I spoke with Thommy recently regarding this project, and I echo our very own Dave Dreher's words when I say that Thommy and his associates should be made the official documentary filmmakers of horror, as this two-disc set is chock full of goodies that you won't see anywhere else.   

Jonathan Stryker: On behalf of all A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET fans, I would like to thank you for having made this documentary about the films, called simply NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.  When did you become a fan of this series, and how did this project come about? 

Thommy Hutson: Well, I remember hearing of the film when I was younger and how all of the older kids who could go see it said it was really good and really scary.  They were all really jazzed about the movie.  Naturally, I wanted to see what they were talking about, feeling that I was already a fan of horror films (even though horror scared me to death and I rarely watched them without peeking through my hands!).  Eventually, I wore my father down and he took me.  It couldn't have been more than a few minutes into the opening dream sequence with Tina that I realized I was already terribly frightened, and when Freddy pops up behind her, forget it, I begged my father to take me home.  Well, we stayed, because my father reminded me how badly I wanted to see the film.  I can't say I saw that much more of it as I had my eyes closed quite a bit.  Afterward, it stayed with me and it was then that I realized the power of horror movies and what they can do when done well.  Of course, my father thought he'd cure me of liking horror, but the opposite is true!  It was when A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART II: FREDDY'S REVENGE were on home video that I finally watched them with my eyes (almost!) fully open, slightly older and, I thought, wiser.  So, I thank my father for giving in and helping make me a fan of the genre and, of course, of Freddy Krueger and Wes Craven.

Jonathan Stryker: How long did the whole process take to make from start to finish? 

Thommy Hutson: We started in August of 2009.  Back then it was about creating the list of people, what we thought we wanted to accomplish and say with the documentary and the general format.  From there, we began getting in touch with as many people from the franchise as we could, scheduling interviews, gathering materials and so forth.  It was a lot of fun, hard work through the summer, over the holidays and into the spring.  Cut to now, nine months later, and the project is finished.  I guess you could say we are all proud fathers of our Elm Street child!

Jonathan Stryker: What will differentiate this documentary from other documentaries made about other films? 

Thommy Hutson: One of the things we really tried to do was showcase not just a "making of" for each film, but what these films meant to the people who made them, what kind of impact they had on the culture and time in which they were made and how important they were to the genre.  These movies were born in a time when the conversation of violence in movies and censorship rules was at a peak.  However, the Elm Street films always seemed to elevate themselves above the fray of what many back then considered the usual slasher fare.  I think what we've done is showcase why what Wes Craven did was important and groundbreaking for the genre.  Why Bob Shaye and New Line Cinema broke all the rules and took a chance on a film that everyone else seemed to think would never work.  So, our documentary isn't just an exploration of the films themselves, but of their importance, the difficulties in getting them made, but also the huge rewards for doing so.

Jonathan Stryker: What can fans of the series expect to see in NEVER SLEEP AGAIN? 

Thommy Hutson: More Elm Street than you could ever imagine!  As fans, we wanted to give other fans out there the kind of Elm Street retrospective that the franchise deserved.  We have over 100 interviews with key cast and crew from every film, including every director.  We have Heather Langenkamp as our narrator.  There is also a huge amount of behind-the-scenes photos, many that have never been seen before, special effects test footage, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes...we even discuss the "Freddy's Nightmares" television series.  We tried to put everything in that would really make it the ultimate look back.  The main documentary is 4 hours long because we didn't want to rush anything.  The great thing is, the show moves quickly, is really entertaining and informative and really showcases the impact the films have had. 

Jonathan Stryker: How far back does the documentary go in telling the story of Wes Craven and Fred Krueger?   

Thommy Hutson: We start at the very beginning.  Wes was fantastic in recounting how the idea of Freddy and Elm Street came to be.  And while it's a story that we have all possibly heard in one form or another, the way Wes told us was really interesting and entertaining, so you feel like you're listening to a friend tell you a really great story around the campfire.  And, of course, the genesis of the idea is fascinating, so it's a good story to hear right from the creator.

Jonathan Stryker: Did you encounter any initial resistance or were those involved happy to do it from the word go? 

Thommy Hutson: Almost everyone who we contacted was thrilled to take part.  There was never any real "resistance," although I would say some cast and crew were a tad reluctant, but only because they weren't sure they had anything interesting to say.  Well, when they came in, we convinced them otherwise and boy...did they deliver!  Again, it goes back to the notion of, even if it takes a few minutes of warming up and remembering, these films were important to those who worked on them.  Once we got them talking about their experiences, it was like a treasure trove of information, anecdotes, recollections and fond, fond memories.  It was incredible to hear firsthand how these films impacted their lives.

Jonathan Stryker: You interview a great many people in NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.  Is there anyone you would have liked to have interviewed but could not get due to unavailability or unwillingness to talk about their experiences? 

Thommy Hutson: Of course, it would have been stellar to interview Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette.  The nice thing was that everyone we spoke with regarding both of them couldn't have been more gracious and understanding in what we were trying to do.  They really did take every request seriously and, for a few moments here and there, we thought we'd be able to find the time to make it work.  At the end of the day, they are incredibly busy.  I was just glad that it seemed as though there was an understanding that we wanted to do something special, and have them be a part of it.

Jonathan Stryker: Who was the most difficult person to get for the project? 

Thommy Hutson: Mark Patton takes that prize.  We had spent a lot of time and energy in trying to track him down as it seemed he literally disappeared.  Cut to many, many weeks later and our co-director, Daniel Farrands, who never wavered in his pursuit of Mark, called me up and said he spoke with a relative of Mark's.  From there, Mark and Daniel spoke and the rest seemed easy.  It turned out that mark was living a fantastic, much quieter than Elm Street life in Mexico.  But he was very excited to be part of the show, flew to Los Angeles and gave us an incredible, entertaining, in-depth interview that really helped us take a truly in-depth look at FREDDY'S REVENGE.  And, we are happy to announce, we got Mark to dance once again!

Jonathan Stryker: Will there be supplementary material on this discs, or is everything in the film itself? 

Thommy Hutson: In addition to the 4-hour main documentary, there is a second disc that has 4 hours of bonus features, including extended interviews, a look at the fans, discussions about Freddy in comics and novels, composer interviews and some other fun stuff.  Because, after all, is there really such a thing as too much Elm Street?

Jonathan Stryker: What is your next project? 

Thommy Hutson: I think I am going to focus on tackling some scripted, feature projects my writing partner and I have in development.  Still, I absolutely love the documentary aspect of my career and everything - and everyone - it's brought into my life.  So, I would never say "no" to doing another project like this.  If it's something that is exciting and interesting and there's a story to tell, I say bring it on.  I am always looking to tell a good story!