‘ICON’ Will Celebrate Robert Englund in a New Way

Robert Englund will undeniably always be recognized most for his role as Freddy Krueger. But Robert isn’t just Freddy. Outside of the fedora, he has donned many other hats over the years. His fans will remember Robert’s journey through acting from his book Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams. Now there’s the upcoming documentary, ICON: The Robert Englund Story, which will celebrate Robert’s legacy as an actor, film lover and, as the title implies, icon.

The documentary will feature extensive interviews by other recognizable names including Kane Hodder, Doug Bradley, Brad Dourif, Tony Todd, Corey Taylor, Bill Moseley, Eli Roth, Corey Taylor, Ken Kirzinger, Michael Berryman, Andrew Divoff, and R.A. Mihailoff, among others. Crowdfunding is currently under way on Indiegogo and there’s limited time remaining before it ends on June 30th.

Cult Screenings is behind the documentary. The company is known for other excellent horror documentaries including RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Pennywise: The Story of IT, and You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night.

We talked to Gary Smart, the producer and director of ICON, about the project.

Why is it so important to get this documentary about Robert out there?

Smart: Robert is our most treasured horror icon. He deserves the recognition that’s owing to him and we are hoping to shed a little more light on his illustrious career as a character actor.

When was the first time you learned of Robert Englund?

Having been a fan of Freddy since I was about four years old, I soon became obsessed with him and the behind the scenes makeup process in creating such an iconic character. I remember vividly seeing Robert for the first time on morning television when I was around six years old- he was being interviewed for NOES 4 and I had never seen him before without his Freddy makeup!

What are you most looking forward to with this documentary?

I’m most looking forward to seeing how Robert ticks, how he prepares for his roles and what his thoughts are on becoming such an iconic character actor. Of course, I’m also looking forward to meeting the other horror icons that we have in the doc who’ll be celebrating Roberts work such as Kane Hodder, Michael Berryman, Corey Taylor, Eli Roth, Andrew Divoff, Heather Langenkamp and Adam Green.

Other than Freddy, which role of Robert’s has stood out to you the most?

I always loved Robert in The Mangler. In such a kooky horror film and Robert gives an amazing performance as does Ted Levine. The character of Bill Gartley is so different to Freddy that it really showcases Robert’s ability to emerge himself into a role and create yet another creepy, scary character!

Synopsis:
From the makers of RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Pennywise: The Story of IT, and You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night comes this brand-new documentary celebrating the work and iconic status of one of horrors most-loved actors Robert Englund. Since first donning a tattered fedora and a glove of eviscerating blades in 1984, Robert Englund has become one of our generation’s most beloved horror icons. Englund has risen to stand shoulder to shoulder in the pantheon of movie legends alongside such greats as Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee. His portrayal of Freddy Krueger is, without doubt, a moment as visceral to the horror genre as Chaney’s werewolf or Karloff’s ground-breaking realization of Frankenstein’s monster. Yet few realize the depths of England’s true power as a character actor away from the latex mask and iconic red and green jumper. A classically trained actor and talented director, Englund has starred in many well-received movies in the years since Freddy’s cinematic birth as well as directing his own feature film.

Thank you to Gary Smart and John Campopiano, the documentary’s archive producer.

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