Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010 Video) User Reviews (31)

Everything a Freddy Fan Could Ask For

[The-Evil-Dead · 9/10 · 29 May 2010]

This was an excellent documentary and is probably going to cover any questions you would have about the series. The interviews are great and the cast and crew of every movie seemed to all have a great time with the films so they enjoy talking about the experience. This keeps the film fresh and enjoyable throughout and will keep even the most hardcore fans entertained.

The film goes through the movies one by one, speaking with various cast and crew about production and the film itself. It answers some questions and may even surprise you with some information ( IE NoES 2 having strong homosexual undertones completely surprised me. ) on each of the films. While the doc is 4 hours long, it never seems to drag and each film in the series is covered equally.

It's a wonderful companion to the series and I doubt any doc is going to come this close to being so complete and well done on any other horror series or horror flicks in general. A must own for any Freddy fan.

Utterly Incredible

[VinnieRattolle · 10/10 · 1 May 2010]

I had a feeling the "Elm Street" documentary was going to be something special, but I had no idea just HOW special until the pre-ordered disc arrived early. Initially I presumed that the 240 minute running time listed was for all the material on the 2-disc set, but to my great surprise and delight, that's actually the running time for the main feature. A few cast members (Ronee Blakely, Johnny Depp, Patricia Arquette, etc) are noticeably absent, but practically everyone else who worked in front of and behind the camera on an "Elm Street" film is interviewed.

There's something here for even the hardest of hardcore Freddy fans (of which I am one), with lots of interesting stories and previously undisclosed revelations, never-before-seen photos and behind-the-scenes footage, some pretty nifty stop-motion animated recreations of key scenes from the films, laugh-out-loud anecdotes and much more! This puts every bit of bonus material that New Line's ever released to shame (excepting, perhaps, the long out of print Anchor Bay special edition of the first film -- though a few clips from that are included here too).

"His Name Was Jason," the documentary on "Friday the 13th" franchise already proved that the best way to do a documentary on a horror movie is to turn it over to the fans, but "Never Sleep Again" has raised the bar even higher. Kudos and thank you to the production team for putting together this incredible documentary!

A Dream for Nightmare Fans.

[Mr_Censored · 10/10 · 12 May 2010]

If you never sleep again, it will only be because you are too busy sifting through all that "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" has to offer. This comprehensive 2-disc DVD set serves as a study on the infamous "A Nightmare on Elm Street series" which not only offers a four hour (!) long documentary, but almost as much in special features and extra footage.

Produced by the same folks who brought us "Halloween: 25 Years of Terror" and "His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th" and hosted by Nancy Thompson herself, Heather Langenkamp, the main feature covers just about everything you would ever want to know about the original eight-film franchise. Beginning with Wes Craven's original film and wrapping up with the 2003 hit mash-up, "Freddy vs. Jason," the documentary brings back most of the main cast and crew from each film (sans major players such as Patricia Arquette, Laurence Fishburne and Johnny Depp) as they wax nostalgic about all of the fun, thrills, melodrama, successes and failures that "Elm Street" brought each and every one of them. Each film is given ample time and is expanded upon wonderfully, and not only is it a blast to see how some of them have aged, but a lot of new information is brought to the forefront that, even if you've followed the series throughout the decades, will come as news to you. This certainly is no fluff-piece, as everyone is open and honest, and in spite of its length, it never drags or feels dull.

Once you've plowed through the main feature, there's still a second disc of special features to swallow, and as before, there is not a moment wasted. The main meat of this disc is a compilation of extended interviews that runs almost as long as the average "Elm Street" flick. If you simply can't get enough after the four hours you've just completed, this piece serves almost as a fitting desert. Other features focus on Freddy phenomena such as the character's transition into comics, the music that was used in the series, locations, props and, of course, the fans. There's also a rather amusing bit with the famed Angry Video Game Nerd where he rips apart the Nintendo game based on the franchise, albeit, in a loving manner. There's so much here that it almost justifies its own release.

While the release glosses over the recent remake (save for a few minutes of cut footage), it doesn't spare anything from the Robert Englund golden-era. Those who remember how great this series was in its time will no doubt eat up each and every savory morsel that "Never Sleep Again" has to offer. You're certainly getting the bang for your buck, and even if the studio itself isn't too keen on producing something this informative, it's good to know that independent film-makers with a love for the material are willing to do all the leg-work themselves. Without this DVD, your "Nightmare on Elm Street" collection simply is not complete.

