The chilling voice of Freddie Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street sent shivers down the spines of viewers. But the real-life inspiration behind the iconic horror film is even more terrifying.
Wes Craven, the creator of the cult classic, drew from his own experiences and real-world events when he penned the script in the early 1980s. This included memories of his childhood bullies, newspaper articles, and a disturbing encounter with a stranger during his youth.
In the movie, which celebrates its 40-year anniversary this year, Krueger is a vengeful spirit of a child killer who was burned alive, tormenting teenagers in their dreams. It’s been reported that the villain’s name, Fred Kruger, was inspired by one of Craven’s childhood bullies.
READ MORE: ‘Terrible’ Netflix horror is ‘so bad’ furious viewers’ ‘eyes are twitching’
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories
Craven also recalled an eerie incident from his childhood where he spotted a creepy old man strolling past his house. The man glanced at Craven through his window, giving him quite a fright before continuing on his way.
(Image: New Line cinema)
However, the most significant inspiration for the film’s central theme came from a horrifying article Craven read in the LA Times. It detailed the story of a family who escaped Cambodia to seek refuge in America, fleeing the war and genocide in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam during the 1970s.
Refugees were plagued by nightmares so terrifying they refused to sleep, and some men, aged 19 to 57, reportedly died in their slumber shortly after. Medics have since labelled the mysterious phenomenon as Asian Death Syndrome.
(Image: New Line Cinema)
The condition, later known as Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), claimed more than 100 lives before Freddy Krueger even slashed his way onto the big screen.
One young lad was haunted by such “disturbing nightmares” that he fought off sleep for days.
Wes Craven revealed to Vulture Magazine a chilling tale: “I’d read an article in the LA Times about a family who had escaped the Killing Fields in Cambodia and managed to get to the US. Things were fine, and then suddenly the young son was having very disturbing nightmares.
(Image: New Line Cinema)
“He told his parents he was afraid that if he slept, the thing chasing him would get him, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time. When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over.
“Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare. Here was a youngster having a vision of a horror that everyone older was denying. That became the central line of Nightmare on Elm Street.”
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
