Robert Englund Movies
Robert Englund began his acting training at age 12, taking drama courses at the University of Oakland, U.C.L.A., California State-Northridge, the Michigan Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Rochester, NY, branch of R.A.D.A. Englund made his first professional appearance in a Cleveland production of Godspell. His first film role was the bumptious backwoodsman Whitey in Buster and Billie (1974), after which he paid his dues in a series of villainous bit parts: shooting down Burt Reynolds at the end of Hustle (1975); beating up Kris Kristofferson in A Star is Born (1976); and so on. In 1984, he was cast as Willie, one of the few sympathetic Earth-invading extraterrestrials in the sci-fi TV miniseries V.Impressed by this performance, director Wes Craven buried Englund under several layers of latex and collodion and cast him as malevolent, mass-murdering wraith Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The actor became an instant star, appearing in five Nightmare sequels, hosting a 1988 television spin-off, and basking in the glow of a plenitude of fan clubs. Although Freddy's only redeeming quality was his morbid sense of humor, Englund became an idol to the young, who emulated the actor each Halloween donning Freddy masks and plastic claws. Far from concerned that this idolatry might lead to delinquency, Englund allowed that he enjoyed playing Freddy, and felt pride at having created so memorable a screen persona. (In all fairness, he also emphasized to his most impressionable fans that it was all play-acting, and that his homicidal tendencies were strictly confined to the screen.) Unlike such horror icons of the past as Boris Karloff and Vincent Price, however, Englund was not able to shed his famous character's image when he wanted to move on to other roles. Outside of his Nightmare appearances, Englund's most significant credits were his one-shot directorial stint on the theatrical feature 976-EVIL (1988); his characterization of the title role in a medium-budget film adaptation of Phantom of the Opera (1989); and his hosting chores on the Craven-produced TV anthology Nightmare Café (1992). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this action thriller, a mercenary uses every trick he knows to save his lover from the clutches of a South American dictator. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Bernhardt, Robert Englund, (more)
If nothing else, this throwback to the old low-budget psychotronic films of the '50s and '60s is uniquely stylish, even kitschy. A Spanish-British production it is set in New Mexico (but filmed in Spain) and chronicles the twisted adventures of Candy, a thief and con artist who accidentally ingests part of a meteorite and grows an enormous serpentine talking tongue that has a special taste for human flesh. It all begins after Candy and her partner Johnny pull off their latest job. Johnny gets caught and takes the entire rap and Candy flees to a nunnery/gas station in the desert after hiding their loot. Her four pastel dyed poodles accompany her. Soon after her arrival, the meteor crashes as she eats soup with a bit of the space rock in it. She then gives some to the doggies. While the voracious alien appendage grows in her mouths, her poochies turn into drag queens. They help her procure a steady supply of food. Poor Candy tries to cut the horrible thing out of her mouth but to no avail. She finally begs Johnny to escape and help her. He does, but is pursued by a sadistic prison warden. Unfortunately Johnny gets too close to the meteorite as does a speechless nun. When that happens, real chaos ensues. The film contains gory scenes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- NR
The crew of a spaceship get a rude awakening when they emerge from a deep sleep to discover that they have become the subject of an alien study. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Having agreed to take charge of the Rangers, Delenn risks death at the hands of a unknown adversary. And while exploring the inner regions of B5, Garibaldi stumbles across a secret level that has been sealed off for years. Robert Englund of "Freddy Kruger" fame is cast as cult leader Jeremiah. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Grey 17 is Missing" made its TV debut in the United Kingdom on August 26, 1996. The episode's American release was held up until October 7 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1996
- PG
Set in a small town, this youthful outing tells the story how a local paper boy and a band of misfits successfully prevented a band of bullies from taking over their neighborhood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Kyle Howard, (more)
