Wes Craven’s original A Nightmare on Elm St is still one of the greatest horror films ever made, even some thirty plus years after it was released in theaters. It spawned one of the best slasher franchises of all time, and arguably the best horror villain of the ’80s, with Robert Englund’s portrayal of Freddy Krueger. But despite the fact that there were six sequels to the original Nightmare film–seven, if one counts Freddy vs Jason–there was never a proper prequel film detailing the origin story of “the Springwood Slasher.”

But thanks to the folks at Bloody-Disgusting, we’ve learned of a YouTube user and horror fan named Playa TV who has taken the flashback bits from various Nightmare movies and edited them together to form a sort of origin story short film for Freddy. Named Freddy’s Origins: The Beginning, this 18-minute-long fan film edits together every bit of flashback that we’ve gotten over the years through the various sequels. The film begins with scenes from Freddy Krueger’s birth (A Nightmare on Elm St. 5: The Dream Child) and moves to his twisted childhood and teenage years (Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) and then his arrest, release, and subsequent murder at the hands of a mob of angry parents.

Most of that final bit–the part about Freddy’s trial and murder–aren’t actually from a movie at all, but from the first episode of the short lived TV series, Freddy’s Nightmares. The first episode was directed by Tobe Hooper, the director of horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. Some of it though, comes from Freddy vs. Jason and the 2010 remake of the original film. You can watch the entire 18 minute short film above.

So what do you think of Freddy’s Origins? Do you think the next Elm Street movie should be a proper prequel to the original classic, or start from scratch again? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Image: New Line Cinema