Patricia Arquette Fell Asleep Inside The Freddy Snake In A Nightmare On Elm Street 3
The beginning of "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" is arguably one of the most relatable opening horror sequences for any disenfranchised youth filled with teenage angst. Introducing our traumatized hero, Kristen (Patricia Arquette), the credits play as Angelo Badalamenti's score transitions into Dokken's "Into the Fire" as Kristen mainlines coffee grinds to stay awake. She's building a papier-maché house of the boarded up structure she sees in her nightmares. Immediately, you empathize with her. She looks like a friend in need (who could also use another pack of cigarettes).
Arquette was the perfect casting choice to be a Nancy for a different generation. As a result, "Dream Warriors" director Chuck Russell had to make an "Elm Street" movie for a different set of teens who would respond to something bigger, badder, and more ambitious than Wes Craven's original and "Freddy's Revenge." The practical effects were taken to an entirely new level, showing Freddy as a much more powerful dream demon with the ability to shape-shift and absorb the souls and powers of his victims. There's a reason it's considered one of the best entries in the franchise.
Among genre fans, there's been a lot of speculation over the years as to why Arquette didn't return to the franchise for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master." Most likely, she wanted to pursue more dramatic roles and move away from the sometimes claustrophobic, inescapable grasp of the horror genre. Maybe, just maybe, the real reason why Arquette parted ways with New Line Cinema (aka "The house that Freddy built") was because she had absolutely no desire to wind up back in the giant gaping mouth of the massive Freddy Snake that attempted to swallow her whole towards the end of "Dream Warriors." Anyways, it's a theory. And Arquette has talked about the nightmare of shooting that scene before.
'I think I fell asleep'
Admittedly, a lot of horror fans would like to say they fell asleep inside the mouth the full-size sculpture of the Freddy Snake, myself included. Designed by effects legend and pioneer, Kevin Yagher, it's one of the most enduring images and transformations out of the entire series. While I may view interacting with the Freddy Snake as a bucket list item and a veritable horror fantasy, actually filming the scene in question during a grueling film shoot is something else entirely. Arquette doesn't even remember auditioning for "Dream Warriors," but you can bet that she won't ever forget the night half her body was stuck inside the massive creature. In a 2017 interview with the U.K. outlet Bloody Flicks, the Oscar-winning actor reflected on the bizarre experience:
"It was pretty long. I was in that damn snake for hours. Still It was cool. It looked amazing in person. Just our hours were really [a]ss kickers and I think I fell asleep in his mouth at like 3 a.m. in between shots."
All things considered, Arquette remarked that she actually liked being "eaten by the big Freddy Snake and lines other people said Like 'I'm bad and beautiful,'" the famous quote uttered by Jennifer Rubin's character Taryn inside the dream world.
It would've been exciting to see Arquette's Kristen reuniting with Kincaid (Ken Sagoes) and Joey (Rodney Eastman) in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master," but Arquette may have felt that was a step backward. She had just starred in a movie of the week about teen pregnancy called "Daddy and I" when New Line asked her to return for the next sequel. If there's ever a legacy sequel with Robert Englund and Arquette returning, maybe the Freddy Snake can have a shot at another close-up. Hey, a kid can dream, right?