A hellish piece of professional laundry equipment wreaks havoc in a tiny New England town in this horror film. It all begins in The Blue Ribbon Laundry, a place run by the ruthless, crippled old Bill Gartley. With no feelings at all for his employees, he demands absolute obedience and unrelenting hard work. One day an old speed iron goes crazy, sucks in and permanently presses a hapless worker. The rest of the crew is frightened and in shock, but this does not stop old Gartley from cruelly ordering them back to work. A police officer investigates the case and begins suspecting that the sinister owner is concealing something. When a boy suffocates in an abandoned refrigerator that had somehow come in contact with the speed iron, the cop calls in his friend the theoretical parapsychologist who deduces that there is a "transference of evil" going on. Meanwhile, Gartley is putting the moves on comely Lin Sue; he also is interested in messing with his own niece. Both girls have been harmed by the evil iron and have contributed some of their precious blood to it. It is the cop who discovers that in order for Gartley to remain successful, he must see that the demonic machine periodically receives such sacrificial donations. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Made for television, The Unspoken Truth is the factual story of Brianne Hawkins (Lea Thompson), who after enduring a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her family marries the even more abusive Clay Hawkins (James Marshall). Given to beating his wife at the slightest provocation, Clay finally goes completely over the edge when he shoots and kills a man who had the temerity to speak to Brianne without Clay's permission. Thinking quickly for a change, Clay persuades Brianne to take the rap for the killing, whereupon she complicity (if not willingly) concocts an elaborate story as to how she shot the man accidentally. Not only do the authorities refuse to swallow this fabrication, but they end up sending both Clay and Brianne to prison for life! Only when the future of her daughter, Lily (Karis Paige Bryant), is jeopardized does the long-suffering Brianne finally work up the courage to fight for her freedom and her long-denied fundamental rights as a human being. A shocking mid-film revelation elevates this story from the usual battered-wife TV-movie syndrome. Filmed on location in Austin, TX, The Unspoken Truth originally aired September 24, 1995, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lea Thompson, Patricia Kalember, (more)
Veteran horror director Wes Craven was responsible for the hit 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street, which introduced the character of Freddy Krueger. After Craven sold the rights to his character, Krueger became filmdom's top grossing monster, with five sequels by 1991. In this post-modernist horror film, Craven plays himself, a filmmaker working on a script for a movie that seems to be spinning out of control. Also playing himself, as well as playing his customary character Krueger, is Robert Englund. The original teenage hero of the first Nightmare film, Heather Langenkamp, also plays herself. She is still haunted by Freddy dreams, but Craven convinces her to make another Krueger film to exorcise her demons. Unfortunately, her son Dylan (Miko Hughes) is being taken over by Freddy himself, who materializes and kills Dylan's beloved nanny, Julie (Tracy Middendorf). Dylan, possessed by the evil spirit, escapes from the hospital and tries to cross a freeway with his mother in pursuit. Craven finds that his character has literally become a creation out of his control. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, (more)
- 1993
In this tale of terror, a young woman finds herself forced into becoming an unwilling disciple of a descendant of the Marquis de Sade. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Zoe Trilling, (more)
- 1991
- R
This mundane, predictable psycho-thriller was originally conceived as a sequel of sorts to the 1989 version of Phantom of the Opera, another unsuccessful horror vehicle for Robert Englund. Filmed on location in St. Petersburg, the film stars Englund as the co-director of a prestigious Russian dance academy whose students are systematically murdered by an unknown interloper shortly after the arrival of an American student (Michelle Zeitlin) -- whom Englund perceives as a young version of his former lover, the wheelchair-bound Svetlana. By the time the clueless ingenue figures out who's responsible, half of her classmates have already been drowned, hanged or thrown from various heights. Unfortunately, the entire "mystery" hinges on a laughably transparent attempt at visual deception; it's painfully obvious from the get-go that Englund's relationship with the invalid Svetlana is remarkably similar to that of Norman Bates and dear old Mom -- something the students fail to recognize, even to the bitter end. A few red herrings are batted about, but they serve more to annoy the audience than to convolute the plot. It's hard to tell whether writer/director Greydon Clark (who graced us with the likes of Satan's Cheerleaders) wanted to draw parallels to Dario Argento's Suspiria, but he's definitely out of his league here regardless. The atmospheric locales provide some degree of class, but their somber potential is sadly wasted. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