Amazing documentary

[rhaynes1974 · 10/10 · 4 August 2010]

This was simply put, the best, the most comprehensive, the most audacious, the most auspicious and loving fan letter to any lover of this series of films that anyone could expect. Kudos and a clink of the champagne glass to all involved, a labour of love that delivered.

From it's humble beginnings to it's controversial subtexts, revealing interviews piece together the history of the elm street series and paint a portrait of the horror community that made me stand up and applaud "Yes I am a horror fanatic and yes I am proud" Much we have seen before on the pretty comprehensive 8 disc set of Nightmares that New Line put out a decade or so ago, but so much new material and history has happened since then.

The lowlight for me was seeing former studio head Bob Shaye, a man broken after losing control of his studio due to politics. And when he broke down on camera, so did I, who would have thought, in tears in a documentary about the "ELm Street" series. SHeesh I must be getting sentimental in my old age. Every character actor from every movie is interviewed in depth and a running time of four hours - it still felt short! By the end the film had me standing and clapping at the screen like so many teen girls on their first Twilight viewing. Awesome Awesome Awesome. A Perfect 10.

Never Sleep Again is a dream come true!!!

[thenospinkid · 10/10 · 8 May 2010]

When I first heard that a documentary was being done on the entire Elm Street series, I figured it would be a fun one-hour film that brought back a few key stars to discuss a few behind the scene stories and celebrate the pop-culture that is Freddy and the Nightmare Films.

Boy, was I wrong! Instead, the Makers of Never Sleep Again gave us the most definitive fan-based documentary that has no equal. It is a four hour wet dream with interviews from the biggest stars like Robert Englund to nameless extras like the people who burst out of Freddy's chest in Dream Master. Every film is probed in detail on story-lines, subtexts, and behind the scenes incidents. They even go into Freddy's Nightmares, the short-lived syndicated television show.

The four hour long documentary itself is worthy of the eternal praise of this film and would be more than enough to satisfy the biggest Fred Head's appetite, but Never Sleep Again give us more. It give us another four hours of extras that equal the entertainment value of the documentary.

Even with all of that, there is more. If you order from the Never Sleep Again website by June 1st, you get a signed poster from none other than the legendary Scream Queen herself -- Heather Langenkamp!!! If you did see the Remake and feel let down and ripped off...Never Sleep Again will most certainly make you feel better.

A Must See For Any Horror Fan

[Michael_Elliott · 6 July 2010]

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

**** (out of 4)

Four hour documentary covering the entire series (minus remake) is without question one of the greatest things ever produced for the horror genre. Both HALLOWEEN and the Friday THE 13TH series have had documentaries done on them but there's no doubt that this film here is above both of them and ranks as one of the most well-informed ever produced. I prefer both Jason and Michael but it's impossible not to be impressed with this film because the filmmakers were actually able to bring pretty much everyone back (with the exceptions being Depp and Arquette). Not only do you get all the directors, writers and main actors but we also get several who had very small parts like the "where's your hall pass" girl from the first film. All seven movies and then the cross over are given a large amount of time so that we can hear about them being made, hear about the various production issues and we also get to see some deleted scenes that I don't believe have ever been shown before. The entire film is one big highlight but some of the most memorable moments can be found in the section on part 2, which has become known as the gay Freddy. It's funny seeing the writer, director and cast talk about the gayness to the film and it's even funnier to see how most of them didn't realize while making the film. The troubled production here is also very interesting as if Craven's thoughts on a sequel to a film he had planned on keeping single. The Craven aspect is another one of the most interesting things here because, again, I don't believe he's ever really talked about any of the sequels outside the ones he was involved here but he comments on all of them here. His opinion of them is rather low, which is to be expected to a point but it's funny to see other directors, especially the man behind part 2, dishing on the original. FREDDY VS JASON gets a lot of time given to it as we hear about the dozens of screenplays that were denied before they finally came up with a winner. There were years of rumors and fake reports about what was going on with this film so to finally hear some true stories was a nice tough. The various endings were discussed as well as an alternate version that featured more of Freddy. The cast list is too large to even start with but fans won't be disappointed because all the majors are here as well as most of the smaller characters and we even get Alice Cooper for good kicks. Horror fans can always debate which series is the best or which films are the best of a series but I don't see how it would be possible for someone to sit through this thing and not be impressed. The passion of this thing hasn't been touched by any other documentary of its kind and I'd be willing to bet that those other guys are going to have to step up their game if they want to come anywhere near this. Everything you want to know will be answered here and it really gives one a major respect for what a small studio ended up doing with one character.

