Stephen King movies very rarely have people sitting on the fence, either becoming huge critical successes or absolute nightmares. Over the years, there have been some movies that have pulled in big names from the world of horror and still managed to fall flat. Sitting firmly in this category isThe Mangler, the 1995 movie that saw genre iconRobert Englundbringing his own brand of menace to a King adaptation for the first time. However, as much as it seemed to be a match made in hell, the collaboration between the pair turned out to be more terrible than terror-filled.
However, while speaking to/Film, Englund gave the movie a little boost when asked which of his many movies he wished could get a little more attention. Even though the film, which is based on a short story by King, has only a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Englund believes it a better movie that some of King’s earlier adaptations. He said:
“Well, I think because of the internet and streamers, people have caught up on a lot of them. I think Tobe Hooper did a real interesting job on “Stephen King’s The Mangler.” I think that’s kind of rising now in all of the adaptations of Stephen King. Maybe it’s better than some of the earlier ones that were done. So, I would say that.”
Stephen Kingmay not quite agree with Englund, having previously criticized the film in the book ‘Stephen King Goes to the Movies’, saying, “The film version of ‘The Mangler’ is energetic and colorful, but it’s also a mess with Robert (Freddy Krueger) Englund stalking through it for reasons which remain unclear to me even now. … The movie’s visuals are surreal and the sets are eye-popping, but somewhere along the way (maybe in the copious amounts of steam generated by the film’s mechanical star), the story got lost.”
Related:Freddy Krueger Actor Robert Englund Reflects on His 50-Year Career, Reveals Why He Won’t Play Freddy Anymore
Robert Englund Has Been a Cinematic Icon For Five Decades.
When it comes to icons of horror, there are few who come to mind quicker than Robert Englund. From his inimitable, and seemingly irreplaceable,role as Freddy Krueger,through movies such asWishmaster,Night Terrorsand who can forgetStrippers Vs Werewolves, to his recent cameo role in Netflix’sStranger Things. Now in the upcoming documentary,Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, the actor’s career will be explored in more detail than ever before.
Although it has now been two decades since Englund last played Freddy Krueger on the big screen, there are many fans who have still not given up hope of seeing him playing the Elm Street killer just one more time. However, Englund himself has said that he is “too old and thick to play Freddy now.” Having listed a number of ailments from back pains to arthritis in his wrist, it seems that Englund is serious that he willnot be playing the character again, he would not rule out having a cameo if another Elm Street movie got off the ground. Even that would still be something worth seeing for his many fans out there.
