In the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly,there is an article about actress Heather Langenkamp,known to most horror fans as Nancy Thompson,the original heroine of the Nightmare on Elm Street films.
She appeared in three of them(and yes,Wes Craven's New Nightmare counts,in my opinion)and is as vital to those fright flicks as Jamie Lee Curtis is to the Halloween scare saga.
Heather's fame is not as powerful as Robert Englund's is from Freddy Kruger role,making her feel a bit like an outsider at conventions,all of which is the subject of a documentary that Heather has made entitled I Am Nancy. While I have no doubt that the lack of support for Heather by some of the fans and the merchandising folk is very real,it's somewhat surprising to me.
I remember being disappointed at missing a chance to get an autograph from her at a Fangoria convention years ago and why any true fans of the NOES movies wouldn't know her at all is baffling beyond belief:
Villains,especially in the horror genre,do tend to get the rock star treatment but even the most diabolical of them would be nothing without that good guy or gal to go up against. True,Freddy has dealt with more than one warrior maiden type on film but the template for those ladies begins and ends with Nancy.
Don't get me wrong;as much as I enjoyed the dream power antics of Kristen and Alice and even Freddy Vs. Jason's Lori,Nancy is the true defender of the Dream Warrior faith.
Heather has done other work over the years,with stints on TV shows such as Growing Pains,The Ten of Us and a guest appearance on JAG,her legend as Freddy's fiercest foe still lingers on:
This is actually the second Nightmare related documentary that Heather has done. She was the narrator as well as interview subject for Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy,which is available for rental(just added it to my Netflix list)and it apparently covers the whole waterfront for all of the films,except for the pitiful 2010 remake.
Heather is also one of the executive producers and it's really nice to see her take charge of this situation,just like her now classic character did against the forces of Freddy:
I Am Nancy is currently on sale at the official website as well as other online vendors but Heather is making the rounds on the convention circuit with it as well. She's also rocking the Facebook and the Twitter,so finding her should be a breeze for any diehard Elm Street follower.
With so many of the leading ladies of horror being sadly neglected over the decades,Heather's efforts to make her character just as iconic is a shining example to others in the field. Scream queens everywhere need to keep those crowns of theirs on with their heads held high,since those honors were truly earned with blood,sweat and tears:
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