- Production Questions -
- Home Video and Merchandise Questions -
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Q: I do not understand the ending of A Nightmare on Elm Street, what happened to Nancy?
A: The film sequels establish Nancy did not wake up from her dream. When she thought she had pulled Freddy out from her nightmare, she was actually still dreaming. This explains Marge fading into the bed, Freddy rising up, and Nancy stepping outside from her Mother's bedroom unharmed and unaffected from the film's events. Due to Nancy turning her back on Freddy, she robbed him of his power. Knowing that he couldn't get to Nancy now, Freddy detained her in the car and killed her mother (while she slept) instead.
The Nightmares on Elm Street comic book series by Innovation Publishing also used this interpretation, providing more backstory concerning Nancy's fate. After the film's events, Nancy was institutionalized for a short time. Afterward, she went to college and excelled in psychology/dream research. She returned to Springwood in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, to help kids who suffered from the same kind of nightmares she did. It wasn't until she was in Kristen's dream that she recognized the true problem. Also during this time, she was taking the dream suppressant Hypnocil, to keep from dreaming.
Wes Craven originally intended for A Nightmare on Elm Street to end without Freddy's interference, with Nancy triumphant over Krueger. However, Bob Shaye (New Line Cinema's Founder) wanted an open door for a possible sequel. After shooting three different endings, the pair agreed upon the ending presented in the film. Interpretations range regarding this ending, including that the film's events were all a dream, or perhaps a prophetic dream. Regardless, the sequels solidified that Nancy did survive and her mother had indeed died.
Read why Wes Craven ended the film the way he did.
Read the Innovation comic series: Nightmares on Elm Street.
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Q: In the book the Nightmare Never Ends, there is an article and map written by Andy Mangels stating that Freddy lived at 1665 Elm Street - not 1428 Elm Street like the films imply. What's this about?
A: This is an article of speculation ONLY! The Nightmare mythos presented in the novels and related books are clouded with many different back-stories and views of what occurred. As a general rule, the films are canon. This is the medium the story presents itself, and in most cases, the story that the director and writer want to tell. We clearly see that the house in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is the house at 1428 Elm Street - the same house where Maggie remembers her childhood. There is nothing in the series, save this article and map from an out of print book that suggests otherwise.
The idea of Nancy's and Freddy's house being the same can be traced back to the third film. As seen in later drafts of the A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors script, Wes Craven and Bruce Wagner had similar intentions of tying the house to Freddy's past - all of which can be read in the novel adaptation of Nightmares 1-3.
Most often, the argument used with the Krueger & Thompson families living in the same house is: "Why would you move into a dead killer's house?"
This plot point fits in perfectly with the cover up theme presented in the series: The parents of Springwood murdered a person and covered up what they had done. They hid Freddy's remains in an old junkyard, the parents wouldn't speak of what occurred, and Freddy's daughter was taken away from Springwood and given a new name. It makes perfect sense that the Thompson family moved into the house to cover up Krueger's existence. Any loose ends from that night would be tied up.
1428 Elm Street was always referred to as "his house" in the series and in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare we are shown this to be true. Mr. Mangels himself had no part in the scriptwriting or production of the film, so his theory cannot be considered canon.
Read Andy Mangel's article
See the Springwood Map
See the Freddy's Dead DVD Image Vault
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Q: What is considered canon for the Nightmare series?
A: Canon for the Nightmare on Elm Street series only includes what was/is approved by New Line Cinema. Confusion began with this series when licensing deals were given to various comic book and book publishers in the 1980s. New Line Cinema did not take an active role in the approval process until 1990.
Considered canon:
+ The films released in theatres.
+ Nightmares on Elm Street comic book series by Innovation Publishing.
+ Freddy Krueger's: Tales of Terror novel series by Tor Books.
+ A Nightmare on Elm Street comic series by Avatar Press.
+ A Nightmare on Elm Street novel series by Black Flame.