Excellent documentary on one of the most popular horror movies ever made.

[hu675 · 9/10 · 5 September 2010]

Back in the late 1970's to early 1980's, Writer and Directed:Wes Craven (The Scream Series, Red Eye, Shocker) created one of the most memorable villains of all time and his name is Freddy Krueger (Played by Robert Englund until the 2010 remake with Jackie Earle Haley as the new Freddy Krueger). Originally Wes Craven's screenplay was rejected by every major studio and every big-name producer until producer Robert Shaye (Book of Love, The Last Mitzy) decided to produced the movie with his then small distributor company turned major studio:New Line Cinema.

This documentary interviews most major cast members of the original series (Except:Johnny Deep, Patricia Arquette, Craig Wasson, Bradley Gregg and Laurence Fishburne), including every director, make-up artists, screen-writers and more. Interviews are surprisingly honest, they talked about what worked and didn't worked in the series. Even the spin-off "Freddy Vs. Jason" is talked about with the cast & crew.

Directed by Daniel Farrands (Screenwriter of "Halloween 6:The Curse of Michael Myers") and Andrew Kasch made an extremely long but always entertaining documentary of the entire original series. It is certainly more fun to watch than "His Name was Jason" documentary, which Farrands was involved in and it is better than "Halloween:25 years of terror".

Interviews on all the movies are certainly fun to watch, especially the underrated but flawed "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2:Freddy's Revenge", considering how gay the movie is now! There's even an surprise interviewee on "Freddy Vs. Jason" is one of the biggest laughs of the feature.

Disc 1 is the entire documentary of "Never Sleep Again:The Elm Street Legacy". Which is nearly four hours long! DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound.

Disc 2 includes slashed scenes:extended interviews of the entire series, featurettes and more. "Never Sleep Again:The Elm Street Legacy" is great fun and die-hard fans of the series will certainly have an ball watching it. Even non-fans will some of the interviews to be truly enjoyable. Don't miss it. (**** ½/*****).

A treasure for fellow Elm Street fans.

[callanvass · 10/10 · 27 June 2010]

I have a condition called ADHD, it's very hard for me sit down for long periods of time, but this huge documentary was so engrossing and so wonderful I didn't wanna get up off my seat. It was sad that people like Johnny Depp, Ronee Blakely or Patricia Arquette didn't show up, but I was thrilled with everything here. Shocking stories and the main thing was that people genuinely seemed to enjoy being there.

Nightmare On Elm Sreet. Everyone had some great recollections. Heather was very candid and enjoyable to listen to, while people like Amanda Wyss and Jsu Garcia shared interesting stories. It was shocking to find out Garica was a drug addict at the time and he went to work drugged up. Amanda seemed very enthusiastic about everything while Wes is clearly proud of his work and against the sequels. So surreal that one of the best horror films of all time was very risky to make.

5/5

Nightmare On Elm Street 2. They don't hold anything back on this one!. Jack Sholder is clearly disliked and he even seems like a snotty prick. David Chaskin who wrote this claims he didn't intend it to be gay, but I find that hard to believe as did a few crew members. Mark Patton and Kim Myers shared great chemistry and were very bubbly about the project. Robert Rusler who played Grady and Marshal Bell who played Schneider didn't have much to say, but Clu Gulager seemed drunk or something and was funny to listen too. Sydney Walsh even shows up who played Kerry the best friend.

