Nightmare On Elm Street: How Freddy Coming Through The Wall Was Filmed – Screen Rant

A Nightmare on Elm Street features a scene where Freddy Krueger tries to come through a wall, and that was achieved through practical effects.

One of the most unforgettable scenes in Wes Cravens A Nightmare on Elm Street is when Freddy Krueger tries to infiltrate Nancys subconscious and tries to come through the wall, and heres how that effect was achieved without CGI. Although Wes Craven explored different genres throughout his career as a filmmaker, hes best remembered for his work in the horror genre, which began in 1972 with the exploitation movie The Last House on the Left. Cravens big break arrived in 1984 with A Nightmare on Elm Street, which introduced the audience to a one-of-a-kind slasher with a unique method to haunt his victims.

A Nightmare on Elm Street follows four teenagers who become the target of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a villain with a specific plan: terrorize his victims in their dreams, so if he kills them there, they also die in real life. A Nightmare on Elm Street was a financial and critical success and is now regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and it also helped to further develop the slasher subgenre whileboosting the careers of its main cast, most notably that of a young Johnny Depp. The movie also spawned a franchise consisting of movies, TV shows, comic books, and even a crossover with Friday the 13th in Freddy vs Jason, and continues to be a favorite among horror fans. A Nightmare on Elm Street also has various memorable lines and moments, among those one with an impressive visual effect (and no blood) that sent chills down the spines of viewers.

Related: The Origin & Real Meaning Of Freddy Krueger's Song In A Nightmare On Elm Street

Once Freddy Krueger starts to terrorize and haunt Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends in their dreams, theres an unforgettable scene where Nancy is asleep and Krueger tries to infiltrate her subconscious. This is visually represented by Freddy trying to come through the wall and reach out to Nancy, but she wakes up and grabs a crucifix. Freddy eventually reaches her later on in the movie, but Nancy comes up with a plan to bring him to the real world so hes now the vulnerable one and defeats him, though the ending of the movie shows that Freddy just cant be destroyed. Like many other scenes and effects in A Nightmare on Elm Street, that wall scene wasnt achieved through computer-generated effects, and it was all thanks to the magic of practical effects.

To create the effect of Freddy Krueger coming through the wall to get to Nancy, special effects designer Jim Doyle came up with the idea of creating a wall with a hole and spandex over it, so thatKrueger could press against it and give the illusion that he was trying to reach Nancy through the wall. Funny enough, the Freddy Krueger in that specific scene isnt Robert Englund but Doyle himself, who got to play the famous slasher just for that moment. Doyle is also the mind behind Freddy Kruegers iconic glove, which has its own history, as do other details about the character, such as the sweater and the real-life inspiration behind this villain. Of course, this isnt the only scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street that used practical effects, and other examples are Tinas and Glens deaths, the latter standing out due to the massive amount of fake blood that was used.

Wes Craven is not only remembered for using horror clichs in his movies and giving them a fresh twist, but also for how he and his team achieved some truly impressive scenes with practical effects. Learning how the most famous scenes in A Nightmare on Elm Street were shot surely elevates the viewing experience and further establishes it as one of the most influential horror movies in history.

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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate that wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided's BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films, to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she's not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!... But also Caps and Leafs), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. It was great.

"Vnligheten r ett sprk som de dva kan hra och de blinda kan se".

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Nightmare On Elm Street: How Freddy Coming Through The Wall Was Filmed - Screen Rant

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