Now Playing Podcast Presents: The Nightmare on Elm St Retrospective Series

Thomas Dekker joins us to look back at 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street on its anniversary, and he doesn’t hold back. From a lightning-fast audition process to months on set in Chicago, Dekker walks through how he landed the role of Jesse and what it was like stepping into one of horror’s most protective fanbases.

He breaks down how the film changed while it was being made. A darker, riskier script about trauma and Freddy’s past slowly softened as studio nerves kicked in. Entire sequences were scrapped and reshot, including a full opening scene. Even Jackie Earle Haley’s performance shifted in post, with ADR changing the tone of Freddy’s voice after filming wrapped.

Dekker also gets into the physical grind of filming his death scenes, hanging upside down in a harness, screaming through week-long shoots, and why he pushed to play Jesse as terrified instead of macho. It’s a small choice that says a lot about how horror treats its characters.

Beyond the film, Dekker talks about his music career, including making an album in his hotel room during Nightmare’s production, working with Robert Englund later on, and what he learned from watching big studio horror operate versus indie filmmaking.

It’s a candid, thoughtful look at a divisive remake from someone right in the middle of it.

This year, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise turns 40 years old, and Now Playing host Arnie has been celebrating all month by revisiting the classic slasher series. As part of that personal retrospective, he has read and reviewed Freddy Krueger star Robert Englund’s 2009 autobiography:  Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams. Does Englund dream up new tales to entertain people who have been fans for decades? Is there more to the man than just the makeup? You can find out by hearing Arnie’s bonus Halloween book review now!

As part of our Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective, Arnie sits down with franchise icons Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund for two candid, revealing interviews that go far beyond boiler room scares. Heather reflects on stepping back into Nancy’s world as executive producer and star of the documentary I Am Nancy, what it meant to revisit New Nightmare and play a version of herself, and how the character of Nancy Thompson evolved from final girl to feminist horror icon. She also discusses her complicated relationship with horror, the responsibility of legacy, and why the Elm Street fanbase continues to matter decades later.

Then Robert Englund joins the show to talk Freddy’s cultural staying power, the tonal shift of the sequels, voice acting in projects like animated superhero series, and the strange, wonderful career that followed putting on the fedora and glove. From low-budget horror comedies to comic-con crowds, Englund is sharp, funny, and surprisingly reflective about what Freddy represents and whether the character should be reborn for a new generation.

Two legends. One franchise. And a look at how a dream demon turned into a cinematic institution.

Nine, Ten, Freddy’s back in theaters again–and Now Playing is back also with the ultimate review in our Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective series as we review the brand new Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Gone are Robert Englund and Wes Craven, replaced by Jackie Earl Haley and Samuel Bayer, bringing a new, darker Freddy to a new generation of horror lovers. Join Stuart, Arnie, and Brock as they review this film, giving a review from the point of view of a horror fan, a Freddy fan, and a newbie to horror films. We compare the new Nightmare on Elm Street to the original, and wrap up our entire Nightmare on Elm Street reflecting on the series as a whole, Freddy’s place in the pantheon of horror icons, and comparing how the new Nightmare reboot compares to other recent horror reboots. Does Jackie Earl Haley give audiences the dangerous, evil Freddy they’d always dreamed of? Listen to find out!

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Nightmare on Elm Street Series Episode 9

Nine, ten… Freddy’s back in theaters again.

Now Playing Podcast concludes its Nightmare on Elm Street retrospective with a new Nightmare. This time, Robert Englund and Wes Craven step aside, replaced by Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) under the burned makeup and music video director Samuel Bayer behind the camera, delivering a darker, more grounded take on the dream stalker. With a new cast of Springwood teens and a modern horror aesthetic, the reboot aims to reintroduce Freddy Krueger to a generation raised on grittier remakes. Stuart, Arnie, and Brock approach the film from three angles: as a horror fan, a Freddy devotee, and a newcomer to the genre. They compare the reboot to the 1984 original, reflect on the franchise as a whole, and weigh Freddy’s standing among horror’s all-time icons. Does Haley’s interpretation restore the menace and danger some felt had faded over the sequels, or does this reboot prove that some nightmares can’t be recreated? The hosts deliver their final verdict as the Elm Street saga comes to a close.

Nightmare on Elm Street Series Episode 8

This is a whole new episode of Now Playing Podcast. No, really, it is!

Having already spent time with the strong, silent type during last year’s Friday the 13th retrospective, Now Playing Podcast switches allegiances to the wisecracking dream demon for a fresh look at Freddy vs. Jason. This time the focus is squarely on Freddy Krueger and how this long-awaited crossover fits into the Nightmare on Elm Street legacy. With Robert Englund donning the glove for what would become his final big-screen turn as Freddy, the film pits cunning against brute force in a battle fans had debated for years. But does this clash give Freddy the send-off he deserves, or does sharing the spotlight dilute what made Elm Street special? The hosts examine whether this slasher showdown honors the dream stalker’s legacy or leaves Nightmare fans feeling like the real casualties.

Having already fallen for the strong silent type during last year’s Friday The 13th retrospective, Now Playing switches teams for the guy with a good sense of humor in this totally new review of Freddy vs Jason. Is this crossover cage match a fitting farewell to Robert England’s Krueger, or are fans of the Nightmare on Elm Street series the real losers in this showdown of the slasher movie icons? Listen in and find out!

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1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you! The reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street hits theaters April. You can start getting ready now with the hosts of Now Playing as we revisit and review all the films in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. A decade after A Nightmare On Elm Street, Freddy was living the dream – he had the souls, the stardom, the house and kids, and most importantly the reputation as one of cinema’s most celebrated killers. But what Kruegar really wants to do is direct! So now The Evil Formerly Known As Freddy (TEFKAF) steps out of the movies to meet his makers. Is Craven’s post-modern reinvention an inspired new direction for the series, or a trail of breadcrumbs leading nowhere? Listen and find out!

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Nightmare on Elm Street Series Episode 7

With the reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street hitting theaters this April, Now Playing Podcast continues its retrospective with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. A decade after the original film launched the franchise, Freddy had become a pop culture icon, complete with catchphrases, sequels, and a merchandising empire. But in this bold reinvention, Wes Craven pulls Freddy out of the movie world and into our own. Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund play versions of themselves as a darker, more primal incarnation of the dream demon begins invading reality. No longer content with sequels, The Evil Formerly Known As Freddy (TEFKAF) wants control. Is Craven’s post-modern reinvention an inspired new direction for the series, or a trail of breadcrumbs leading nowhere? Listen and find out!