I Am Nancy (2011)

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.

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 am a huge horror fan. Even though nightmare on elm street came came out the year before I was born it became my favorite horror movie as I grew up. I've always loved the character of nancy. For once we had a girl that was strong, determined and not some dumb bimbo. She doesn't run around falling every 2 minutes. She is a fighter. That being Said she is one of my favorite characters. And heather played the part wonderfully. She shows emotion, her acting wasn't wooden or over the top. I love this documentary. It's shows how heather is always in the shadows of Robert England "Freddy". How the fans always want to meet Robert, how there are thousands of Freddy products but not really any nancy products. This doc is entertaining and funny. Plus the added bonus of the interview between heather and Wes cravens daughter. Which I thought was really interesting. If you are a nightmare fan and fan of nancy, do yourself a favor and watch this.

In horror films, the heroes or heroines are usually always overshadowed by the villain on a large scale. But does that mean that the villains are the only ones who are important? Why do so many people like these evil characters anyway? This is what Heather explores in her documentary!!! In this outstanding love letter to the world of fandom, Heather seeks to find where her beloved character of Nancy stands in the world of well known horror icon, Freddy Krueger! The beautiful thing about this documentary is that Heather is a fan of Nancy herself. When she takes you on this journey through the world of conventions, you feel as though you're right there with Heather, talking to these fans and listening to their stories. Heather is an extremely kind, funny, compassionate, intelligent, and welcoming person and you see so much of that in I AM NANCY. The documentary is absolutely charming. I waited two almost three months from its release so i could have my first time seeing it be on the big screen at this summer's Days of the Dead convention and I can tell you that I was NOT disappointed!I am a huge fan of Nancy and I've always felt that she deserved a lot more recognition than she first received. Nancy is who I believe to be the greatest horror heroine of all time, and she is without a doubt my favorite CHARACTER of all time. Nancy is strong, resourceful, loyal, compassionate, unwavering, and intelligent. Whats so amazing about Nancy is that she is the typical girl next door and she defeats evil without the use of any super powers. This reminds audiences that you don't have to have supernatural forces working with you to obtain greatness, all you need is your own strength and will to overcome an obstacle! When you watch this, you will see the Nancy inside a lot of fan leap out of the screen in most of these stories.I do not want to spoil it but I promise you that you will not be disappointed. This documentary is brilliant and extremely inspirational, the ending brings me to tears every time! Along with fantastic moments captured on the screen, this documentary is assisted by superb editing and direction to convey its purpose. I love this with all of my heart and it will forever be a treasure that I will pass along to as many people as possible. Hopefully it has the same effect on you. From the outer tattoos, to the very heart of adoration, Arlene and Heather will take you on the greatest tongue-in-cheek and heartwarming journey of your life. If you're not already proudly shouting "I AM NANCY" from mountain tops, you certainly will be after you watch this fantastic documentary. Live well, love much, laugh often and "BE NANCY"! :)