+ A Nightmare on Elm Street comic series by Wildstorm/DC Comics.
+ Freddy's Nightmares - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series
The television series Freddy's Nightmares is loosely considered canon. Some episodes do present altered backstories/dates from that of the given films. Though most episodes do not interfere with the film events and can fit nicely in the given timeline, the backstories/dates presented in the TV series should not be favored over the films.
Works that are not canon include: Freddy Krueger's: A Nightmare on Elm Street by Marvel Comics, novel: Freddy Krueger's Seven Sweetest Dreams, short story: The Life and Death of Freddy Krueger, and companion books: The Nightmare on Elm Street Companion by Jeffrey Cooper and The Nightmare Never Ends by William Schoell & James Spencer.
See the Nightmare timeline.
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Q: Where can I find the deleted scenes on DVD?
A: The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia DVD includes two alternate endings for A Nightmare on Elm Street. In addition, the 2006 Infinifilm DVD release of A Nightmare on Elm Street has select deleted and alternate footage, along with the three different endings - which also includes the never-seen-before 'Freddy ending.'
The 2004 German DVD release of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare reintegrated some of the cut scenes from that film. Scenes include: Tracy & Doc training and Maggie finding Freddy's Lair.
The DVD release of Freddy vs. Jason collects the deleted scenes from that film. You can view them on Disc 2.
The rest of the deleted scenes are not officially available on DVD yet. Luckily, there are other options. You can find the remaining cut scenes from the list below:
Extensive deleted materials for A Nightmare on Elm Street can be found on the Anniversary Edition Laserdisc. This laserdisc edition was also transferred to VHS in 1996 by Anchor Bay, and was released as a 2 tape collection set. Most of this material was not included on the Infinifilm DVD release.
The cut scenes for A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child can be found on the laserdisc release of the film. In 1989, Media Home Video also released an uncut version of the film on VHS.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is more challenging. You can find a copy of the film's workprint, which contains most of the deleted scenes from that film. The TV version of the film, shown on cable television, contains some of the workprint scenes and also other scenes not found on the workprint. Currently, there is not one release that contains all the deleted scenes from that film.
Cut scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master have not been leaked or released on any format. You can however, view clips of some scenes in the UK film trailer and various TV spots.
It is currently unknown as to why the deleted scenes were not included with the DVD boxset. It has been confirmed that the A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child film master was damaged, and New Line had to rely on the cut version for the DVD transfer. It could very well have been the consensus to not include any of the deleted scenes if they couldn't include them all.
Hopefully, a supplemental disc, or collection, will be released in the future featuring all of this material.
View the DVD boxsets available.
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Q: Where can I purchase Freddy's Nightmares Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD?
A: Unfortunately, full season boxsets are not yet available on DVD. In 2003, a three episode boxset was released in the UK titled "Freddy's Nightmares Volume 1". Due to this set not meeting projected sales, the scheduled Volume 2 was cancelled.
Currently, Warner Bros. does not have plans to release this series, their official response: "not enough interest."
You can however find episodes on VHS, though "out of print" they can be purchased used on eBay or other online vendors.
View the Freddy's Nightmares home video page.
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Q: Is the house at 1428 Elm Street a set or the real thing?
A: The actual house at 1428 Genesee Avenue in Hollywood, California, was used for exterior shots in A Nightmare on Elm Street. A two story set was built for the interior shots. The house was again used in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge for exterior shots, but a new set was built for the house's interior. In A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors through Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, a set was built for the house's interior and exterior. When Wes Craven's New Nightmare was filmed, Wes Craven again shot the exterior of the actual house for the film. In Freddy vs. Jason, a new house in Vancouver, Canada, was used.
Story-wise, it's very easy to explain the inconsistency of the house in Freddy vs. Jason. The decrepit house hadn't been lived in for some time. In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, the house's interior on the first floor was extremely damaged. It's very understandable that the house had to be extensively remodeled for someone to live there.
Read about where you can see the house.
