The summary is about the life and career of film director Wes Craven, known for his horror franchise "Nightmare on Elm Street". Craven's childhood was marked by the death of his father, an alcoholic, and strict Protestant household, which he later used as inspiration for his horror films.
Craven's first movie, "The Last House on the Left", released in 1972, received harsh reviews but was later appreciated as a landmark in the horror genre. His next film, "The Hills Have Eyes", was also successful. However, it was the release of "Nightmare on Elm Street" in 1984 that truly cemented his status as a horror film icon.
The film follows four teenagers terrorized by a serial killer, Freddy Krueger, who haunts them in their dreams and kills them in real life. The film explores themes of suppressed emotion, rage, and the fear of dying in one's sleep. The character of Freddy Krueger was inspired by personal experiences and real-life events, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the fear of stranger danger during the 1980s.
Craven's use of relatable nightmares from his own childhood and the anxieties of the time, including stranger danger and sudden unexpected nocturnal death syndrome, created a layered conflation of anxieties that resonated with audiences. The film's villain, Freddy Krueger, was designed to be scary in a different way, without a mask, and to talk, taunt, and threaten, setting him apart from other horror antagonists of the time.
Despite the film's dark themes and horror elements, it has had a lasting impact and influence on the horror genre.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Wes Craven was the director of the movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
2. Craven's father was an alcoholic and a factory hand who died when Craven was young.
3. Craven grew up in a strict Protestant household where he was not allowed to dance, drink, or go to the movies.
4. Craven saw his first movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird", when he was a senior in college.
5. Craven's first movie, "The Last House on the Left", was released in 1972.
6. "The Last House on the Left" initially received scathing reviews but was later viewed as a landmark in the horror genre.
7. The movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was released in 1984.
8. The movie follows four teens who are terrorized by a serial killer named Freddy Krueger.
9. Freddy Krueger haunts the teens in their dreams and kills them in real life.
10. Only one teen, Nancy Thompson, survives the movie and becomes the protagonist for the franchise's subsequent movies.
11. The concept of the movie was inspired by an article in the LA Times about the mystery of Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS).
12. Craven was also inspired by a case of a family who had escaped Cambodia's killing fields and the young son's disturbing dreams.
13. The name of the street in the movie, Elm Street, was inspired by a real-life event, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred near an Elm Street.
14. The concept of the parents neglecting their son's fears in the movie was inspired by Craven's own childhood experiences.
15. The movie's villain, Freddy Krueger, was inspired by Craven's childhood bully, Fred Kruger.
16. Freddy Krueger's iconic glove was inspired by ancient predators and the fear of being attacked by sharp objects.
17. The movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was influenced by the anxiety of stranger danger in the United States during the 1980s.