Wes Craven’sOpens in a new tab original A Nightmare on Elm StOpens in a new tab is still one of the greatest horror films ever made, even some thirty plus years after it was released in theaters. It spawned one of the best slasher franchises of all time, and arguably the best horror villain of the ’80s, with Robert Englund’sOpens in a new tab portrayal of Freddy KruegerOpens in a new tab. But despite the fact that there were six sequels to the original Nightmare film–seven, if one counts Freddy vs JasonOpens in a new tab–there was never a proper prequel film detailing the origin story of “the Springwood Slasher.”
But thanks to the folks at Bloody-DisgustingOpens in a new tab, we’ve learned of a YouTube user and horror fan named Playa TVOpens in a new tab who has taken the flashback bits from various Nightmare movies and edited them together to form a sort of origin story short film for Freddy. Named Freddy’s Origins: The Beginning, this 18-minute-long fan film edits together every bit of flashback that we’ve gotten over the years through the various sequels. The film begins with scenes from Freddy Krueger’s birth (A Nightmare on Elm St. 5: The Dream ChildOpens in a new tab) and moves to his twisted childhood and teenage years (Freddy’s Dead: The Final NightmareOpens in a new tab) and then his arrest, release, and subsequent murder at the hands of a mob of angry parents.
Most of that final bit–the part about Freddy’s trial and murder–aren’t actually from a movie at all, but from the first episode of the short lived TV series, Freddy’s Nightmares. The first episode was directed by Tobe HooperOpens in a new tab, the director of horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw MassacreOpens in a new tab and PoltergeistOpens in a new tab. Some of it though, comes from Freddy vs. Jason and the 2010 remake of the original film. You can watch the entire 18 minute short film above.
So what do you think of Freddy’s Origins? Do you think the next Elm Street movie should be a proper prequel to the original classic, or start from scratch again? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Let us pay tribute to stars who began their careers in horror movies.
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Image: New Line Cinema
