, but it could just as easily be said Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares conveys a sense of someone who has dealt with the less pleasant parts of their life. After all, Robert Englund is a performer who has been interviewed on numerous occasions and has had plenty of time to consider what to say about his life. The conciseness that allows for is easy to perceive here. Not to mention, the apparent wisdom that can come from experience, especially when, as Englund attests, heeding the advice given by others.
In any event, there are numerous engaging stories. Too many details would spoil them, and there’s a certain eye-popping thrill hearing, perhaps for the first time, Robert Englund was casually friends with this famous individual, or So-and-So only got that opportunity because Robert did this. Once or twice, I found myself pausing the watch to shake my head in amazement. At the same time, plenty of honest anecdotes relate how his life led to the point it is at now.
The opening portion is the most interesting. It details Englund’s childhood as well as what turned him towards acting. Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares then goes on to explore his early efforts to start a performing career. Instead of simply skipping to his biggest success, the documentary smartly relates nothing fell into Englund’s lap. As such, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is partly a tale of determination, but more importantly it offers the opportunity to get to know the man.
The result is a biographical account of a performer who struggled upwards, found fame, then discovered peace in the confines of an inescapable identity. There’s something refreshing about the confessions regarding Englund’s relationship with his most famous role, Freddy Krueger. While this documentary doesn’t reveal much new information about the part or Nightmare on Elm Street, it does show some of the effects on a person, positive and negative; the way a role becomes the height of success as well as a cage. In other words, it’s been a Hollywood dream and a nightmare, though less of the latter as time goes by. But thankfully, this isn’t solely about that part.
Directed by Gary Smart and Christopher Griffiths, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares makes some wise decisions in its presentation. After establishing Englund’s situation after Elm Street, it quickly gets into his relationship with fans as well as how he’s managed to keep his career going as a veteran horror actor. And this may be some of the most subtly revealing portions of the film as interviewees recount professionalism, kindness, and a person willing to help others do their best.
There’s an amazing amount of old footage from 70s films alongside stills of theatrical productions. Fabulous editing allows for smooth transitions, while other cinematic stylizations keep the viewer engaged. Old interviews are juxtaposed against contemporary statements. Yet, despite all the interesting material it’s safe to say Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares is mainly for audiences already fans of Robert Englund. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s hard to think a casual viewer will get the same joy as a horror aficionado watching this. Though that said, there is an intriguing story being told, one akin to the careers of Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. Anyone interested in Hollywood history would do well to watch Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares.
Still, this is a celebration of Robert Englund. The human being behind the mask is easy to forget, yet the beloved depiction of Freddy Krueger would be nothing without the person performing. Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares does an excellent job reminding viewers of that fact. Furthermore, it offers an engaging story of an actor coming to the realization of what success truly means.
