Special Thanks On Elm Street

I have never blogged before. Never really saw a need to, and never really figured that there would be much that I could say that would be of much interest to anyone but the occasional relative or the three people who comprise the "Halloween 6 Fan Club."

But now that I am so immersed in this show, and having met all of the amazing and varied cast of characters that our team (led fearlessly and furiously by Thommy Hutson, Annette Slomka and Lito Velasco) have assembled, I'm finding that the task of finding the words to blog about this experience is more difficult than I first thought. As much as it would be tempting to write about the scores of talented actors, artists, writers and directors who have so willingly taken our "hot seat" to reflect on their memories of their first (and, in most cases, last) encounter with Freddy Krueger, I truly feel the need at this point to acknowledge our small but close-knit crew who are (as I write this) toiling endlessly into the night spinning ideas and words and images into magic. At the risk of sounding like some kind of half-assed "acceptance speech," I feel impelled to mention the team that has been instrumental in the creation of this amazing project and who, in the process, make my job, if not easier, then at least all the more gratifying. The professionalism, determination, unfailing work ethic and just plain fun that these people bring to the job every day is nothing less than inspiring, and I want to take this opportunity -- right here in the thick of all this madness -- to thank each of you for what you have done and continue to do:

To the lovely Jenna: You are a godsend, an angel sent to earth with a voice, a blog and a makeup kit! And even though you were blissfully unaware that "eyes are NEVER done first," you have been an amazing addition to this motley little crew. And let's face it: "Reproduction" has never been so fun!

To Lito: the Reigning King of "Team T" and Just About Everything Else: a huge shout-out (even though you say you don't need to be thanked, this one, for me, is an absolute must!).

To Bill: for holing up inside your apartment for days on end scanning hundreds of rare "Nightmare" images -- I hope you don't fall asleep with 300 dpi images of "Freddy" haunting your dreams. To Steve: Even though you haven't physically been present through this process, your warm (and warped) presence has been felt each and every day. Your encouragement and ability to get to the heart of why a show like this is so important keeps us all moving forward -- it's good to have the good guys on our side!

To Don: you don't always have much to say but you're always there to do the job without a whimper, a special request or a complaint. And just when you think you'd have done enough transcriptions to last a lifetime, one more turns up late one night that we never quite expected. You took a truly crazy moment (and person!) and made us laugh. You are an amazing talent and a friend to the end. So Chucky (and RB), eat your hearts out! "Now please, put down that Hershey Bar and leave. Just go. Right now." "Hmmmph!"

To Buz: what to say? Without you, these images would not exist. The words would not be heard. And Thommy still wouldn't know what a reach-around is. Your eye for detail and insane willingness to explore filthy air-conditioning plants, abandoned hospitals (and let's not forget bee-infested barns and ghostly encounters in the heartland of Tennessee) are a testament to your talent and your fearless heart ... and I forever love you for it! You are an inspiration to every DP at any age. When you got it, you got it! (And you got it!)

And finally, to Thommy, Andrew & Annette: Without you guys, where would we be? You've worn so many hats on this show I don't think there's a rack in existence big enough to hold them. You've been the anchors of this show, and never once have you allowed me to forget that the shore is not only reachable ... it is right before my eyes. Thank you is not enough.

Once this experience is over and whether or not the final product is heralded as the "Best" or "Worst" of its kind, the thing I will always remember and be grateful for is the experience -- one that I am honored to be sharing with all of you right here and now. Even though the workload has been insane, the days have been long (and the nights often longer), this experience has been anything but a nightmare. In this game and in life, it's not often that the stars align and you find yourself among the right combination of people, personalities and circumstances. This, I can say honestly, is truly one of those times.

'Til this is over, we may never sleep again. But we are among the luckiest people on earth to be able to share this experience together and make this dream come true.

--Daniel Farrands (co-director/producer)

Piecing Together A Legacy

Welcome back to another weekly dose of Elm Street.  Things have been moving fast and furious on this incredible production, and I am happy to report that the news is all great.

It seems that every day the number -- and caliber -- of people that we are interviewing grows by leaps and bounds.  With a tally of over 90 (yes, 90!) interviews that span every film, we are thrilled to be putting together what will absolutely be the most definitive look back at the ELM STREET films.  Period.  And even though I am in the thick of it with our amazing crew, sometimes when I am reading a quote, or looking at a photo that has never been seen before (don't worry, we have plenty that you'll be getting your eyes on, too!), I find myself thinking on just how cool it is to be doing this project.  It's moments like that when I know what we're doing is special.

