Pan and Slam

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

Writer: Thommy Hutson

by Jason Koenigsberg

I woke up this morning and was deeply saddened by the news that horror maestro Wes Craven had passed away. His pictures helped to usher in a whole new era of slasher films that would define an entire generation of horror throughout the latter part of the twentieth century. Craven’s seminal masterpiece A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is one of the most renowned, terrifying and intelligent horror films of the 1980’s. That movie scared an entire generation of young moviegoers and has continued to remain a steadfast classic of the horror genre with its many sequels, short lived television show and 2010 remake.

Craven’s original Nightmare film which introduced the world to Freddy Kruger and Johnny Depp (it was his first movie) is still one of the best horror movies of all time and is the best film of Wes Craven’s career. It is available to stream on Netflix, however you have all probably seen it, so instead watch the outstanding documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) about the making of A Nightmare on Elm Street. 

From this you will learn that not only did the A Nightmare on Elm Street jump start Depp’s career and make Freddy Kruger, a homicidal serial killer who attacks teenagers in their dreams,played perfectly by Robert Englund, a cultural icon of the 1980’s and early ’90’s, this film also helped to put New Line Cinema on the map. Prior to this movie Robert Shaye’s New Line Production company was fledging and specialized in low budget B-movies. With the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street and its sequels, New Line was able to become a major distributor which could go up against the big veteran studios like Paramount and Universal.  A Nightmare on Elm Street’s legacy transcends horror movies. It allowed New Line to produce every genre of film and is indirectly responsible for its other huge hits such as Teenage Mutanat Ninja Turtles (1990), Rush Hour (1998) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

Wes Craven’s legacy will live on through his films and everything he helped to create with New Line Cinema. Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is available to stream from Netflix.

Watch the first part below. When Wes Craven describes story of the boy who was afraid to go to sleep that inspired him to write A Nightmare on Elm Street is quite chilling.