Rod Lane

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This article is about Rod Lane from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. If you are looking for one or more other versions of Rod Lane, please check the Rod Lane (disambiguation).

Rod Lane
Biographical information
Born	Unknown, 1965 (Springwood, Aged 16)
Status	Death (March 14, 1981)
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Cause of death	Hanged by Freddy
Killed by	Freddy Krueger
Lifestyle information
Occupation	Student (Springwood High School)
Family information
Family Members	Mrs. Lane (mother) Mr. Lane (father)
Friends	Nancy Thompson † Glen Lantz †
Romances	Tina Gray †
Appearance
Played by	Jsu Garcia (billed as Nick Corri)
First appearance	A Nightmare on Elm Street
Final appearance	A Nightmare on Elm Street

“	Guys can have nightmares, too. You ain't got a corner on the market or something...	”
	— Rod to Tina in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Rodney "Rod" Lane is a character in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

He was the boyfriend of Tina Gray, the former main suspect of her murder and one of the Elm Street Children. Rod also was the second victim of Freddy Krueger's first post-death killing spree. He is portrayed by actor Jsu Garcia (credited in the film as Nick Corri).

Story

A Nightmare On Elm Street

"I didn't kill Tina! Rod, telling Nancy what he saw yesterday night where Tina was murdered

In the film, it was introduced that Rod is the boyfriend of Tina Gray, described as one of those rebellious rocker types. He also indirectly references in the film that he is having the same nightmares plaguing Nancy and Tina.

After a particularly nasty dream that had shaken Tina, Rod invades a slumber party Glen and Nancy were having for her, taking her upstairs to her mother's bedroom for intimacy. Up there, Tina and Rod fall asleep, with Rod waking up as his girlfriend is being slaughtered in front of him. He escapes, but is considered to be the only suspect based on logical circumstances.

The following day, he grabs Nancy while she is walking to school, imploring to her that he didn't do it, but not having a logical explanation as to what happened. He is soon arrested by Nancy's father and the rest of the Springwood Police Department, who find a switchblade among his belongings. For the reminder of his time on camera, Rod spends his time in prison, proclaiming his innocence to Nancy, and revealing that they have been sharing the same dreamstalker. At the near end of the film, Donald realized that Nancy was right about Freddy's existence and by association it can be assumed that he knew Rod was innocent although this is never specified. But it is most likely, because he realized that Nancy was right about Freddy.

Get me up! Rod hanging from the window in jail

While Nancy and Glen are trying to get in to see Rod, with Nancy knowing full well he is in danger, Rod's bed sheets wrap around his neck, dragging him out of bed and hanging him from the prison window, shocked by Nancy and Glen as well. Because of the circumstances, Rod's death is dismissed as a suicide. He was buried in a cemetery. His soul was absorbed by Freddy, but was released in the 4th movie along with other souls of people Freddy murdered.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

Rod's soul like that of all of Freddy's victims is released when Alice Johnson beats Freddy.

Personality

Rod Lane is introduced to the story as a young man who apparently loves music for what he is a musician, he tends to become a little aggressive at times but was characterized by constantly making practical jokes like scaring girls or making fun of Glen.

Physical appearance

Rod Lane is a young man with dark hair, brown eyes and thick and defined eyebrows. He has a worked and athletic body.

Relationships

Tina Gray

Rod and Tina were a couple during 1981, they used to argue very often but in the end they always got back together. When Tina was murdered, Rod felt enormous guilt for not having been able to save her, he was also scared because he was afraid of looking like a murderer in front of everyone.

Nancy Thompson

Nancy seems to be the only link that united the group, she didn't seem very happy with the fights that Tina and Rod had but she knew that he wasn't a bad boy. So she initially doubted Tina's murder, however, she later discarded the idea and tried to save Rod from jail and Freddy Krueger's fake suicide.

Glen Lantz

Rod and Glen didn't seem to be very confident with each other, since when they were interacting it was always for silly fights. Regardless, it's likely that the two saw each other as friends due to the bond they both had with Nancy.

Other media

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Actor Jsu Garcia—not as Rod—appears in Wes Craven's New Nightmare. He is present as are many others as they are laying Heather Langenkamp's on-screen husband to rest.

Trivia

• The scene in which he and Tina are having sex while Glen can hear it downstairs is based on a real-life experience director Wes Craven had.
• Ralph Macchio and Darren Dalton were considered for the role of Rod.

Quotes

• (To Tina, Nancy and Glen): "So, what's going on here, an orgy or something?"
• (To Nancy): "I didn't kill Tina!"
• (To Tina): "I had a hard-on this morning when I woke up, Tina... had your name written all over it."
• (To Nancy): "I probably could have saved her if I moved sooner. But I thought it was just another nightmare, like the one I had the night before. See, there was this guy...he had knives for fingers..."