Robert Englund’s Best Performances to Keep You Awake at Night
He’s instantly recognizable without them. But Robert Englund doesn’t always wear a hat, sweater, and stabby finger gloves.
Thanks to his role as Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund is one of the most recognizable horror icons of all time. The actor has mainly stuck with the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but he’s appeared in other productions, too. From guest appearances to his most iconic role, here are some of my favorite Englund character moments you may have missed.
This article contains mild spoilers for ‘Stranger Things’ season 4.
Robert Englund as Victor Creel in Stranger Things
There are so many things to love about the newest and final season of Stranger Things. Two of Netflix’s beloved troupe of inquisitive kids are on the hunt for a new D&D-themed monster. Their search leads them to a long-locked away prisoner named Victor Creel, a man who was framed for the murders of his wife and child. Robert Englund sports some pretty terrifying makeup in this one, but he’s still 100% recognizable. His cameo adds to the show’s already stellar horror nostalgia credentials, but his appearance was a short one. So naturally, it inspired me to go on an Englund binge.
Doc Holloran in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Dearest readers, we’ve got ourselves an Ahab!
In the slasher mockumentary Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Robert Englund plays a psychiatrist who’s out to expose a sensationalized serial killer for who he really is. This archetype of good is dubbed by the film’s star as an “Ahab”. And having an Ahab is a real accomplishment for a professional supernatural slasher.
Everything about this movie is incredible. It features a supernatural killer who’s following in the footsteps of Jason Voorhees, Michael Meyers, and Freddy Kreuger (heh.) If you’re a fan of the slasher movie genre, you might have missed this 2006 flick. But trust me, don’t sleep on this movie. Along with some perfect one-liners and some solid kills, Englund’s switch from an on-screen murderous icon to a symbol of all things good is very effective.
You can rent ‘Behind the Mask’ on all your usual streaming platforms. And you should.
Ian the Club Owner in Zombie Strippers
Honestly, I didn’t expect to love this flick as much as I did. But this anti-Bush pro-stripper yarn was gore and glee from start to finish. The U.S. military is running desperately low on soldiers, so scientists devise a way to reanimate dead corpses to fight their wars. Unfortunately, only half of the zombies retain enough consciousness to fight – and that half is all the women. The zombie outbreak has to be contained, but when a bitten soldier stumbles his way into a strip club, the virus is out.
Robert Englund is hilarious as a neurotic strip-club owner who hates germs and loves money. When his star stripper, played by adult-film mega-star Jenna Jameson, is attacked on stage, she contracts the virus. But her reanimation makes her the most popular stripper in the club, and soon the rest of the dancers want in on the cash. If you like philosophy, strippers, and ultra-violence, Zombie Strippers is the best damn time you’ll find on streaming. Bless everyone involved in this movie, because it’s a masterpiece.
Stream ‘Zombie Strippers’ for free on Amazon Prime Video, or rent it from your usual streaming services.
Professor Crowley in Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
This movie is cheap and cheesy, and I love it for that. Jack Brooks has issues controlling his rage after his family is murdered by a monster. As he tries to maintain some normalcy in his life, he’s enrolled in a night class while he works his regular job as a plumber. After class, he visits his chemistry professor’s old, creepy house to help with fix some problems with pipes. But the house hides a dark secret that will make Jack face his dark past and utilize his anger for the power of good.
Robert Englund gets a fair amount of screen time in this flick. And what does he do with it? Well, first he plays the hokey chemistry professor, who starts off as a pretty wholesome guy. But he’s quickly possessed by the still-beating heart of an evil entity. And what follows is some of the horror icon’s best physical comedy out there. He’s clearly enjoying the silliness of the role, and I definitely enjoyed watching him play it. It was a ridiculously fun way to spend 90 minutes, and offers several opportunities for a good belly laugh.
You can stream ‘Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer’ for free with ads on Tubi and Roku, or you can rent the movie ad-free on all your favorite services.
Robert Englund as the Duke in The Sexy Dark Ages Short
And of course, we can’t forget when Englund teamed up with Funny or Die to give the Dark Ages the sexy, boob-a-licious treatment that so many other historical periods have already enjoyed. If Freddy Krueger haunts your nightmares, then Robert Englund’s Duke will stick to a certain part of your subconscious, too. Which part of your subconscious, I can’t really say. That’s between you and your god.