5/5

Nightmare On Elm Street 3. This one was pretty controversial itself. It seemed to be a very crowded project with everyone stressed out and not really enjoying themselves. Chuck Russell the Director didn't seem to be very well liked while people like Rodney Eastman who played Joey and Ken Sagoes who played Kincaid bitched quite a bit. Craig Wasson is noticeably absent from the proceedings while Jennifer Rubin and Ira Heiden had fun doing there interviews. Priscilla Pointer who played Simms had one cool bit. Very well done, but it was a rather selfish one and a bit too heated for my liking. Favorite bit was finding out the cast members had crushes on Patricia Arquette and went to Robert Englund for dating advice.

4/5

Nightmare On Elm Street 4. This one is much more lively and a lot more fun to listen too, I didn't feel so uncomfortable. Lisa Wilcox is delightful to listen too|Great to look at as well| While people like Danny Hassell who played Dan seem very grateful for the semi fame and opportunity they were given. Andras Jones was great to listen too as Rick. It was funny to find out he did all that martial arts training and didn't end up doing it. Brooke Bundy and Toy Newkirk offer some interesting insight as well. Robert Englund recalls moments where he was aggravated at the crew for taking so long. Great listen, never a boring moment.

5/5

Nightmare On Elm Street 5. Interesting to find out this was based on an idea of one of the crew because she was going through motherhood. Turns out this project was rushed due to the success of the 1st one, though I still hold a special place in my heart for this one. Kelly Jo Minter seems a bit annoyed at some of the happenings, while Lisa and Robert share funny stories. Erika Anderson is likable and funny and recalls her part on Greta. Joe Seely who played the comic geek Mark is a bit of a nerd himself, but he was likable too. Beatrice Boepple who played Amanda Krueger shows up briefly while Whit Hertford who played Jacob shows up too.

5/5

Freddy's Dead The Final Nightmare. Very good stuff here as well. Lisa Zane happily seems to not regret her role, while Rachel Talay admits they should have probably made this more serious. Shon Grenblat who played John Doe looks like a scrag due to his beard manages to give some nice stories while Lezlie Deane who is in some weird makeup with some chick recalls her part as well. Ricky Dean Logan talks about his part as Carlos. Breckin Meyer is nowhere to be found unfortunately.

5/5

New Nightmare. Probably my favorite out of all of them. Wes seems very proud of this project and rightfully so. He says he wanted to neglect the other sequels and make a true sequel to the original. David Newsom is hilarious as he recalls his part as Chase. Miko Hughes, Tracy Middendorf, Fran Bennett|Who hilarious does her "Let's cut this evil" out of him impersonation|. It was cool to see Robert wanted to turn it up a notch for Wes as well.

5/5

Freddy Vs Jason. Good stuff here, but I wasn't nearly as interested in this as I was the others. I'm kind of weird with this movie because for some odd reason after repeated viewings, my enjoyment for the movie has slowly decreased each time. Everyone is likable though, especially Monica Keena.

4/5

Bottom line. Exhausting but in the best way possible. Do whatever you can to get a hold of this if your an Elm Street fan, it has everything.

P.S be sure to stay for the credits, there is some funny stuff while the credits roll.

10/10

(Two) Gay?

[thesar-2 · 9/10 · 20 June 2011]

DAMN!! Four Hours?!? I seriously thought that was a misprint on the Netflix envelope when I received this MUST-SEE disc.

If you're a Freddy Lover like I am…CHECK OUT this documentary, Never Sleep Again, IMMEDIATELY. Now. Netflix it. Buy it. Go to the Swamp Meet (if there is such a booth, anymore) to get a copy.

It's a completely current, up-to-date, 2010, four-hour, all-7 movie (plus Freddy Vs. Jason) recap of some of the greatest slasher movies of all time. Yeah, four hours.

Don't let that discourage you. Like a good book, I couldn't press pause. I watched it almost straight through. Again, I'm a Freddy Krueger fan. And they went sooo in-depth on each movie, with things, phrases, backgrounds and inside jokes that I was unaware of, for the most part, that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But, you'll have to be a Fred Krueger fan, once again. Otherwise, this is a lot…a helluva lot of noise.

Surprisingly, the bonus disc (yeah, there's another disc, even with a four-hour disc one) that…wait for it…also contains another four hours of bonus material. That's EIGHT hours for the price of a rental (or two) from Netflix.

Dang; I sound like an infomercial.