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Q: In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Springwood is listed as being in Ohio. I thought it was in California. Why the change?
A: The first Nightmare was originally written as taking place in a California suburb - though it's not mentioned in the actual film. In the second film, a name is given to the suburb: Springwood. In an effort to keep Springwood the typical "small American neighborhood," no state was officially mentioned. It wasn't until the production of the television series "Freddy's Nightmares" that Springwood would evolve into a singular town in Ohio. New Line executive, and often scriptwriter, Michael De Luca placed the town in Ohio as homage to Nightmare creator Wes Craven, who was born in Cleveland. After the series' run, De Luca wrote Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, which officially placed Springwood in the state of Ohio.
View the Freddy's Nightmares page.
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Q: Is Freddy Krueger a child molester too?
A: Although strongly suggested, the official answer is no. Originally, Freddy was written as a child molester, but Wes Craven changed this in the script due to the South Bay killings. You can read more about this here.
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Q: Where is Alice during Freddy's Dead?
A: Alice moved out of Springwood shortly after the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. You can read more about this in the Nightmares on Elm Street comic book series.
Read the comic series.
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Q: What happened to the Neil Gordon character after the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors?
A: Even though Neil did not appear again in the movies, he did make his appearance again in print. Neil's character was featured in the short story novel: Freddy Krueger's Seven Sweetest Dreams, and the comic book series by Innovation Publishing: Nightmares on Elm Street.
Though his appearance in the novel is not considered canon, his appearance in the comic book series is. You can read what happens to the good doctor here.
Read the comic series.
View the books available.
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Q: How did the town of Springwood go from having no children in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare to having many in Freddy vs. Jason?
A: Unfortunately, it's not explained how Springwood went from one extreme to the other in such a short period of time. The only reference given was that it took Springwood a total of five years to reclaim its former stature, and four of those years were peaceful.
During Freddy's Dead, Freddy kept the childless adults in a mass psychosis. When Maggie carried Freddy's consciousness out of Springwood, the dreamscape shattered, meaning Freddy's hold over Springwood was finished. From that point, any number of things could have contributed to Springwood's revitalization. Some things to consider would be the low property cost, cost of living, and small town atmosphere. Also, Springwood's industry is in question, as we're not given information as to what the job market is like there. In order to revitalize the town, it could have been as simple as the Springwood officials arranging a new factory (or factories) to open there, with an accompanying employment drive. This is a very common practice for small towns to bring in people and income in a short amount of time.
Regardless, Springwood was beginning to repopulate when Freddy initially returned post Freddy's Dead. Shortly after, the town erased Freddy's existence - effectively robbing him of power. From that point, there was nothing to keep the town from thriving.
View the Guide to Springwood.
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Q: What is the deal with the Freddy vs. Jason ending? Who won?
A: [SPOILERS]
During the end sequence in Freddy vs. Jason, Jason emerges from Crystal Lake with Freddy's severed head in his right hand. When the camera closes in on Freddy's head, Freddy smiles and winks at the audience.
Clearly, this poses a problem for an undisputed winner, as it's established in the film: when Jason is "dead" he is in a constant dream state. Obviously, Jason is dreaming at the end of the film - hence, Freddy's action.
This ending is really open to interpretation. Director Ronny Yu has stated in many interviews that the winner would be "the one still standing at the end of the film." Supporting Ronny's statements, scriptwriter Mark Swift gave his opinion regarding the winner in an interview for the Friday the 13th Films forum:
"We certainly didn't want a draw, but we wanted it to end up that both sides could claim some sort of victory. But if you want my personal opinion, you gotta give it to the big guy. Jason won."
So, taking Ronny's and Mark's statements into account, I believe Jason is indeed the winner.
View the Freddy vs. Jason scripts page.
View the Freddy vs. Jason Press Kit.
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Q: Since when can only people in Springwood dream of Freddy? And, if this is indeed the case, how was Lori able to dream of him while on the way to Crystal Lake in Freddy vs. Jason?
