Nightmares in the Makeup Chair

Nightmares in the Makeup Chair: The Final Freddy Krueger Makeup Application is a 2018 documentary written and directed by Mike Kerz. The film follows special makeup effects artist Robert Kurtzman as he creates and applies the Freddy Krueger prosthetic makeup to actor Robert Englund, marking Englund’s return to the character. The documentary covers every step of the makeup process, from design and sculpting to manufacturing and final application, while Englund shares stories and anecdotes from his years portraying Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Englund agreed to wear the makeup one last time to honor the craft of practical special effects artists. The makeup application was filmed at the 2014 Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. Additional scenes were shot at Kurtzman’s studio, Creature Corps, in Crestline, Ohio. The film was announced on February 1, 2017, by Entertainment Weekly, and its trailer premiered on YouTube, receiving over 100,000 views in its first two days.