I grew up on Freddy. He is currently my # 4 favorite movie character of ALL TIME, behind Hannibal Lecter (#3), Superman (#2) and Catherine Trammel, from Basic Instinct (#1). Mainly, I got hooked with movie 4. I went backwards to watch the original 3 and then forwards when they hit theatres.

That's neither here nor there in regards to this FANTASTIC documentary. It's honest – they really state where they messed up with the franchise and where they tried to redeem themselves. They detail the absolutes, such as the Dream Warriors song by Dokken. And they highlight the atmosphere of the cast and crews with conflicts I was unaware of.

One of the nice things they did was spend a lot of time on how "gay" (gay as in homosexual, and not gay as in bad, you younglings) A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge was. Recently, in early 2010, I re-watched and reviewed all 7 movies (I'd previously rewatched and reviewed Freddy Vs. Jason, so no need to over-do it) in preparation of the horrid A Nightmare on Elm Street remake. When I got to part 2, all I could think of was: how gay is this movie?

They went even further with my analogy. And that wasn't the only case.

These people celebrate Freddy and all his ins/outs. Almost the entire cast(s) returned to be interviewed and with some surprising results – on how they look (or dress) like today. With, or without, a personal slave…

I reward this documentary with the second highest rating I hand out. Not just because I love the Elm Street mythology, but because it was extremely well put together, edited and said what it needed to, with enough information before it moved on. I wish all documentaries did that. In addition, even though it's no coincidence this comes out around the same time the remake does, it never…ever…mentions that horrid reboot. Regardless of the (lack-of-) quality of the updated Freddy take, this is strictly an account of the original (and one spin off) movies.

THROUGHLY recommended, and as a bonus – other than the bonus disc I also wholeheartedly encourage you to see – make sure you stay through the credits. The original casts, in today's time, restate their signature lines. Funny or not, and sometimes it was, it was fan-tas-tic to see them say their iconic Nightmare lines again.

Side Note: Coming off the high of Part Four in 1988, my favorite Nightmare, I just had to see Part Five the following year. It was probably one of those cases where I wanted to like it more than I actually did. At any rate, one of my favorite lines was one that was so quickly spoken, so overlooked; I thought I was the only one to appreciate: "Damn it, they caught me. I have to gnash my teeth for the paparazzi" – "Greta Gibson" played by Erika Anderson. She actually re-plays that line in the end credits!

Yeah, that got me excited as, again, I thought, as a devote Freddy fan, I was one of the few that caught that line. In addition, I fell in love with an actor in Freddy Vs. Jason – Brendan Fletcher, and regularly followed his filmography since. Yeah, it helps they showed his "bum" in the movie, but, he himself, brings it up, jokingly – while showing "it," once again, towards the end of this movie.

A love letter to the fans

[baileycrawly · 10/10 · 10 October 2019]

This documentary is special. It's a long (but not rambling) history of the Elm Street series, from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Freddy vs. Jason. It seems, in many ways, to be dedicated to the fans who supported the franchise along the way, and it feels to me like a love letter to the fans. Featuring interviews, film clips, and cool little animation segues, this documentary is both interesting and informative, even for longtime Nightmare fans.

behind-the-scene of the franchise for fans

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 13 August 2014]

Heather Langenkamp narrates this documentary about the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' franchise. After having some success, Wes Craven had a new script that nobody wanted. The only person who picked it up was Robert Shaye who had a small distribution company called New Line Cinema. Shaye would bet everything to make this movie with Robert Englund creating the new serial killer character Freddy Krueger. This follows the franchise from its inception to the big face-off 'Freddy vs. Jason' in 2003.

This is basically a long making-of segments or behind-the-scene footage. It is missing the big breakout stars of the movies Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette. Johnny Depp doesn't have much to contribute. On the other hand, Patricia Arquette has a lot of important info. I just doubt that she would ever comment on why she didn't come back to the series. The contributors have great information. The movie doesn't have any outsider commentary which could put the franchise in a proper overall context of horror. I am surprised that some of the contributors were more honest with what went wrong. At least they are more honest than I expected. This is really only for the fans of the franchise but then again why would non-fans watch this movie.

A "Must Have" for fans of the series!

[DDPhilly · 10/10 · 10 September 2014]

This is basically the review I did on Amazon in 2010!

