2010 Read: Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams by Robert Englund

Hollywood Monster by Robert Englund

Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams by Robert Englund
Started: 3rd January 2010
Finished: 29 January 2010
Summary:

ONE…TWO…FREDDY’S COMING FOR YOU….

You’ve seen him in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series — and in your darkest dreams. The sadistic killer with the flame-charred face. The knife-blade claws. The razor-sharp wit. Freddy…But you’ve never seen him like this. Unflinching. Uncensored. Unmasked.

Meet Robert Englund, the award-winning actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger — the legendary horror icon featured on the American Film Institute’s “100 Greatest Heroes and Villains” roster — a character as unforgettable and enduring as Bela Lugosi’s Dracula and Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein. Now, for the first time, the man behind the latex mask tells his story in this captivating new memoir, published to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first A Nightmare on Elm Street film.

You see, Robert Englund is no monster at all, but a deeply funny, charming Hollywood veteran. Packed with Robert’s hilarious stories, playful self-deprecation, and a generous helping of never-before-revealed A Nightmare on Elm Street trivia, Hollywood Monster offers an unparalleled look at the beloved film icon. With insider savvy and gallows humor, Robert recounts his audition for Wes Craven, the inspiration for Freddy’s character, the grueling makeup sessions, his soon-to-be-famous costars, the often disastrous on-set blunders, and the wave of popularity that propelled this humble California surfer kid all the way to the top.

Of course, fame and fortune as Freddy came years after the young actor shared a trailer with screen legend Henry Fonda, was punched in the face by Richard Gere, took down Burt Reynolds, andmuscled his way between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sally Field, and Jeff Bridges.

But soon after his high-profile stint in the groundbreaking TV miniseries V, Robert Englund took on the most celebrated role of his career — the macabre and wisecracking killer who quickly became a household name. From the moment Freddy Krueger dragged his claws across a rusty pipe in the opening dream sequence, a legend had been unleashed — and a star was born. This is his story.

Summary from Barnes & Noble

My Review

I have yet to finish the book, but so far I’m having a hard time putting it down.  The writing is inviting – you could be down the pub listening to him tell his life story.  One of the things I like best about Robert Englund is that he comes across as someone who knows exactly who he is, and revels in it.  Some actors have been dismissive of the films that are closer to “90 minutes of fun” than “great cinema”, but not Robert Englund.  He comes across as someone who would rank a Freddy fan just as highly as someone who loved him for his work in Phantom of the Opera.