Yet another day of shooting, another reunion, another killer showing up to slay, and another batch of behind-the-scenes stills from the making of what will be the definitive A Nightmare on Elm Street documentary ... Never Sleep Again!
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy officially began lensing on August 22, 2009, in and around Los Angeles. Starring and narrated by Heather Langenkamp, star of the 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street and two of its sequels (1986's Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare), this thrilling 90-minute retrospective promises to be the definitive look at the making of the iconic horror series and the enduring legacy of its wise-cracking, razor-gloved villain: the indefatigable "bastard son of a hundred maniacs" known as Freddy Krueger.
Directed by Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch, this comprehensive look at the Nightmare films is written and produced by Thommy Hutson with Heather Langenkamp serving as executive-producer, Buz Danger Wallick serving as director of photography, and Bill Philputt and myself, Uncle Creepy, serving as associate producers.
For more on this project check out the official Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy website and the official Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy MySpace page.
To join in on the live fun as it happens, simply follow @ElmStreetLegacy on Twitter!
Dig on the pics posted thus far today below, and keep checking back throughout the evening as filming continues!
"Alice (Lisa Wilcox) and Dan (Danny Hassel) reunited!"
"Better not dream and drive, Dan!"
"Nightmare 2 screenwriter David Chaskin."
"Kane Hodder!"
Freddys at it again. Theres no surprise there as the real world doesnt understand that he basically exists in both worlds, yet if you try to throw a punch at his face, youre not likely going to hit him. And if you do, you might break his jaw or peel some burnt flesh off his cheek, but a minute later after unleashing a humorous quip, hell laugh it off and slice you for the trouble. Thats our beloved Freddy Krueger though. No matter how bad you think you are... hes badder.
FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS Issues #2-4
WildStorm Comics/ Dynamite Entertainment
Written by Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric | Art by Jason Craig and Cruddie Torian
Jason Voorhees is a bad boy too. Theres no argument, no debate on who gets the last Oreo cookie. Hell cut your hands off and stomp on the cookie because he really doesnt give a frack about anything. Hes a killing machine from the get-go, and theres no rhyme or reason about it. Hes just not a people person. So what happens when you have a crazy lunatic in an offseason red and green striped sweater team up with man-made killing machine that thinks machetes are for hacking up teenagers? Hell on earth AND in your dreams. On top of that, Freddy has the power of the Necronomicon and gives Jason the gift hes been wanting since Tommy Jarvis hacked him up... a new body! Good luck in defeating this unstoppable WWE tag team champs!
THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS is definitely for the fans. Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric construct the story using the survivors from both A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and FRIDAY THE 13TH franchises, and its a little bit sweeter knowing who these characters are rather than a stereotypical teen getting a machete to the gut. Youve got the popular Tommy Jarvis back again to take Jason out, along with telekinetic powerhouse Tina Shepard from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 7: THE NEW BLOOD, almost-forgotten empath, Rennie Wickham from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 8: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, and little known Stephanie Kimble from the forgettable JASON GOES TO HELL installment. On the dream warriors side, youve got the Dream Master Alice Johnson, her son Jacob from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD, the forgotten counselor Neil Gordon from the popular A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, and the daughter of Freddy, Maggie Burroughs from FREDDYS DEAD. All have gathered together to take down these two monsters of mayhem, but somethings missing. Someone that likes to carry a boomstick at all times.
Thrown in the middle of it all is Ashley Williams, aka The Chosen One to battle the Necronomicon. And after successfully defeating the two monster machines in the first comic book series, poor old Ash finds himself back at square one after Jason Voorhees finds out where he lives, and takes care of his girlfriend. (WARNING: Ladies, do not date Ash. Your chances of dying are pretty high and full.) So its an all out war now with FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS. But is it good amidst all this chaos in characters in and plotting?
