Rachel Talalay Opens Up About Freddy’s Dead Missing Footage

In a new YouTube video, Freddy’s Dead director Rachel Talalay talks about the film’s missing footage, the coda ending, and reflections on some candid thoughts on choices made during production. Watch it here:

You can also read the video transcript below:

“I don’t know how well known it is that there’s an additional ending, a coda to Freddy’s Dead, something we filmed and it seems like no one has the footage at all. I know we’ve shot it and I even had an edit, but it’s gone MIA. Of course, there’s also missing footage from other Nightmare films. I know that there was some stuff cut out of Nightmare 4 that no one seems to be able to find. And in that case, the problem is that mostly in those days, these films were not output onto VHS. So producers and directors didn’t have copies of them.”

“That started to happen more by the time I made Freddy’s Dead, but I have no edits of Nightmare 4. Also, it’s possible that because post-production on that film was like two weeks long. There wasn’t even time to do outputting. We just ran through the editing room with three editors and next thing you knew it was out in the cinemas. Somewhere there’s a massive storage vault of old New Line materials and who knows what degree of organization exists within that. But I suspect it’s quite a chaotic wonderful place to look for amazing lost footage that no one will ever see. So anybody who wants to go find the underground storage vaults of all the studios, what a dream job that would be. And what a nightmare. Oh, what a nightmare.”

“When it comes to Freddy’s Dead, there’s also controversy about the fact that the theatrical version was different from the home video versions. And the home video versions have now sort of become the canon of what the film is known as. No one, least of all me, seems to know why New Line cut the film shorter for video cassette. I mean, normally you would add footage. And no one is sure who did this. And I am very disappointed that these changes were made. I know nothing about them, except that there’s material that [was] missed. And one of the most important bits of material that’s missing is the 7, 8, stay up late, which was in my original edit and, obviously, I don’t understand why you would cut out something so critical to the rhythm of the whole movie. But hey, okay, it is what it is.”

“I also wish that most people had seen the ending in 3D. It didn’t occur to me that we really needed to cut a 2D version. It’s very simple equation that anaglyph the red/blue 3D must be cut more slowly, so the eyes have a chance to find the 3D, and so the whole ending is based on the 3D and there are silly shots like putting the bat out into the audience that you would change completely if you were knew that 99% of people would see the film in 2D. The rhythms are slow and I think that the best thing you can do is try and find a copy of the new 4K seven film beautifully redone edition and, at least if you watch the 3D, you can feel that the rhythms of the ending are better.”

“What I did find in my archives was proof that we did film the ending per the script. So this coda basically had the demons from Freddy going into another boy’s body and the cycle perpetuates, very horror film sequel. Actually, we cut the sequence out of the film almost immediately. So we never even tested it. It was pretty much agreed universally that you can’t call the film ‘Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare’ and advertise that it’s the final nightmare and then have a coda like that. Instead of the footage, I have a screenshot from it. I’m not sure why. I must have screenshotted it before I lost the footage. Pretty much everyone agreed it was false advertising and it wasn’t a good look for what was supposed to be the final nightmare.”

“At least when they brought Freddy back in New Nightmare, it was meta and highly inventive in its new approach. So, it’s fine that the footage is missing, but that’s my take on the story. Someone else might know more, but no one I’ve spoken to recently. I know there are enough of you who have issues with the movie and I understand that and that’s fine, but please be civil. Like and subscribe. For all we know, I will find the missing footage. Or better yet, Warner Brothers will find the missing footage. Keep watching and thank you.”