Wes Craven Was Angry With Robert Englund Embracing The Funnier Side Of Freddy Krueger - Exclusive
Although Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is often associated with other slashers like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, horror aficionados know that he's in a league of his own. Whereas Michael and Jason are stoic and silent as they brutally cause their victims' demises, Freddy spews some witty one-liners ("I'll get you my pretty, and your little soul too") and becomes increasingly funnier as the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise progresses.
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Englund revealed that creator Wes Craven always wanted the films to have a sense of humor, but not that much. Englund said, "Wes got a little angry with us when we exploited it in later sequels ... Freddy cracks jokes, he sticks his tongue out of a phone, he puts the girl's face on and pretends to be Tina [Gray] (Amanda Wyss) ... He has a wicked, cruel, clown sense of humor ... The fans loved it so much because it was evidence of Freddy's personality, that we did exploit it in later sequels."
The Dream Master director received much pushback for his new direction
It wasn't until 1988's "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master," when Renny Harlin was hired to direct, that the franchise fully embraced its humorous side. Not only was writer Wes Craven nervous about Harlin's vision to make Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) the James Bond of horror, but so was Bob Shaye, founder of the films' production studio, New Line Cinema.
Harlin said in an interview with Slash Film, "He [Freddy] had to be bigger than life, kind of like a hero even though he's the bad guy. We have to introduce humor and wink at the audience, like, 'We know you know, so let's go and have fun.' That was the biggest thing Bob Shaye was worried about." In fact, according to Harlin, Shaye didn't speak to the director throughout the duration of filming. "He'd just be on the set and look really angry and frustrated in the background," said Harlin. "I was scared ..."
Despite the fear that Freddy's over-the-top humor would cause the film to be a flop, "The Dream Master" was largely praised by fans and critics alike, cementing Freddy's status as one of the flashiest slashers to hit the screen.
"Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story" is now available on Screambox and Digital.