Get the popcorn out and maybe some nacho cheese because this series is pure entertainment. Not looking to win any prestigious awards or be listed as the greatest book ever, THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS instead delivers a non-stop ride into memory lane, taking most of the survivors from each film franchise and creating something new... A finality using the final girls and guys. If its one thing that kind of frustrates me with horror films, its left wondering what happened to the survivors of each film, especially when sequels are made. Its kind of like, Why doesnt Jason go back and take on Tina now that hes back? Well, hed probably get his ass kicked again, but I dont have to wonder about that anymore because shes in this book! Katz and Kuhoric have thrown away the rule book, and have gone completely nuts with this sequel, and the fans are truly rewarded for its crazy, breakout fun. The art is catchy too, as Jason Craig loves to draw them ladies with better than perfect bodies, making tanning oil scream with delight before touching these bodies. Especially Maggie when she lets loose and Freddy starts getting sick with her. Its weird, but hey, its a comic book. And since it cant be a film, why not pull out all the stop signs and just go for it? Katz, Kuhoric, Craig, and the rest of the team sure did, and if youre not smiling at least once during this series, then go back to Sleepaway Camp.
GRADE: All Three Issues 
An all-new teaser for Samuel Bayer/Michael Bay's Nightmare On Elm Street rework has crept out onto the internet, wearing a red and black-striped jumper and brandishing a knife blade-glove (metaphorically).
It features the same footage that left 'em whooping at July's Comic-Con, focusing on dream-dwelling child-killer Freddy Krueger's origin story and flashing plenty of delicious glimpses of Jackie Earle Haley wearing a red and black-striped jumper and brandishing a knife blade-glove (literally).
We're normally pretty grumpy about horror remakes, but this looks the blood-streaked business - a long way from the overly jokey pap of the likes of Freddy vs Jason. See the trailer below...
The movie is out in the US on 30 April 2010.
Thoughts? Does JEH look and feel the part? Are you excited - or shouldn't we just be happy with Wes Craven's original?
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Rejoice Elm Street fans, as something wicked this way comes. The director of His Name Was Jason is back with a whole new bag -- one that is striped red and green, with four shiny metal claws tearing it wide open. Get ready to Never Sleep Again!
From the Press Release:
"Members of the creative team behind the hit documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th have joined forces once again to bring horror fans the ultimate tribute to yet another landmark slasher series, A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy officially began lensing on August 22, 2009 in and around Los Angeles. Starring and narrated by Heather Langenkamp, star of the 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street and two of its sequels (1986's Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare), this thrilling 90-minute retrospective promises to be the definitive look at the making of the iconic horror series and the enduring legacy of its wise-cracking, razor-gloved villain: the indefatigable "bastard son of a hundred maniacs" known as Freddy Krueger.
For a quarter century, Freddy has slashed his way through the nightmares of two generations of movie-goers in one of the most artful, spectacular and terrifying film franchises in motion picture history. To characterize the Nightmare on Elm Street series as a modern cultural phenomenon would be a gross understatement. To date, the eight (soon to be nine) Elm Street films have scared up well over half a billion dollars in box office receipts in the U.S. alone, launching the careers of such Hollywood luminaries as Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2), Patricia Arquette ("Medium"), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) and even Johnny Depp.
Little did Freddy's "father," veteran writer/director Wes Craven, know that his terrifying, child-killing creation would go on to become a cult hero and spawn his very own cottage industry. Today, Freddy is practically a household name, with his burned visage, trademark fedora and red and green sweater appearing on everything from T-shirts to video games to action figures to comic books (Freddy was even the star of his own weekly television series!). It's safe to say that Freddy Krueger may never rest in peace nor should he, since his fans keep clamoring for more. Even Newsweek called him, The most popular cinematic maniac since Darth Vader.
"Freddy is like the 'unholy spirit' in the trinity of modern monsters alongside Jason from Friday the 13th and Michael Myers from Halloween," says co-director and producer Daniel Farrands, who previously helmed the hit documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th and produced the 2009 Deluxe Editions of the Friday the 13th films for Paramount Home Entertainment. A veteran of the horror genre, Farrands most recently served as a producer of the hit supernatural thriller The Haunting in Connecticut, which has grossed nearly $80 million worldwide. "Freddy and the Nightmare films are icons of our generation, and our documentary will revisit the franchise in an exciting new way that will be respectful to the fans and to the films themselves," assures Farrands.