I could write a ten page review about how much I loved this, but I'll spare you all! In a nutshell, this is a comprehensive and detailed look at not only what went on behind the scenes while making the Nightmare films, but it's full of great interviews with actors and crew.

We get to learn what everyone involved experienced before, during and after being in their respective films and it is absolutely riveting!

Special mention has to go to Heather Langenkamp for her work and dedication on this project!

It's impossible to be a fan and not love this!

Definitely worth watching...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 1 December 2023]

Having grown up with the "Nightmare On Elm Street" movies, of course there was no doubt about me sitting down to watch this 2010 documentary titled "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy". In fact, I actually didn't know that it existed, before I happened to stumble upon it by random chance here in 2023.

It is definitely a documentary that is worth sitting down and spending four hours on watching. I wasn't expecting it to be four hours, but sitting through it, it didn't feel like long hours.

There are plenty of interesting facts throughout the documentary, which offers a lot of great insights into all the movies individually, and also into the series that was spawned in the wake of the success of the movie. And there was also lots of great behind the scenes footage and information. And this all makes it well-worth sitting down and watching.

And there is also a great amount of interviews with cast and crew that worked on the numerous movies and series.

"Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" is a must-watch for fans of the "Nightmare On Elm Street" franchise.

My rating of "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Far and away my favorite "making-of" documentary ever

[matthewssilverhammer · 10/10 · 28 October 2017]

This was the cap on a recent Freddy Krueger marathon, and even though I just finished watching them all, this talking-head / film-history doc's love and comprehension makes me wanna dive right back in. Beautifully breaking down every single Nightmare movie, and holding no detail or story or opinion back, it's a perfect companion for any franchise fan, and even a solid intro into the world.

You cannot afford to miss this collection, for elm street fans!

[SnobbyTruffle · 10/10 · 14 May 2010]

There is nothing mediocre or uninspiring about this documentary. It claims it is "the ultimate nightmare documentary," and it truly delivers on that. Length wise being 240mins, it should satisfy on that alone, never-mind all of its original/creative content. Without giving it away, I will say that almost nothing is left out of this documentary, aside from a few cast members (but their roles were covered extensively in this DVD). Watching this makes you want MORE from the original series and stars. Seeing them all 25+ years later from the original, still being very active in their lives/projects, and excited to talk about this, makes you yearn for more. This was 2010's "Freddy" treat, and in my opinion a far more worthy project to witness, than the remake.

I got my copy last week and was so addicted to it, that I finished it all in one night. I stayed up and fell asleep around 4 am watching. On facebook, the guys doing Never Sleep Again were also presenting signed copies of the DVD, and kept us fans updated on the project since 2009. It is now available through their official site. This is definitely a MUST for any nightmare fan, because of its immense material crammed into 2 discs. You won't be disappointed.

Another amazing doc by these guys

[TTUCHY · 10/10 · 10 June 2010]

I am a big fan of F13, and when "His Name Was Jason" came out, I was all over it. It was great to get a true insider's scoop from the series' collaborators. It did not disappoint. When I heard "Never Sleep Again" was coming out, I was intrigued ( although I was never a HUGE fan of the Elm Street series)... but I knew the same team was behind it that produced HNWJ, so I picked it up. Dare I say that I enjoyed this one MORE? I viewed the piece in such a way, that I would watch a segment or two, then turn it off, so I had more to enjoy the following night. Even though it plays out longer than 3 hours, it is not long at ALL! I wanted another 5 hours! I cannot wait to see what these guys do next. They have a great cutting style, where the interviewees finish each other's sentences, and they're able to segue from one subject to the next seamlessly. I know, particularly with a documentary, you are inundated with hours of footage, and are forced to choose from a multitude of directions/styles/tones. These guys were able to find the jewel in the mountain and create another special product. Can't wait for the next one guys!

'Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy' is a dream come true for Freddy fans

[ersinkdotcom · 8/10 · 30 January 2014]

Do you love slasher films as much as I do? Do you find yourself blocking off every Friday the 13th off for screenings of Jason Voorhees' many killing sprees like it's a holiday? If you answered yes, chances are you love other movies in the genre such as "Halloween," "My Bloody Valentine," "The Burning," and others.