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The producers insisted that this sixth entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series marked the last; no points for guessing that additional sequels followed. This time, homicidal wraith Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) decides to extend his reign of terror past Elm Street. His agent-on-earth is his own long-lost daughter Maggie (Lisa Zane, sister of Phantom star Billy Zane). Securing a job as a dream therapist for troubled teens, Maggie is able to "open up" the minds of her patients so that Freddy can exercise his usual bloody prerogative. In a garish, 3-D climax, Freddy himself becomes the victim of the vengeful Maggie. Since what happens in this picture is laid out in the title, we can't possibly be accused of giving the ending away. Watch for cameos from Roseanne and her then-husband Tom Arnold, Alice Cooper, Elinor Donahue, and Johnny Depp, one of the stars of the very first Nightmare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, (more)
- 1990
No one should have been surprised that the Nightmare on Elm Street horror-flick series would spawn a weekly TV anthology. Nor was anyone amazed that the TV version wasn't quite up to the gory level of the original. Still, the 44-episode Freddy's Nightmares had plenty of shocks and scares for the unwary. On this evening's program, the repulsive Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) explains how he became the bon vivant and fashion plate whom we know and hate so well. Freddy's ramblings lead into the evening's drama, all about a fellow who decides that the best way to get ahead is to stomp on everyone in his path. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Freddy's Nightmares was a two-season TV anthology, loosely inspired by the Nightmare on Elm Street movie series. Robert Englund hosted as the unspeakable Freddy Krueger, spiked glove and all. The TV program was never quite as gruesome as its movie counterpart, but it was still not to be watched alone on a gloomy night. In "Lucky Stiff", Freddy prattles on about a young woman who wins a lottery. As the subsequent drama unfolds, we learn that our heroine's windfall was anything but lucky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
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Controversial and often offensive stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay made his debut as a feature film star in this crude comedy. Fairlane is a "rock and roll detective" who works in the music business, has an office on Sunset Boulevard, and drives a 1957 Ford, with clothing to match. He floats through the rock clubs of Hollywood, picking up women and clients, and soon stumbles into a case involving the death of a heavy metal singer, a corrupt music executive (Wayne Newton), the murder of a radio shock-jock (Gilbert Gottfried), and the kidnapping of the jock's daughter (Maddie Corman). Music stars like Sheila E. and Motley Crue singer Vince Neil also have cameos in the film, which attempts to transplant Clay's aggressively obnoxious stage persona into a movie environment. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Dice Clay, Wayne Newton, (more)
- 1990
To allay potential criticism of the Freddy's Nightmares TV anthology, executive producer Wes Craven attached a disclaimer. Unlike the Nightmare on Elm Street films that spawned the series, Freddy's Nightmares would never depict the murder of anyone under the age of 18. Thank goodness for small favors. In this 60-minute episode, the unspeakable Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) decides to celebrate Halloween with a few "friends". He throws an impromptu party in a medical school morgue, whereupon the script segues into the evening's drama, all about a trick-or-treat scheme which goes horribly awry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
"Dreams That Kill" is an episode of the syndicated TV anthology Freddy's Nightmares. You've guessed it; the series was spun off from the popular (and gruesome) Nightmare on Elm Street films. Robert Englund repeats his screen role as the hideous Freddy Krueger, though he's not quite as homicidal on the small screen. In this 60-minute installment, Freddy announces that he wants to become a talk show host. This devices segue into the evening's drama, a story of...well, of dreams that kill. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The hideously charred face, blazing eyes, and razor-enhanced glove of "dream demon" Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund remain essential ingredients to Freddy's Nightmares as the weekly, hour-long horror series launches its second season. As before, Freddy's "role" in the proceedings varies from story to story: In some instances, he is the instigator of the terrible nightmares that drive the various characters to madness, murder or death; in other cases, he is merely a sidelines observer, providing grimly sarcastic narration to the terrors at hand. Also carried over from Season One is the series basic format of offering two half-hour playlets per 60 minute episode, thinly connected by having one of the "survivors" of the horrors in Part One turning up as the "victim" in Part Two. And finally, the