Co-director and editor Andrew Kasch (Thirsty) concurs: "The Nightmare series has long been regarded as the most high-brow and creative of the mega horror franchises, so our goal is to make a film that reflects those qualities. While His Name Was Jason was campy and off-the-wall, this documentary will offer a serious chronological account of the creative process the hardships and triumphs behind one of Hollywood's most iconic characters. Above all else, this is not a fluff or promotional piece for the upcoming remake but rather will focus on the original series of films that began with Wes Craven's 1984 classic."
"The Nightmare franchise has had such a huge impact on the genre and its fans, and is truly an important piece of horror history, adds producer/co-writer Thommy Hutson (His Name Was Jason, Prank). "These films proved that horror could be both terrifying and dramatic, thrilling and groundbreaking. And that's why we're so thrilled to bring fans an extensive behind-the-scenes look into Freddy Kruegers hallucinogenic world like never before. Its a way of paying tribute to Wes Cravens original vision which has inspired so many of us and given us a few really good nightmares, too.
In addition to the exhaustive feature-length documentary, the two-disc DVD release of Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy will feature over four hours of nightmare-inducing extras, including the original documentary I Am Nancy, written, produced and directed by star Heather Langenkamp which looks back at the last 25 years since her debut as heroine Nancy Thompson and examines the impact of the Elm Street films on young people's lives.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy will be released in the Spring of 2010."
In addition to the above mentioned talent, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy will be written by David Rosiak, with Buz Danger Wallick serving as director of photography, and Bill Philputt, and yes, me, Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton co-producing.
For more on this project check out the official Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy when it launches this Friday, the official Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy MySpace page, and finally Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Facebook page.
Look for more soon!
Fango got the scoop from Mel House, the Texas-based director of CLOSET SPACE and the upcoming fright feature WALKING DISTANCE, that NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequels star Lisa Wilcox (pictured below) has joined the cast of IMAGO, the latest from from his Upstart Filmworks company. Anyone who knows me knows that Im a huge fan of the ELM STREET series, House tells us, so you can imagine how excited I am to have Lisa be a part of our team.
Wilcox (pictured), who toplined the fourth and fifth Freddy flicks, joins a cast also including WALKING DISTANCE castmates Natali Jones, Omar Adam, Sean Brison, Melanie Donihoo, Eryn Brooke and Danielle Jones, plus Parrish Randall from such Lone Star State fear fare as THE QUICK AND THE UNDEAD and THE FLESH KEEPER. DREAM MASTER and DREAM CHILD are pretty much branded on my psyche, continues House, who wrote IMAGO with director Christopher Warren and will produce. Im especially stoked to see Lisa sink her teeth into the role of Christine, which will allow her to play on both the sympathetic and antagonistic sides of the fence.
In IMAGO, Jones plays Jennifer, a woman whos trying to track down her missing brother and harbors some dark secrets of her own. She ultimately finds that theres an otherworldly presence behind her siblings disappearance. Wilcoxs Christine is Jennifers aunt, who is there to lend her support, House says, but shes also keeping a watchful eye trained on Jennbecause there have been some, lets say, issues with Jenns grasp on reality in the past. Of course, things go horribly wrong in a terribly weird way, as is the case with our movies.
Creating this weirdness will be Marcus Koch of Oddtopsy FX, who contributed to both SPACE and DISTANCE as well as the upcoming Texas bloodbath SWEATSHOP and Herschell Gordon Lewis GRIM FAIRY TALE. I cant wait to see what crazy, sick and twisted things Marcus has to throw at this film, Warren says. Marcus has a gift for taking anything you throw his way, and turning it into something even more horrific than you imagined!
Warren, making his feature debut after several short films and set work on DISTANCE, begins lensing IMAGO August 1 in the Houston, TX area. Keep your eyes here for updates, and also on the movies MySpace page and Facebook page; an official website will open soon here. You can meet House and some of his DISTANCE cast at the New York Fango Weekend of Horrors, running June 5-7.
