jeremy-david-kuehnau A interesting concept and frankly, I could see Hollywood doing a much better adaption of it. With that being said, you can tell it's a labor of love. The cinematography isn't very good and the dialog is downright awful.Further, the portrayal of Freddy Krueger feels really off base. The short film makes assumptions that Krueger already had plans to become a demon and that the song preceded his death, which I don't really personally believe. I can understand the appeal for some people, but unfortunately I just don't feel it's very good.

Michael_Elliott Krueger (A Tale from Elm Street) (2011) *** (out of 4) Filmmaker Chris R. Notarile has several credits under his name but here recently he decided to make a trilogy of horror films in loving memory of three of the most famous killers from recent horror history. This film here is obviously an homage to Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and is actually a pretty good little gem. The film starts off in 1972 as Freddy Krueger (Roberto Lombardi) has murdered yet another child and now is being interrogated by Lt. Thompson (Shawn Parr). Thompson wants Krueger to admit to the child killings but Freddy has his own way of handling things. At just 10-minutes there's really not enough time to stretch out everything in order to connect it to the events in the first movie but it comes pretty darn close. I can't see how any fan of the Craven film could be disappointed with this thing because it certainly has more imagination than the recent remake and the majority of the original film's sequels. What I enjoyed most were actually the performances, which isn't what you'd typical say about a low-budget film like this. I thought both men were quite good in their roles and especially the small touches in playing the roles that were done by Robert Englund and John Saxon in the original film. I really thought Lombardi nailed Freddy's little bits perfectly and especially that voice at the start when he's about to kill the girl. On a technical level the film is certainly well-made and the director deserves a lot of credit for making the film look as good as it does.

Woodyanders After claiming his latest victim (a brief, but memorable appearance by the adorable Gracie De La Rosa), vicious Springfield Slasher Freddy Krueger (superbly played with chilling menace and relish by Roberto Lombardi) gets arrested for a horrific rash of brutal child killings. Determined Lt. Donald Thompson (an excellent portrayal by Shawn Parr) tries to get a written confession out of Krueger, but gets more than he bargained for when he interrogates the unrepentant fiend. Do-It-Yourself indie auteur Chris R. Notarile handles this gripping short in his usual crisp and straightforward manner: There's no needless padding or filler to speak of, the brisk pace never flags for a second, and a tremendous amount of tension is well created and sustained throughout despite the fact that the bulk of the picture takes place in a single claustrophobic police station room. However, Notarile's key artistic triumph here is his presentation of Krueger as an absolute monster: Vile, boastful, and arrogant, this Freddy is an utterly hateful, revolting, and above all frightening pedophile and murderer who's the stuff of true nightmares. The sterling acting from the two first-rate leads rates as another substantial asset: Lombardi looks and sounds just like a young Robert Englund while Parr bears an uncanny resemblance to an early 70's era John Saxon complete with sideburns. Notarile's polished cinematography offers a few nice black and white surveillance camera shots that add a nifty stylistic flourish to the proceedings. The use of Charles Bernstein's shuddery original score is a sound and effective choice as well. Highly recommended.

Robert Nimmo This short film, even though it's mainly just about Krueger's Police Interogation after a quick teaser opening, is LEAPS and BOUNDS better than that horrible steaming pile of crap remake that Platinum Dunes/New Line/Warner Bros. had the poor taste to release last year. I've watched this over 2 dozen times already. The framing, lighting, coloring & angles add a unique degree of tension to what would normally be a boring tit-for-tat questioning session. But it's the performances that make this so enjoyable and re-watchable. Shawn Parr delivers an unbelievably believable Donald Thompson that I personally believe would do John Saxon proud. And Roberto Lombardi SHINES as "The Springwood Slasher", Fred Krueger! If a remade Elm Street franchise SHOULD be built around a single actor taking over the Freddy reigns from Robert Englund, it NEEDS to be done with Roberto Lombardi! I had absolutely NO problem envisioning him as Freddy from the first time he's in frame! He's got "IT", simply put. The guys who made this should be given the keys to the franchise from Warner Bros. and BEGGED to make a prequel/reboot/remake/WHATEVER that's actually WORTH watching!