series' producers hold firm to their policy of never killing off any character under the age of 18, thereby (hopefully) quelling complaints from various clean-up-TV pressure groups that the series is too intense for younger viewers. Though a bit light on "star" names in the cast rosters, the episodes presented in Season Two still feature a number of instantly recognizable performers. "Heartbreak Hotel" is an interesting exercise in "other-generational" casting, featuring Anne Lockhart, daughter of June Lockhart, and Stacy Keach Sr. rather than the better-known Stacy Keach Jr.. TV archivists should enjoy the teaming of David L. Lander, aka "Squiggy" on Laverne and Shirley, and Mary Crosby, otherwise known as the Girl Who Shot J.R. on Dallas, in "Lucky Stiff". Tony Dow, the former "Wally Cleaver" on Leave It to Beaver, shows up in "Prime Cut." And action-film perennial Sandahl Bergman is the focal point in "Dust to Dust". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund
- 1989
- R
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In the fifth installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Alice (Lisa Wilcox) begins the film with the notion that she is safe after she vanquished the evil Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) by learning how to battle the dreamworld psychopath within her own unconscious mind. But somehow Freddy has survived, and Alice discovers that he's found a place where Alice can't protect herself when he taps into the dreams of her unborn child. Freddy is soon leaving a trail of destruction while the child is still in the womb, and he will become even more deadly when the child comes to term. Memorable moments include Freddy's attack on a comic book artist and his Hellish experiences when "the bastard son of a hundred maniacs" is locked in an insane asylum with a nun. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child was followed by Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, though Mr. Krueger popped up again in Wes Craven's New Nighmare. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, (more)
Gaston Leroux's classic tale of love and suspense gets a face-lift in this horror story loosely adapted from Leroux's novel. Christine (Jill Schoelen) is a young classical vocalist who, in the midst of performing a recently discovered piece by an obscure composer, is struck on the head by a sandbag and wakes up in London in 1884. Eric Destler (Robert Englund) is a composer who is desperate to succeed -- so much so that he sells his soul to the devil in exchange for writing songs that people will love. However, the devil adds a twist to the bargain by horribly scarring Eric's face, which can only be disguised by flesh from a living victim. Living below the London Opera House, Eric works night and day on his music; when he hears Christine's voice he falls in love, he and lures her to his lair. Eric decides that Christine is the perfect woman to sing his music; he coaches her to a perfect interpretation of his work, and he kills anyone who stands between her and success. Future Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon made her film debut in a small role in the film's modern day sequences. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Jill Schoelen, (more)
- 1988
"It's My Party and You'll Die If I Want You To" was one of the earlier entries of the 44-episode TV anthology Freddie's Nightmares. If you've guessed that this syndicated series was a spin-off of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, you're right. You're also right if you've deduced that the hideous Freddy Krueger -- aka Robert Englund -- is the host. This time out, Freddy materializes at his 20-year high school reunion. After a few wretched puns about death and murder, Freddy introduces us to the evening's drama: the story of a high school nerd's revenge, two decades after the fact. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This fourth trip down Freddy Lane was the most successful at the box-office, but although it has some impressive visuals, it is mostly an empty film. Credit must go to the effects team for some fine work, but otherwise, this entry from the director of Cutthroat Island (Renny Harlin) is extremely weak. Roland Kincaid falls asleep and awakens in the Springwood junkyard, where his dog -- named "Jason" in a sad foreshadowing of the film's giggly tone -- pees fire on Freddy's grave. The pyro-urinary baptism causes Krueger (Robert Englund) to reassemble from bones outward in an admittedly impressive sequence. Predictably, Freddy guts Kincaid, then appears in Joey's waterbed as a naked pinup girl (Hope-Marie Carlton) before slicing him to ribbons. And so it goes. The film has a few interesting ideas kicking around, but no real identification points. This is a video game, not a movie, and the characters seem to exist only in order to move the film from one effects sequence to another. There is a lot to be said for special effects, and the ones here are extraordinary and vivid. However, the wonderfully grim mood and subtle performances of Chuck Russell's outstanding third entry in the series are gone, abandoned by Harlin in favor of a splashy, comic book approach which would, unfortunately, dominate the series' later installments. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, (more)
