Would Freddy Krueger be a stock character?
This is a strange question, but an interesting one. I think Freddy is a stock character only in the sense that he is a horror movie villain who victimizes teenagers. But imagine back to the early 80s when the first Nightmare On Elm Street came out….a villian that killed you in your sleep, who fashioned his own weapons, who was alive and kicking despite being just about burned alive. That’s some scary crap. The wonderful cinematic term ‘suspension of disbelief’ is crucial when contemplating a character like Freddy. He’s only credible and believable if you are willing to accept for the duration of the movie that something like this is possible, and if it’s possible, that it’s most definitely frightening. That’s the fun of horror, being scared while being safe. And considering how many nightmares people have had that starred Freddy, I think that makes him a more than credible villain.