A: (Freddy 101) Before Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, the original premise of Freddy was that to avenge his death, he began killing the children of the parents that burned him alive. The first four Nightmare films dealt with this issue - all events concerning Freddy taking place in Springwood. When Freddy successfully kills the last of the "Elm Street Children," he is then held in check by the Dream Master: Alice. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child established in order for Freddy to get to anyone else, he must use Alice's dreams to bring him his victims.
The idea that Freddy can only affect the dreams of people in Springwood stems from the Freddy's Nightmares television series. Specifically, it's first alluded to in the episode "Dreams That Kill". Freddy makes the comment that if people left Springwood, it would "ruin his fun." The events of the television series take place in and under the town of Springwood, Ohio. The Final Nightmare also uses this idea, establishing that Freddy is trapped within Springwood's borders and is unable to escape. The Nightmares on Elm Street comic book series also indicates Freddy is trapped within Springwood.
New Line executive, Michael De Luca, penned many episodes of Freddy's Nightmares, and later, The Final Nightmare. It was obviously the premise of the television series to establish that Springwood was a crazy town to live in (besides the Freddy factor). These rules were later not used during Freddy vs. Jason, even though most of the events took place in Springwood.
Story-wise: It seems when Alice left Springwood after the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Freddy was then no longer held in check. Gaining enough power from the events of Freddy's Nightmares, and other related stories, Freddy was not bound to the old rule when Alice returned to Springwood in the comic book series. After almost killing all the children in Springwood (and keeping the adults in an extreme psychosis), Freddy was then powerful enough in Freddy's Dead to blur the lines of reality (i.e. the kids unable to find their way out, the house transformation, etc.). Freddy's Dead also established that Freddy was actually taking revenge on all the parents of Springwood for taking away his daughter. His daughter was the only one able to carry his consciousness out of Springwood, which she unknowingly did. After that point, Freddy was no longer trapped by borders, which years later allowed Lori to dream of him (even though she was not in Springwood) during the climax of Freddy vs. Jason.
View the Freddy's Nightmares Page.
Read the comic series.
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Q: Are the Dream Demons in Freddy's Dead real? And what society believes in them?
A: The Dream Demons in Freddy's Dead were created just for the movie itself. After doing numerous cross-references in demonology, I've been unable to find any information that supports that these Demons (or their like) existed outside the film and Elm Street mythos.
Interestingly enough, I've read about Freddy being compared to the demon Beleth. This comparison is somewhat faulty. The Demon Beleth (Bileth, Bilet) is the Thirteenth Spirit listed in the Goetia, who governs 85 Legions. He rides on a horse as trumpets and other musical instruments play before him. He has the ability to cause love in men & women until the Master's desire is satiated. As you can see, this really doesn't apply to Freddy at all.
Read more about demonology.
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Q: Why in Freddy vs. Jason is Freddy able to return using fear? This wasn't used in any of the previous films, and the teens in A Nightmare on Elm Street didn't even know of Freddy.
A: There is really nothing to disprove this plot point and it actually makes the most sense overall. If you look at each of the respective films, you can see this theory evolve. After Freddy's "death", children made a nursery rhyme to keep the fear of him alive. The parents involved with his death feared the memory of him and what they had done. In A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Kristen still feared Freddy and ultimately gave him enough power to return. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child continued the fear aspect with Alice, who feared everything would come apart again. Even Freddy's Nightmares used this theory to some extent, using word of mouth or memory to spark Freddy's appearances. When putting all these stories together, the tie that binds Freddy's resurrections always involved this one common element.
See more under the Freddy vs. Jason page.
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Q: What is Freddy's true origin? I see so many different timelines on the Internet that I don't know what to believe.
A: This is a complicated question, and the problem began with the novel to the first three Nightmare films. At the end of this book, there is a chapter titled "The Life and Death of Freddy Krueger". This origin story was written by Jeffery Cooper, and works from (in part) the original script/story of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors by Wes Craven & Bruce Wagner. One of the early script drafts also appears as the story of Nightmare 3 in the Novel - not what you see on DVD. This script was later rewritten by director Chuck Russell and co-writer Frank Darabont shortly after New Line received it, and that's the movie that was filmed and appeared in theatres. Some elements of Wes and Bruce's script remained, but overall this was an entirely different movie.
The origin story taken from the original Nightmare 3 script, involved the house at 1428 Elm Street being an old insane asylum "Hathaway House", years before Freddy's birth. Amanda Krueger was a new pregnant patient admitted, giving birth to Freddy, and then dying during his birth. The asylum was moved some time later to Westin Hills and the old Hathaway House became the Thompson home. This origin story continues as Freddy is adopted by an abusive pimp, is used during his childhood to bring in new customers for the old man's whores, and then later murders the pimp in his sleep. Freddy from then on is portrayed as an alcoholic nomad, arriving in Springwood to do odd jobs and finally killing the 20 children of Elm Street. This origin story is also loosely used in the Marvel comic book series, with a little bit more detail given.
Things now get confusing with Freddy's Nightmares and the release of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. We're shown a whole new origin story for Freddy, including a wife and child, working from the altered back-story given in the films A Nightmares on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. I won't go too far in detail for those who have not seen The Final Nightmare. Freddy's Nightmares also gave us clues that tie directly into the Freddy's Dead origin.
Fan Fiction has also caused confusion. People making their own Nightmare timelines, giving Freddy a completely different history than what was presented in either print or movie form. Many errors are present in these fanfic tales & timelines; Freddy being born in February is often the most common error (if Freddy was conceived during the Christmas holidays, it would be impossible for him to be born in February).
So, what is Freddy's true origin? We have that answer.
Even though New Line might have supported the back-story given in the novel and Marvel comic book series at the time, they made his origin concrete in film, and the films are the final word(s). The Freddy portrayed in this past, is typical to that of a real serial killer and makes the most sense overall. Even though a lot of fanfic writers and fans disagree, the films remain and will always be the canonized account.
Read the Marvel comic book series.
See the Nightmare timeline.
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Q: Why are there scenes not included on the Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare DVD release? And what is that script?
A: Freddy's Dead director Rachel Talalay answers these questions during the site Q&A.
Read the Q&A here.
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Q: Why did Patricia Arquette not reprise her role of Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master?
A: According to Rachel Talalay (Nightmare 4 Producer), Patricia was not approached by New Line to reprise the role.
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Q: Why are there two US movie posters for A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child?
A: Originally, New Line released poster art by Matthew Peak, featuring Freddy holding a bubble containing a baby in the fetal position. When the advance posters were released to theatres, New Line was flooded with letters and phone calls from various groups claiming the poster art was offensive. In response, New Line re-released the poster art with the bubble containing a demonic baby carriage instead. Though this change to the artwork was better received, New Line had many complete movie posters already printed with the original artwork. Due to some movie theatres receiving their posters early, New Line issued a recall on the old movie posters in favor of the new - making it very difficult to find a print of the original poster. Though the US poster art was changed, the posters released in Thailand still contain the original artwork.
View the Nightmare 5 movie posters.
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Q: Where can I get the song "Nightmare" by Tuesday Knight? Wasn't it included on the Nightmare on Elm Street 4 soundtrack?
A: Deadpit radio recently interviewed Tuesday Knight, who briefly talked about the song:
"My writing partner knew I was doing the movie, and I was still actively doing music as well - for different movies and things. And we just kinda wrote it in one day and recorded it in his studio. I drove it over to New Line Cinema and I had (Director) Renny Harlin come out. I played it in my car, on my speakers, and he thought it was amazing and he took it. I didn't even know it was the title song until I sat in the theatre for the premiere - it was mind blowing."
The song was not included on the official soundtrack, and cannot be heard anywhere else except during the film's opening.
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MORE COMING SOON
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