News

Horror master Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most beloved franchises in the genre, and its famous slasher villain, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), is equally beloved. Since it has remained undeniably popular in the 40 years since the first film's release, it is hard to believe that Craven had a difficult time trying to get the project picked up. All the major studios balked at the premise, claiming they didn't think audiences would find dreams scary enough. Luckily, New Line eventually gave the movie the greenlight, thus giving birth to one of horror's most iconic franchises.

Despite being made on a lower budget, the movie became a big success and catapulted Freddy into horror icon status. The surprise success of the movie paved the way for seven sequels, a crossover with fellow horror icon Jason Voorhees, a remake, a video game, a TV series, and countless merchandise.

It's hard to overstate just how significant Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street still is. The slasher classic has successfully infiltrated our popular subconscious, reaching a sinister gloved hand into the imaginations of generations of filmmakers and reshaping modern horror cinema. It's perhaps only with hindsight that the full extent of the 1984 movie's impact can be appreciated. But even with its iconic villain, inspired premise, and archetypal story, the original A Nightmare on Elm Street is much more than an artifact to be admired. It remains a thrilling spectacle albeit with some of its originality tarnished.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Director Wes CravenRelease Date November 9, 1984Studio(s) New Line CinemaWriters Wes CravenCast Paul Grenier, Leslie Hoffman, Don Hannah, Ash Adams, Brian Reise, Carol Pritikin, Shashawnee Hall, Donna Woodrum, David Andrews, Sandy Lipton, Ed Call, Jack Shea, Mimi Craven, Joe Unger, Joseph Whipp, Jsu Garcia, Ronee Blakley, Jeff Levine,...

Betty A. Bridges, an actress and the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges who appeared on her son’s sitcom, Hill Street Blues, Ally McBeal and many other shows, has died. She was 83.

Bridges died Wednesday in hospice care at Todd’s home in Phoenix, publicist Elizabeth Much announced.

During her four-decade career, Betty Alice Bridges appeared on everything from Police Woman, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman and Quincy, M.E. to Flamingo Road, Lou Grant, Dallas, NYPD Blue, ER and Scrubs.

The Dallas native also was seen in such films as A Night at the Roxbury (1998) and Building Bridges (2000), a 45-minute documentary about Todd, who as a child actor in Hollywood dealt with his share of trouble.

Bridges was a manager and acting coach, too; she co-founded Kane Bridge Academy, and among her students were Nia Long, sisters Reina and Regina King, Sanaa Lathan,...

Betty A. Bridges, who guested on dozen of popular TV series during a 40-year career ranging from Good Times and Charlie’s Angels to Lou Grant and Hill Street Blues to ER and 2 Broke Girls and later was a prominent acting coach, died August 27. She was 83.

She died at the Phoenix home of her son, Diff’rent Strokes and reality TV star Todd Bridges, where she had been in hospice care. Rep Elizabeth Much confirmed her death to Deadline, but no cause was given.

Born on August 1, 1941, Betty Bridges got her screen start guesting on such 1970s TV shows as Police Woman, Charlie’s Angels and Norman Lear’s Good Times and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She continued to work consistently for much of the next four decades, mostly in TV. She made guest appearances in popular series including Wonder Woman; What’s Happening!!; Quincy, M.E.; CHiPs; Lou Grant; Diff’rent Strokes...

In today’s film news roundup, William Moseley and Johanna Braddy get starring roles, Gravitas buys Malcolm Gladwell’s driverless car documentary, “The Fiddling Horse” gets a prize and “No Safe Spaces” gets a release.

Castings

William Moseley (“The Royals”) and Johanna Braddy (“Unreal”) are starring in the inspirational drama “Pencil Town,” which has just wrapped shooting around Los Angeles.

The feature film is based on a true story about a ruthless corporate raider on the verge of making partner at his private equity firm, when he is forced to return to his small town roots after he suddenly inherits his father’s nearly bankrupt pencil factory — the heart and soul of the depressed community. He must decide to either join the fight to save the factory, or let it close and relocate to China.

The cast includes Mimi Kennedy, Mary Pat Gleason, Shashawnee Hall, Paul Dooley, Bill Cobbs and James Eckhouse.