And it's more than getting to meet all of the incredible people who built the franchise.  Some are old friends -- and some will undoubtedly become our friends -- but we quickly realized that each one of them holds a place in their heart for the work they've done.  And, boy, have we heard every kind of story and memory there is!

The tales we've been told are unflinchingly honest, oftentimes humorous and, for a few, genuinely heartwarming and emotional.  It was while listening to all of these people that I realized they never thought they were making "just another horror movie."  They card about the project and one another.  And, for some, it changed their lives forever.

And that's why I think these films will always be remembered.  Everything they've done, everything that Wes Craven started, has gone down in the annals of movie history.  And for good reason.

That we're able to be a part of all of that, bringing it together for each and every fan (ourselves included!) in one place is really just incredible.  And I can't wait for you all to see it.

--Thommy Hutson (producer/writer)

Slashing -- er, Cutting -- Our Way Through

Once again, welcome to another entry in the self-congratulatory NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY production blog!  Because of the overwhelming response to our lil’ documentary, we figured these weekly rants would help keep fans up to date -- as well as our sanity in check -- during those late night coffee-induced work sessions.

With around 90-interviews (!) in the can, we wrapped our last official day at Pro HD Studios on Friday and I’ve retired to the editing room where I don’t expect to see daylight for two months.  Meanwhile, the rest of the team is focused on getting pick-up interviews with those few remaining Nightmare people, many whom are scattered across the globe. Stef Hutchinson, director of HALLOWEEN: 25 YEARS OF TERROR, is about to roll cameras on Stephen Hopkins this week in London (big PREDATOR 2 fan here!) and we’re setting up a few more interviews in New York, Texas and even Hong Kong. We’ve literally gone to the ends of the Earth to get as many ELM STREET faces as possible!

Meanwhile, our pal Sean Clark has been off and rolling on a new episode of HORROR’S HALLOWED GROUNDS – a little featurette for the bonus disc that shows off all the NIGHTMARE 1 filming locations.  We shot some pretty fun material all over town with many of the original cast members along for the ride (as well as a few other cameos I won’t spoil).  It’s a testament to how great and supportive Heather Langenkamp and the cast & crew of the ELM STREET movies have been during the making of this project.

Right now, the phrase “never sleep again” is definitely apt.  In every major project, time is always your worst enemy.  My editing bay is beginning to look a lot like Nancy’s room (minus the bars on the windows), but we know that all these long hours will be worth it.

I’ve spent the past week living in the world of repressed homosexual angst and exploding parakeets (a.k.a. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2).  I think FREDDY’S REVENGE is shaping up to be my favorite part of the doc based on the wild production stories, bizarre (and most claim, unintentional) homoerotic overtones and rampant fan criticism.  The stories are so honest and entertaining and they really cut to the core of how filmmaking and business intermingle – both for better and worse.  Furthermore, I’m developing huge respect and awe for Bob Shaye’s New Line as we make this.  The insider stories of how he created a self-made empire and broke all the rules along the way are just damn inspiring – and I think it will be the overall arc of this documentary. It makes me really sad thinking how that era of New Line has passed…

I’ve worked alongside Dan Farrands and this team on a multitude of projects for almost two years straight and they’re the best partners I could ever imagine.  The only problem was, most of our projects ended up getting severely compromised in some way or another. What’s great about NEVER SLEEP AGAIN is that this project is 100% indie.  It may be tougher, but damn it’s liberating!

I  also want to clarify one thing: Contrary to those early press reports, this will NOT be a 90-minute documentary. I’m not sure how we got it in our heads that we could adequately tell the story of a franchise (consisting of 8 films and a freagin’ TV series!) in that amount of time.  Luckily, we came to our senses and decided that NEVER SLEEP AGAIN will be as long as it needs to be to deliver the most definitive doc possible.  We don’t want to short-change a thing.  That might mean a 3-4 hour film, but it’ll be a well-paced and entertaining one.
Now it’s back to the editing room. This thing ain’t gonna cut itself…

--Andrew Kasch (co-director, editor)

The Year of Freddy Krueger has Begun!

Happy New Year!

2010 is poised to be the year of Freddy Krueger, and we'll be ringing it in by prepping for a slew of new, fantastic interviews.

More to come soon!