A Nightmare On Elm Street: The True Story That Inspired Freddy Krueger

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Last update : December 14 , 2019

Was Wes Craven inspired by a true story when he createdA Nightmare on Elm Streetand the terrific serial killer , Freddy Krueger?A Nightmare on Elm Streetwas released in 1984 and has since develop seven sequel , a remaking of the original film , and a TV series . Due to the franchise ’s popularity , rumour of a reboot have been swirling in recent years , and thing now at long last seem to be moving in that direction .

Since Freddy Krueger ’s instauration , the Springwood Slasher has justified his smear among other horror icons , such asMichael Myersand Jason Voorhees . Freddy , however , was unique in that he was a liveliness that killed his victims in their pipe dream . The Cartesian product of 100 criminally insane men raping a nun , in life Freddy became a child liquidator , then was burned awake by an tempestuous mob Freddy was known for hisgloved manus outfit with knife , his cerise and gullible striped sweater , and of course , his dirty brown fedora . After he was killed , Freddy ’s burn and disfigured spirit lived on , as he proceed to predate on teen by enter their aspiration and kill them in their incubus .

Related : Freddy Krueger Was Almost In Friday The 13th Part 7

After direct grindhouse classicsTheLast House on the LeftandThe Hills Have Eyes , Craven ’s career stalled a bit . The revulsion master then got an interesting fit of inspiration from a newspaper article about people die in their aspiration , and combined that with some of his own experience from childhood . This led Craven to formally develop the hand forA Nightmare on Elm Streetin 1981 .

A News Article Inspired Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street

As part ofA Nightmare on Elm Streetoral account ( viaVulture ) , Craven recounted the story that influenced the creation of Freddy Krueger . He recalled a Los Angeles Times clause from the 1970s about a class that escaped the Killing Fields in Cambodia . After fleeing to the United States , the young son had disturbing nightmare in which something was chasing him . The terror caused him to be afraid to go to log Z’s , so he would adjudicate to stay awake for days . The boy finally fell asleep , but his parent get word him screaming in the middle of the night , and he was dead by the meter they got to him . That male child croak in the middle of a terrifying incubus , leave to the main idea ofA Nightmare on Elm Street , and its dreaming - stalk scoundrel Freddy Krueger . There were other reported case of man in similar state of affairs who took refuge in the U.S. and later die in their quietus . The phenomena later became known as the Asian Death Syndrome , but that would n’t be Craven ’s only inspiration forA Nightmare on Elm Street .

The author and director also force on some of his own personal experiences , especially for Freddy ’s unknown demeanor . As a kid , Craven was once inside his home when a creepy old gentleman walked along the path beside his window . The man stop and glint at Craven , scaring him , before wandering off . Craven kept that in brain when develop the flick ’s villain , wondering what psychological factors would compel this humans to cease what he was doing just to come to fear into a child .

Wes Craven’s Childhood Bully Inspired Freddy Krueger’s Name

Freddy Krueger ’s name was directly mold by Craven ’s childhood bully , Fred Kruger . The tough also mold the name ofLast House of the Left ’s villain , Krug . Freddy ’s overall look came from Craven ’s desire for the character to be different than any previous horror figure . Rather than use a masque , Craven wanted Freddy to be terrify in another agency , so he chose to give him marred skin . His choices prove to be deserving it because Craven developed one of the most memorable killers in horror history .

Interestingly , one real - life parallel to the Freddy Krueger character has only gotten more strong in the 10 since Craven createdA Nightmare on Elm Street . Awareness of " stranger danger " and the worry that pedophiles and other sexual predators might be lallygag in what seem to be dependable neighborhoods was just beginning to come up in the 1980s , and has increased since thanks to the internet allowing instant access to information concerning any register sex offenders in a give area . While he ’s supernatural , Freddy Krueger is in someways a mental representation of the real fear every parent has of their child ’s sprightliness being ended or ruin by an all too human monster . The bequest behindA Nightmare on Elm Streetcontinues to grow even more now that Craven is no longer among the sustenance . Hopefully it is n’t too long before Freddy return to terrorise a new generation .