Was Wes Craven inspired by a true story when he created A Nightmare on Elm Street and the terrifying serial killer, Freddy Krueger? A Nightmare on Elm Street was released in 1984 and has since produced seven sequels, a remake of the original film, and a TV series. Due to the franchise's popularity, rumors of a reboot have been swirling in recent years, and things now finally seem to be moving in that direction.
Since Freddy Krueger's introduction, the Springwood Slasher has justified his spot among other horror icons, such as Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. Freddy, however, was unique in that he was a spirit that killed his victims in their dreams. The product of 100 criminally insane men raping a nun, in life Freddy became a child murderer, then was burned alive by an angry mob Freddy was known for his gloved hand equipped with knives, his red and green striped sweater, and of course, his dirty brown fedora. After he was killed, Freddy's burned and disfigured spirit lived on, as he continued to prey on teenagers by entering their dreams and killing them in their nightmares.
After directing grindhouse classics The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Craven's career stalled a bit. The horror master then got an interesting burst of inspiration from a newspaper article about people dying in their dreams and combined that with some of his own experiences from childhood. This led Craven to officially develop the script for A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1981.
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. That boy died in the middle of a terrifying nightmare, leading to the main theme of A Nightmare on Elm Street, and its dream-stalking villain Freddy Krueger. There were other reported cases of men in similar situations who took refuge in the U.S. and later died in their sleep. The phenomena later became known as the Asian Death Syndrome, but that wouldn't be Craven's only inspiration for A Nightmare on Elm Street.
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Creepypasta Magic ☽☉☾
ParanormalThis book has to deal with Creepypasta characters and other creatures lurking behind your bedroom door. Do you keep hearing a tapping noise at the window? A thumping sound in your attic or basement? Perhaps you hear a banging at your door? Or maybe...