William Moseley and Johanna Braddy will star in Pencil Town, an inspirational drama directed and executive produced by Jay Silverman that just wrapped production in Los Angeles. Written by Van Billet, the plot is based on a true story about a corporate raider (Moseley) on the verge of making partner at his private equity firm who is forced to return to his small town where he suddenly inherits his father’s nearly bankrupt pencil factory, which is the heart and soul of the depressed community. With foreclosure looming, he must decide whether to join the workers’ fight to save the factory or let it close and relocate to China. Mimi Kennedy, Mary Pat Gleason, Shashawnee Hall, Paul Dooley, Bill Cobbs and James Eckhouse also star. William Newman, Bethany Cerrona and Joe Gamache are producers. Moseley is repped by Apa,...

A group of tight-knit college classmates are haunted by a vengeful spirit through social media on their computers and phones in the new horror film Friend Request. To celebrate the film's release this Friday from Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, a new prank video has been released in which unsuspecting participants in a virtual reality demo discover scares that are all too real when they get a scary surprise by actors wearing macabre makeup inspired by the new movie.

Watch the new prank video for Friend Request below, and stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates on Friend Request this week. In the meantime, just be careful who you add to your social media network...

Directed by Simon Verhoeven, Friend Request stars Alycia Debnam-Carey, William Moseley, Connor Paolo, Brit Morgan, Brooke Markham, Sean Marquette, Liesl Ahlers, and Shashawnee Hall.

Synopsis: "Popular college student Laura (Alycia Debnam-Carey) has tons of friends,...

While today’s technology-laden world makes a lot of things easier, it also comes at a price. Things may be easier than ever before, allowing us to be more productive in ways we never imagined, but it can sometimes open up all sorts of unexpected dangers.

There have been all kinds of horror movies that use technology at its center. One Missed Call used the cell phone, Unfriended was a horror film that took place over an extensive Skype conversation, and now, Friend Request takes the idea of social media and mixes it with a dash of more traditional horror elements, including witchcraft. But is it enough to make this film anything more than another gimmick?

Based on the trailer, it’s difficult to say. At some points, the concepts seems pretty interesting, but at others, it comes across as more of a cringefest. This one also has an interesting release history.

Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures has released a new trailer for Friend Request, which hits theaters next month, just as school gets back in session. This new thriller takes fans through the dark side of social media, showing how one "friend" can turn someone's life upside down. While Jaws may have kept a generation away from the ocean, Friend Request may have the same affect on social-media obsessed youngsters in the 21st Century.

The story centers on popular college student Laura (Alycia Debnam-Carey), who has tons of friends, both on Facebook and Irl. She graciously accepts social outcast Marina's (Liesl Ahlers) online friend request, until Marina crosses the line and Laura unfriends her. To everyone's shock, Marina takes her own life in a ritual meant to torment Laura, which appears in a video posted on Laura's profile. Even though it wasn't Laura who posted the video, or other creepy content that begins appearing on her page,...

A crowd awaits the opening of Digital Convertor for Black Friday. As a man searches for his wallet, the crowd get restless and frenzied. A woman is trampled; as a girl lets go of her father's hand and wanders off. Whilst at Cal's (Tim Roth) a boy, Max (Daniel Ross) hires Cal to find if he is James Knox, who was kidnapped. Lots of cold case solving in this show. He shows Cal the scar on his body and pays him. Gillian (Kelli Williams) can't believe he took his money. Hey I said that. Cal allows Max to question his current parents, the Roland's and advises him not to back down on anything. Max took a DNA test and found he isn't related. Eli (Brendan Hines) has the photo of the footage from the store and Bernardo (Shashawnee Hall) hires them to show they're not at fault, thus significantly reducing the settlement payout.

Underground workers known as the 'NYC Sandhogs' blow up a tunnel and one man gets left behind. He's later found under the rubble. Identified as Pete Riggs (Eric Ritter) who has been on site ten years. Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) appears to be nervous about going underground and Mac (Gary Sinise) asks him if he's bathophobic (fear of depth.) Danny: "I'm not anything-phobic, just a few things that shake me up..." One of them being a 100 feet of granite between "me and daylight." Mac adds they're going to work the same way here as the men do, "rock by rock." A sandhog is anyone who helps in building tunnels, even if they're not actually in the tunnel, they're still one of them. The Vic wasn't shot or stabbed before the explosion but there's trace under his fingernails, which are covered with a plastic bag to protect the evidence. The Da wants the site cleared and running.