There is something about your “first” that just stays with you and moves you in a way that others that follow don’t. They may be meaningful in different ways, but not like the first. Take, for example, your first Doctor. No other Doctor can compare in quite the same way regardless of how many incarnations you may be a fan of. Or your first horror movie villain. Others may thrill you just as much, but it is not quite the same as that first kill you watch, that first villain laugh you hear, that chingy sound the razors make as they swipe at the sleep-deprived teen…
If you haven’t guessed already, I am a huge fan of Freddy Krueger. He greeted me as I entered the horror film genre, ushered me through as I discovered other styles of scary movies, and has been my go-to when I want to watch an old favorite.
So I was very excited and nervous when I heard about a fan film called NIGHTMARE ON ELM. Ya’ll should know by now how I feel about remakes and reboots, but as a Krueger fan (do we have a nickname? Freddy-files? Krueger-knuts?), I just had to check it out.
I went in hopeful, but tried not to have any expectations. I am not familiar with any other work of Christopher Sheffield (director) or Chris Labadie (writer) and I figured the best way to view a fan film is with an open mind. So though Freddy is near and dear to my gory-loving heart, I had to cast any thought of him from my mind and just let Sheffield and Labadie tell me about their interpretation of Freddy.
And then I found myself feeling highly disappointed anyway: in my excitement to view the film, and as much as I got pulled into their interpretation of Freddy, I forgot that I had agreed to view and review a short. I was so focused on the “fan” aspect that I forgot the “short” adjective and was so sad when it was over after 7 minutes.
Seriously though: NIGHTMARE ON ELM is a love letter to Freddy, his origins, and his fans. You have to check this out. It follows the original idea of Freddy’s MO and brings him to today to torment Johnny in the way only Freddy can. A mix of the original with a splash of their own flavoring makes for a tasty treat for all Krueger fans.
Check it out on YouTube now.
