Episode 9: Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" Special (Based on True Events)

In this episode I talk about what inspired Wes Craven to create the first A Nightmare on Elm Street and the famous villain, Freddy Krueger. As part of A Nightmare on Elm Street oral history (via Vulture), Craven recounted the story that influenced the creation of Freddy Krueger. He recalled a Los Angeles Times article from the 1970s about a family that escaped the Killing Fields in Cambodia. After fleeing to the United States, the young son had disturbing nightmares in which something was chasing him. The terror caused him to be afraid to go to sleep, so he would try to stay awake for days. The boy eventually fell asleep, but his parents heard him screaming in the middle of the night, and he was dead by the time they got to him. And far more psychologically chilling than the parental vendetta that led to the birth of the on-screen Krueger – which also is explained in greater detail in the Vulture oral history. I also provide movie reviews for the 1984 version, the 2010 reboot, Freddy vs. Jason, & Part3: The Dream Warriors.  *** DISCLAIMER *** I do not own the rights to the A Nightmare on Elm Street theme song. I downloaded the ringtone from the Zedge website.