Robert Englund is a horror legend, synonymous with his iconic portrayal of the dream-stalking killer Freddy Krueger across eight A Nightmare on Elm Street films. Beyond the mask, Englund has plenty of other credits in the genre, both in front of and behind the camera, including an appearance in Stranger Things Season 4. At the height of his A Nightmare on Elm Street fame during the late 1980s, Englund stepped behind the camera to direct a forgotten ‘80s horror movie that is now finally back on streaming.
Just four years after stepping into the role of Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven’s original 1984 film, Englund made his directorial debut in 1988 with the movie 976-EVIL. The supernatural horror film quietly joined Tubi’s free streaming lineup on April 1st, ending its period of unavailability. The movie stars Stephen Geoffreys as Hoax Arthur Wilmoth, a bullied teen living with his religious aunt and cousin who gains demonic powers through a premium-rate phone, allowing him to unleash supernatural vengeance on his tormentors.
Robert Englund’s 976-Evil Is Even More Over-The-Top Than A Nightmare on Elm Street
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Following the grounded, surreal terror of the 1984 original, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise evolved into an increasingly over-the-top, campy, dark comedy-horror hybrid, but 976-EVIL takes the cake when it comes to camp factor. The movie fully embraces its low-budget, over-the-top B-movie status throughout its entire runtime, from its wild premise that leans heavily into 1980s Satanic panic to Geoffreys’ highly theatrical and over-the-top performance. The movie has an overall kitschy tone, plenty of great gore-fest moments with cheesy practical effects, and includes ridiculous scenes like demonic possessions, raining fish, and a rock ‘n’ roll demon elf transformation. It’s all-around intentional fun, Englund aiming for and absolutely achieving ‘80s cheese.
976-EVIL’s intentional camp didn’t exactly play out well with critics or general audiences. The movie only scored a 15% critic score and a 28% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, many taking issue with the movie’s slow build-up, what was viewed as an uneven mix of intentional camp and grimy ‘80s aesthetic, and its reliance on low-budget, sometimes unintentional humor. Englund’s directorial debut still made enough of an impact to warrant the direct-to-video sequel, 976-EVIL II, in 1992, though the directing reigns passed to Jim Wynorsk. That follow-up isn’t available on Tubi, but it’s streaming on both The Roku Channel and Prime Video.
Other Horror Movies Now on Tubi
Horror fans looking for more have plenty of streaming options on Tubi, and they’re all available for free! This April, the streamer has stocked both the original and modern versions of Carrie and Child’s Play, the first two Jeepers Creepers films, and the original Scream trilogy. Other horror arrivals to Tubi include Cabin Fever, It Comes at Night, Zombieland 2: Double Tap, and You’re Next.
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