by This past weekend Pip and I traveled once again to HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis (full review of that event coming shortly) where The Confession of Fred Krueger made its debut. The film was just released this afternoon at 14:28 exclusively on YouTube. In case you don’t know the relevance of that number, the address of the house used to film the original A Nightmare On Elm Street is 1428 N Genesee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
It’s Short Movie Monday so the release this afternoon was perfect timing!
SPOILER ALERT: This review WILL talk openly about the plot of the film. If you want to experience the film as it was intended watch it before reading this review. Full film is embedded at the end of this post.
The Confession of Fred Krueger Plot & Thoughts
After an opening montage we see the following quote:
On April 4, 1968 the body of a 13-year old boy was found dead in the quiet town of Springwood, OH. For the next five years a child killer, labeled “The Springwood Slasher” by the press, would claim the lives of 20 children. The citizens of Springwood have been living in a nightmare in complete paranoia as this mad man remains at large, stealing their children from them in the night. It is November 9, 1973 and one hour ago police arrested a man they believe committed the murders. Senior Lieutenant Thomas Russell has been called in to the precinct to question the suspect.
From here we’re introduced to Lieutenant Russell (Thomas Dunbar) and the one and only Fred Krueger played by Kevin Roach. The film lasts just over 30 minutes and the majority of it is Russell and Krueger talking in the police station. We get some interesting insight into Krueger’s back story, some of which jives with Nightmare cannon and some of which does not.
The interplay here between Dunbar and Roach is amazing. As with any Nightmare fan film you can’t help but compare the Krueger character to how Robert Englund would have played it and Roach does a more than admirable job. I have to say I was blown away by the reveal of the glove. I was so sucked into the dialogue that I’d completely forgotten about it. That’s good storytelling.
Speaking of dialogue, there’s some truly amazing stuff here.
- “Without a future, life has no meaning.”
- “We are what we make of ourselves.”
“AND I MADE MYSELF THE SPRINGWOOD SLASHER!” - “I’m nobody. I’m a tramp. A bum. A hobo. I’m a boxcar and a jug of wine. And a straight razor if you get too close to me.”
And best of all is when Freddy says this:
- “I LOVE to watch things burn.”
The Confession of Fred Krueger does many things right. The sights and the sounds of Nightmare are there… exactly as they should be. One thing in particular that I want to point out is that it includes what it should, and leave out what it shouldn’t touch. There are some fan films that include the concept of “dreams”. This film takes place BEFORE Freddy is dead so it SHOULDN’T include the idea of him hunting children in his dreams. It doesn’t and I appreciate that.
If you’re not a NOES fan there won’t be much for you here, but after all it’s a fan film. What would you expect? And let’s be honest… if you’re not a NOES fan you’re probably not reading this.
One thing that I was concerned with was how they’ve merge this film with the film we saw on the big screen. I won’t give things away but there’s a nice little twist at the end that sets things right and gives us great jumping off point for the NOES movie universe that we all know and love.
It’s clear that Milliner has a deep affection for not only A Nightmare on Elm Street but also for its creator Wes Craven. I was lucky enough to catch up with him for a few minutes this weekend at Horrorhound and his passion for this and his other projects was clear. On YouTube Milliner has this to say in the film’s description:
So here it is, my eternal love letter to the great Wes Craven who I am still devastated by his recent passing. I made it for him and sadly, he will never get to see it. But he lives within every frame of it. I miss you, you inspired me and for your imagination and art I will always owe you dearly.
And to this I simply say… Sir, you nailed it. Wes would be proud. And as a fellow Nightmare lover, that’s the highest recommend I can give.
For more information about The Confession of Fred Krueger check out their official Facebook page. Give them a like and tell em ScareTissue sent you!
Check out the full film below and leave us a comment to let us know what you think!
