“Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story” is a documentary that aims to tell the story of Robert Englund, the actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies. However, the film becomes more of an annotated oral history of Englund’s entire career, going through almost all of his films in chronological order, over a runtime of more than two hours. It can be overwhelming, like a 10-page menu in a diner.
Despite the exhaustive format, Englund’s professionalism, dedication, and personality shine through. He is portrayed as a total performer, as well as a fun-loving and sometimes inappropriate person off-screen. Watching his early movies, where he lets loose and has fun, is a treat, notably his wrestling scene with a fake alligator in Tobe Hooper’s 1976 movie, “Eaten Alive.”
Englund’s breakout role as Freddy in Wes Craven’s 1984 film catapulted his career. As pointed out by horror director Eli Roth in the documentary, Englund was unique in his portrayal of Freddy because he had to act with both dialogue and movement. Englund’s performance as the menacing Freddy was superb, which is the reason why the character remains popular today.
“Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares” is primarily intended for hardcore fans of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. More casual audiences may find the documentary exhausting and hard to follow. The material would be better suited as Blu-ray extras, as was the case with a recent documentary about the Chucky franchise.
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story
Not rated. Running time: 2 hours 14 minutes. Streaming on Screambox and available to rent or buy on most major platforms.
