Once the name `Elm Street' was almost a cliche for a typical suburban address in any Thornton Wilder all-American town. Now it carries the same spooky baggage as `Sleepy Hollow' or `Transylvania.' A given real-life Elm Street (such as Oberlin’s) is often reputed to have a haunted house on it. That's all thanks to this hit horror movie that kicked off a popular series and invented a new horror character and mythology.