One of those "others" is a little franchise that goes by the name "A Nightmare on Elm Street." The burned up and razor-gloved Freddy Krueger has come to be known as a member of what many would call the horror trinity. The other two members of this infamous trio are the hockey- masked Voorhees and creepy William Shatner-faced Michael Myers.

Having already tackled the "Friday the 13th" series through his extensive documentary "Crystal Lake Memories," Director Daniel Farrands teamed up with Editor Andrew Kasch to provide the same service for fans of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. Together, the two helm a 238-minute journey behind-the-scenes of this equally terrifying and fun bunch of films with "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy."

Passing fans of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" might find "Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" a bit tedious and long-winded for their taste. However, hardcore Freddy fanatics will find themselves camped out on the couch for hours taking in all the captivating background information on one of the three largest horror franchises in the world. Just hope you don't accidentally drift off into dreamland while watching it all!

The best horror franchise documentary so far!!!

[ugotit-1 · 10/10 · 3 September 2010]

To be completely honest, I'm not that big of A Nightmare on Elm Street fan but I heard good things about this documentary so I decided to order it.I watched it all the way through without pausing it or taking any breaks because Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a very entertaining documentary.It's edited in a fantastic way, it's got interviews with almost everyone that made the franchise possible and it has great cinematography!! It also has amazing stop motion animation sequences for not only the opening but for separating the segments. I've actually now become a fan of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise after watching this.This documentary will definitely please Elm Street fans everywhere. It's just a fantastic thing to watch.You will not find a more in depth retrospective on the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise then this documentary!! I highly recommend it!!

A must for "Nightmare on Elm Street" fans

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 5 February 2022]

Great documentary about all the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films from the original to "Freddy vs. Jason". They talk to all the directors, screenwriters, composers, producers and actors who had a hand in those films. The only notable absences are from Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette. My favorite is the one dealing with part 2 and the gay subtext with Mark Patton and Robert Rusler. However they don't cover the lousy 2010 redo which nobody liked. A fun documentary for horror fans.

Don't Fall Asleep.

[kylehaines96 · 10/10 · 19 May 2012]

Bonus 31 Days Of Horror Reviews Part 1.

After seeing all of the Freddy films I was very excited to see Never Sleep Again. It took a long time but I finally got the chance to see and so far it is the longest film I have ever seen thus far.

The documentary expands on many topics like The Gay subtext of A Nightmare On Elm Street 2 Freddy's Revenge to the not so hot success of the Freddy's Nightmares T.V. Show to the long years of development of Freddy Vs. Jason to the Box Office Decline of A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 The Dream Child to the supposed end to the series with Freddy's Dead The Final Nightmare. What ever this documentary talks about is entertaining every single minute. The cast and crew of the films have interesting stories to talk about and has some very rare and cool archival footage from some of the movies. if you are a fan of the A Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise and have not yet seen this then what are you waiting for? Check It Out immediately.

Not Rated.

4hrs/240min.

17 uses of the F-word.

****/****

It's marvellous series. I like it

[ghagareadesh · 9/10 · 25 July 2020]

Just go to watch.In exploring the Elm Street saga, the film presents photographs, storyboards, conceptual art, publicity materials, archival documents, and behind-the-scenes footage that have never been previously shared. Never Sleep Again expands on Wes Craven's motivations in creating the first Elm Street film. It also explores behind-the-scenes of the original film and all of its sequels. Through interviews, the film shares how cast and crew brought their own worst nightmares to life on screen and examines the impact the series and its mythos have had on pop culture and the horror genre in general. The documentary also explores the rise and fall of Robert Shaye's New Line Cinema and its reputation as "The House That Freddy Built".

A Perfect and Definitive Documentary

[jamiemiller-07611 · 10/10 · 10 September 2021]

At 4 hours, Never Sleep Again leaves very few stones unturned when it comes to exploring the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It has interviews with just about anyone involved with the exception of its more high profile alums like Johnny Depp, Patricia Arquette, Laurence Fishburne, and Roseanne Barr. Their absence hardly matters when everyone else interviewed seems so grateful and excited to be there and many of the stories they tell are fascinating, entertaining, and things even the most hardcore Nightmare fans haven't heard before.

