A Nightmare on Elm Street has one of the most memorable and iconic main themes in horror and in a special Halloween episode of Gibson’s “Behind the Board,” Charles Bernstein, the film’s composer, discusses writing, recording and producing this and some of the other music featured in the film.
Bernstein was the sole composer of the film’s score, responsible for both vocals and music elements due to budgetary restrictions. In the video, he shares how he took more risks with the score, in part, because he never thought the film would make it to theaters. That, thanks to the scene where Freddy’s tongue comes out of the phone and licks Nancy.
“I just remember turning the thing off and rolling my eyes and saying, ‘Oh my god this never going to go to the theaters. This will go direct to video. This is just too bizarre,'” explains Bernstein. “And so I felt emboldened to do whatever I wanted because I was sure nobody would ever hear the music.”
Clearly, he was wrong, and those risks paid off as the score has been a horror fan favorite for generations. Check out the full interview below:
