'I Am Nancy' at the Watching Hour

Keith Garcia is a Nancy Boy…and that's badass. As Programming Manager of the Denver Film Society and curator of their weekly Watching Hour series, Garcia lives, breaths, and literally bleeds film. The Watching Hour featured special guest Heather Langenkamp, loving known as Nancy Thompson, Freddy Krueger's arch nemesis in "A Nightmare On Elm Street," at a screening of her documentary "I Am Nancy."

In introducing the documentary he said, "It's about time Nancy got some recognition," surmising the film's genesis. In reminiscing his days playing horror movie with a brother who domineered the role of Freddy Kruger, Garcia admitted he, "had no shame in being Nancy." His blood is now intimately drawn into the mythology of Nancy from horror's lexicon.

After screening "I Am Nancy" to exuberant reception at the Denver Film Center, Garcia invited Langenkamp up front for a visceral surprise. Short of ripping the sleeves off his classic red and green stripped Freddy sweater, he revealed an upper arm fully cloaked in a gorgeously rendered tattoo of Nancy, with Krueger encroaching behind. "Nancy Boy" was etched in blood red below the image. She was awestruck and the audience, full of fans adorned in Freddy sweaters reciprocated uproariously.

Why a tattoo? The documentary launches Langenkamp's self-reflective odyssey while seated in on a friend getting a tattoo of Freddy Kruger. As the actress described, "for years I tried to put the movies behind me." When she came upon the 20 year anniversary of the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street" in 2004, the "disparity between the popularity of Nancy and Freddy" became unavoidable. She explained that there was never bitterness and the documentary itself carries Langenkamp's genuine curiosity in how this heroine of horror barely flickers in the roaring idolatry of Freddy Krueger.

The germination for making the documentary came to Langenkamp after calling the office of Wes Craven, the horror master behind "Nightmare…" Sure, it had been 10 years since they had worked together on Craven's metafilm, "Wes Craven's New Nightmare," and the writer/director had built a verifiable horror empire. But, Craven's assistant took Langenkamp's call and in complete ignorance asked the forgotten actress to "spell her last name." This is like an assistant to George Lucas asking, "Mark who?" Langenkamp's sister was present and wished she had a camera to capture the look of dismay on her face.

While Langenkamp may not have ascended stardom like "Nightmare's" other breakthrough, Johnny Depp, the documentary reveals the steady simmer of Nancy's living legacy. The film itself projects Langenkamp as not only a perceptive investigator into the hollowed presence of feminist horror, but someone who adores her fans and her place in film history. As much as Nancy is a character slapped with the "final girl" label in a definitive slasher film, she expressed an, "objection to the final girl mythology" and wants to "transition to a new way of thinking."

"I Am Nancy" certainly amps up the hertz that are sounding off a burgeoning frequency of women filmmakers who are disemboweling horror clichés. Just look west to emerging talents at Bleedfest in L.A. or the growing celebration of "Women in Horror Month" in February. Or visit the Denver Film Center and witness the truth carved in Keith's arm.

Langenkamp's "I Am Nancy" inspires a complete reevaluation of "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Like Horror blogger, Brittney-Jade Colangelo wrote, "Nancy Thompson isn't just a character, she's an icon; and Heather Langenkamp gave us a performance (whether it was Oscar worthy has nothing to do with it) that we won't ever be able to forget." Originally published on Mile High Cinema.