A fantastic homage to the series! Made for the fans through and through

[Robert_duder · 9/10 · 30 July 2014]

I'm not one to spend a lot of time on special features unless I REALLY love the movie. I do love a great documentary though and I was immediately intrigued when I saw this. Years ago when I first began to become an enormous full on movie junkie, I fell in love with horror. That started with a complete fascination and adoration for the entire Nightmare On Elm Street series. I realized even more-so while watching this incredible documentary series how much I love this series. This is an epic sized documentary spending a half hour(ish) to 40 minutes on each entry in the iconic Nightmare On Elm Street series. We are re-introduced to the actors who played their respective roles as they talk about what they remember, what they went through, and what the role and series meant to them. Of course, Johnny Depp is not one of them who is there to talk about it sadly. We get interviews with creator and legend Wes Craven and producer and New Line founder Bob Shaye through much of the documentaries. It is just a fascinating look back at how this series started from nothing to become the iconic, unstoppable horror franchise it is now.

Despite having only starred in three films out of the series, it is safe to say that Heather Langenkamp is considered an iconic scream queen and Freddy's first and most formidable opponent (despite being nearly campy in her performance.) It was a wise move to have her narrate the entire documentary and feature her in interviews as well. The makers of this film do it in an absolutely brilliant way breaking down each film and laying them out in similar fashion and talking about finance, creative process, special effects, cast...there is very little stones unturned. No more time is spent with Wes Craven or Langenkamp or Robert Englund than some of the lesser known characters giving everyone a fair chance to talk about the movies. The documentary is an enormous four hour undertaking that I watched in segments over the course of a week and loved every minute of it!! Perhaps the one thing I was disappointed with is that they didn't continue and discuss the remake because I'm sure that coming about that concept didn't come easy.

They couldn't have asked for a better director than Daniel Farrands. He is obviously an enormous horror fan and while he did pen one of the worst Halloween movies...I'll forgive him for that...he has worked on a number of horror film documentaries and he's got this down to a science. This is made for all the fans. Its simple and straight forward and is not complex or too technical...it just covers the basics and gives you enough information to be truly pleased with it. It never feels stale, even with its enormous run-time because each film is so different and you actually will find yourself looking forward to them talking about a certain instalment. I was really excited to hear about Wes Craven's New Nightmare and Freddy VS Jason and how they came about. The film also touches on the deplorable Freddy's Nightmares TV series. This is a documentary that every horror fan must watch and own. This is absolutely epic and like having all the special features right at your finger tips. Even if you're not a huge documentary fan I think you'll find this fascinating and if you wanted to you could jump ahead to your personal favourite but do yourself a favour and watch the whole thing!! 9/10

A Truly Delightful Documentary

[maldelus · 10/10 · 16 May 2010]

I concur with every review posted by users. I started viewing the 2-disc set after receiving it from DVDEmpire.com on the 14th of May 2010. I finished the whole thing on the 16th of May 2010. All 457 minutes of the feature documentary and bonus materials. It helped me get through the first couple of days following rotator cuff surgery of my right arm.

240 minutes on disc 1 and 217 minutes on disc 2. I viewed them with PowerDVD 10 and posted my comments to MoovieLive also.

I gave the documentary the highest rating I could give it and send my kudos to Heather Langenkamp for having the desire and wherewith-all to make this documentary happen with 1428 Films.

This coveted disc collection will always be at my beck and call to watch and listen to again and even pass down to my younger family members who may be curious or want to know all there is to know about "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and Freddy.

Thorough, and thoroughly entertaining!

[Finfrosk86 · 8/10 · 6 June 2015]

This is a thorough documentary giving you pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about the Nightmare on Elm Street-series. Well, the original ones that is, not the remake.

If you are a fan of the movies, (if you are not, why are you reading this, and why are you not a fan? Are those movies not good enough for you? Is Freddy Krueger not cool enough? Not scary enough? Get outta here!!) Where was I, yeah, if you are a fan of the movies, this is like a dream come through!

It takes every one of the movies, one by one, and has about a Freddillion interviews with cast, crew, critics, fans, the works. I was really entertained.

My only complaint, well, what kept it from being perfect, is that it could have been a little more consistent from movie to movie, we don't get equal amounts of info from every movie. Man, that really sounds like a douche-baggy complaint. Sorry documentary-maker. It does not mean that it is not great, because it really is. Very entertaining. Good job!