- 1988
The first season of the horror anthology Freddy's Nightmares begins with a revisionary rehash of the premise established in the original Nightmare on Elm Street film series, as multiple murderer Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), released from prison on a technically, falls victim to the vigilante justice meted out by the outraged residents of Elm Street in the town of Springwood. Freddy's "death", however, is hardly the end of the story: Burned virtually beyond recognition and sporting a glove with long, deadly razors where his fingernails should be, Freddy returns in a "dream demon" form to induce unspeakable nightmares in the minds of the Springwood citizenry. Though several of Freddy's victims die horribly as a result, no teenagers are killed in the TV version of the popular movie franchise--a marked contrast to the mortality rate amongst the teen characters in the original films. Each of Season One's episodes is divided into two half-hour segments, with one of the survivors of the terrors depicted in the first half of the story becoming the main victim in the second half. In most cases, Freddy is the catalyst for the stories: inducing grim dreams in the mind of an overworked medical student in one episode, playing one twin against the other to destroy their policeman father in another episode, and so on. In other instances, Freddy serves only as narrator, taking no active part in the mayhem. Among the more recognizable actors appearing in the first season of Freddy's Nightmares are Brad Pitt (in the episode "Black Tickets"), Susan Oliver, George Lazenby, Mariska Hargitay, Lori Petty, Page Hannah, Brett Cullen, Timothy Bottoms, Nancy Linari, Jeffrey Combs, and that ubiquitous cult favorite, Dick Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Englund
This underrated teen-revenge horror film starring Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night) was the directorial debut of Robert Englund, best known as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Geoffreys plays Hoax, a picked-on nerd who lives with his religious-nut mother Lucy (the marvelous Sandy Dennis). One day Hoax calls a 976-line for a "Horrorscope," and the demonic voice at the other end starts giving him wicked advice. Before long, he has killed his brother's girlfriend with tarantulas, slashed the face of a teen tough with his newly-sprouted talons, and gutted several of his tormentors. Only a well-meaning journalist and a sexy schoolmarm can stop the now-demonic Hoax before he sends the whole neighborhood straight to Hell. Granted, the screenplay is rather confused and slow-moving, but Geoffreys and Dennis are great, the effects work by Kevin Yagher is skillful, and this is one of the few teen-horror films with characters that are actually interesting. Look for Robert Picardo (The Howling) in a fun cameo as the diabolical Mark Darke. After a brief stint as a teen star, Geoffreys went on to appear in gay porn films as "Sam Ritter." ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Geoffreys, Jim Metzler, (more)
- 1987
Photographer Lee Horsley is married to Kirstie Alley. After suffering a miscarriage, Alley treats Horsely with Fridgidaire-level coldness. He finds solace in an affair with Laurie O'Brien-who happens to be Alley's best friend. Oddly enough, this humorless domestic drama was advertised in TV Guide with all-smiles photos of its stars. Made for television, Infidelity premiered April 13, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The best of the Elm Street sequels, this creepy, surreal fantasy features terrific effects, a fine young cast, and an air of grim fatalism that sets it apart from its giggly successors. Patricia Arquette stars as Kristen, whose nightmare leads to a slashed wrist which looks suspiciously like a suicide attempt. She is placed in a hospital psychiatric ward with a group of six other troubled teens who all dream about the same horribly burned man (Robert Englund) trying to kill them. Perhaps the most unusual thing about this picture, however, is the unexpected depth of sadness running through it. There are some achingly sweet moments in this otherwise frightening film which, though not disruptive, are impossible to analyze. The first and most bizarre of these is Heather Langenkamp's entrance, which inexplicably causes most viewers to get misty-eyed, and there are several similar scenes throughout the film. One answer can be found in the sensitive direction of Chuck Russell, who emphasizes the tragedy and utter hopelessness in these kids' lives and manages to wring some unexpectedly perceptive turns from his cast. This is a film in which a great deal of care was obviously lavished on individual scenes (the sets are outstanding) and performances. The results are well worth repeated viewings, and prove that sequels don't necessarily have to be inferior films. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, (more)
