I Am Nancy

Whilst its low budget is evident, there is a lot of heart and effort put into this beautifully made documentary. Heather Langenkamp, the actress whom played Nancy Thompson in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', explores the fandom of the character, which, of course, pales in comparison to the film's famous antagonist, Freddy Krueger. Langenkamp, and director Arlene Marechal, pose the question why doesn't Nancy have the same popularity as her arch nemesis? However, there are Nancy fans out there, and Langenkamp hears from them of their personal feelings towards the character and what she means to them.

Nancy is a special kind of slasher protagonist. Continuing on from what Laurie Strode started in 'Halloween', Nancy is not a "sexualised virgin", but a level-headed, smart teenager who would rather face her fears than run away from them. The character has inspired many, and Langenkamp exposes the character's importance in not only horror cinema, but in the lives of her fans.

Interviews with 'Nightmare' director Wes Craven, and Robert Englund (the actor who played Freddy Krueger) also give insightful analyses of Nancy. Craven, the creator explains Nancy's origins, whilst Englund opines on her relationship with his character, Freddy.

As a fan of Nancy myself, I really enjoyed this documentary. Langenkamp isn't so much a star, but a down-to-earth woman whose uplifting spirit is contagious. Her positive demeanor and her obvious appreciation for her fans make for a feel-good experience.

An airy, if scatterbrain low-rent looking doco of Heather Langenkamp lamenting over her Nightmare on Elm Street character Nancy... and her lack of merchandise, or iconic air compared to the influential pop-culture fandom of her co-star Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger. Freddy this, Freddy that... but what about Nancy? Most of time is spent sitting around chatting to horror fans, and hanging about at a horror convention, while naturally having fun with the concept of what Nancy, and the Nightmare films mean to them. Sometimes listening to these stories can be up-lifting, other times awkward, yet Heather has a genuine interest that is infectious.

There are some amusing segments, especially Heather's quest in finding a Nancy action figurine and her interaction with Robert Englund when she does, but when Wes Craven/and his daughter are separately interviewed by her. This is when it becomes a little more focused, and meaningful on discussing the cultural recognition, and importance of Nancy in the "Nightmare on Elm St" universe. While their interviews come on towards the backend, they do anchor the documentary and there's something just soothing about listening to Wes Craven wax on.

I have watched this documentary 10 times and I never get tired of watching it! As a huge Nightmare on Elm Street fan, I was extremely excited that there was going to be a documentary dedicated to Nancy Thompson, and trust me, I AM NANCY truly does the character justice. There are really funny parts, really serious parts, and a few really touching moments, and the film is edited so well that it all flows together. I have been recommended this documentary to so many people, and I will continue doing so because it is BRILLIANT! True Nightmare on Elm Street fans, especially Nancy fans, will definitely enjoy it. And I love that Heather Langenkamp is so proud of this character and wants to remind people what a heroine she really was. Heather, Arlene, and everyone else involved in making this documentary, I just have to say great work, and thank you for reminding this world just how special Nancy is. Watch this documentary, everyone! You won't be disappointed!

Before I start, I just want to say that I am a die-hard 80's horror fan, so my opinion is totally biased. Nevertheless, I will try to review this as honestly as possible for those who aren't as crazy about this genre as I am. First off, I loved this documentary! Heather Langenkamp's Nancy from the Nightmare on Elm Street series is my second favorite final girl of all time. I won't get into my first favorite because this is about the documentary I Am Nancy. I loved all 120 minutes of it! Without giving too much away its mostly Heather at the convention scene discussing the character of Nancy with fans. Which, speaking as a fan myself, is pretty darn cool! As a fan, I cannot get enough of the Nightmare On Elm Street films, and those associated with making them. So when I learned of this documentary I knew I would love it before ever having seen it. I understand that to someone who isn't a huge horror fan, this documentary probably won't have the same appeal, but based on my fandom alone I had to give it 10 stars. Now, taking into account that not everyone possesses my amount of fandom, this documentary is still quite entertaining. Robert Englund AKA Freddy Krueger makes an appearance, along with Wes Craven who of course is the mastermind behind the first Nightmare On Elm Street as well as A New Nightmare (A New Nightmare being my favorite film in the franchise). The two offer up some insight into the franchise as well as their take on the character of Nancy. This documentary is also not void of humor, with a few funny moments scattered throughout. I could go into more detail, but I don't want to give too much away. Trying to put my fandom aside, I would say that it is at least deserving of a 7 star rating. So that's 10 stars if you're a huge fan like myself, and 7 stars if you're just a casual fan. Either way not a bad documentary, so if you haven't seen it I definitely recommend that you do.

Yours truly, Nightmare Fan For Life

I have been looking forward to this since seeing the preview on the Never Sleep Again DVD. I thought it looked like a great premise - Heather Langenkamp investigates the place Nancy holds in the Elm Street legacy by talking to fans at major horror conventions. However, the preview clip provided on Never Sleep Again really says it all: there is not much more to it than that, spread out over 90 minutes. Anyone that is interested in seeing this already knows why the character Nancy is so great, and that Nightmare is the greatest horror film of all time, so those folks don't really need a 90 minute documentary that reiterates those points. Anyone who doesn't concur with those notions won't be convinced by this documentary in any case. That said, there are a couple of interesting bits and pieces here: the interview with Wes Craven's daughter is intriguing, as is the discussion between Wes and Heather. However, too much of the documentary is nothing new, and the somewhat schmaltzy 'inspirational' latter third made me cringe. All in all, it is not a bad documentary, it just isn't a great one. Too often, it feels a little meandering and pointless. When it is aiming towards a point, it feels forced. A must-have for completists only. For everyone else, there is always 'Never Sleep Again'.