If there was one face of the Golden Age of Horror, it surely had to be Robert Englund. Even more so than Stephen King. Freddie Krueger was everywhere. The movies were huge, there were toys and stickers, an album of Freddy songs. Every video store had Freddy posters on the walls. His grinning/sneering face adorned many a magazine cover. Comedians dropped his name a lot, and virtually everyone knew exactly who the nightmare on Elm Street was. It's no exaggeration to say that Freddie Krueger is as much of a cultural icon as Frankenstein and Dracula.

I saw them all in theaters. Some of them twice. I rented the tapes. I read the interviews with the casts and crews of the movies. I was as much a fan as anyone.

My favorite is Dream Warriors. I like it even more than the original. I like the entire run, even if they became a little silly and disjointed. I drew the line at Freddy Vs. Jason and the remake. I didn't hate these two productions, but I found them both to be utterly forgettable. The magic had dwindled by the turn of the century.

Robert Englund, the man of your nightmares, had a book of memoirs published back in 2009, but I didn't read it. I typically have more interest in the writing and directing side of the on picture business. Actors often come off as egotistic or barely sane.

I picked up a hardcover of Hollywood Monster several months ago, and I decided I should read the book before it goes up on one of my vendor tables.

If you don't expect a lot of profundity, you'll likely have a good time with Hollywood Monster. Englund comes off as an affable, funny guy. A surfer party dude who was at the right place and the right time.

It wasn't all luck. Some might assume there's nothing much to the Freddy role other than makeup and effects. Not so. Robert Englund owns the character, and it owns him in return.

Legend has it that New Line decided to try another actor as Freddy K. Englund wanted a decent paycheck for his performance. It didn't work. Englund is Freddy. Not just the gait and the roaring laugh, but in every motion, every utterance Freddy makes.

Freddy was both a blessing and a curse to Englund. The actor had been doing some interesting and smart little movies like Big Wednesday and Buster and Billie. Not to mention his recurring role in V. After A Nightmare on Elm Street and a couple of sequels, no one could see Robert Englund and not think Freddy Krueger.

The role probably kept Englund from a more respected career, but at least he never had to worry about house payments again.

Freddy feels like a friend at this point, and I enjoyed holding Englund's glove through this tour through his life and his real-life nightmares. The book is sometimes funny, and sometimes sweet. He had more than his share of misadventures along the way, and I could hear the maniacal laugh echoing across the long years.

If you like Freddy Krueger and the Elm Street movies, you are sure to enjoy this little book. But when you are done with it, and you turn off the lights, never forget: Every town has an Elm Street.

Written by Mark Sieber

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