Hi all,
I've spent the last couple weeks re-watching all the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movies and thought I'd try my (gloved) hand at reviewing the series. My opinions and ratings are based on my reactions as a fan, and as always, your mileage may vary.
1) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)...I remember sitting in a darkened theater in Sherman, Texas, scared out of my wits as Freddy Krueger made his initial bow. This one expertly walks that twilight area between dreams and reality and creates a palpable sense of fear and dread. There are several scenes of pure horror, too. Granted, the character and premise were new, which really caught audiences off-guard and threw them for a collective loop. While the scares have been diluted throughout the years (and throughout the sequels), this first Nightmare features a (thankfully) non wise-acre Freddy and stands as a towering achievement in terror. RATING: A+
2) A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)...This one really is the "odd man out" in this series! Freddy hasn't yet gone over to the dark side, i.e. wise-acre, but he also isn't much of a menace. The movie also never approaches the ultra-creepy dreamland of the original (although the opening bus scene is cool). It seems as if this was just a quickie to cash in on the first, and the filmmakers didn't yet realize what they had on their hands. One more strike---no Nightmare music motif that worked so well in the original. The "one, two, Freddy's coming for you..." appears out of nowhere in this one, never making much sense. It's a good movie to look at, and tries to tell an interesting story, but it pales in comparison to the original. RATING: C
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)...Many fans give this one high marks, but I'll admit, it leaves me a little cold. Yes it's great to see Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon back, and yes it's cool to have Wes Craven involved. But the wise-acre Freddy begins appearing in this one (albeit not completely) and that always turned me off. On top of that, the dream sequences are telegraphed. The original was so unnerving simply because the dreams were so unpredictable. This time around, the dreams become set-pieces unto themselves and that robs the film of much of its suspense. With all that said, I still enjoy it! RATING: B
4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)...Self-awareness sets in with this one and the franchise wouldn't recover (until New Nightmare). There isn't one thing that's scary and the sense of dread that permeated the original is long gone. The nightmare sequences are simply showcases for special effects. Slick and fast-moving, it was made for a mass audience, and to that end, it delivered. But I'm not a "mass audience", I'm a monsterkid. RATING: C-
5) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)...The downward spiral continues. This one is good to look at and Freddy's menacing of an unborn child is admittedly strong, but overall this one is just, well, there. I watched it but never once felt involved with the story or cared for the characters. Freddy's wise cracks are as annoying as ever, and once again the nightmares are just showcases for the special effects guys. I saw it back in '89 and left the theater disappointed. I watched it last week and again felt disappointed. RATING: D
6) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)...This one's a real stinker. Characters that generate no sympathy, a meandering storyline and dumb special-effects dream sequences add up to one depressing movie. The studio was just trying to milk some last dollars out of this burned out franchise. Instead, they burned me out. RATING: F- (NOTE---I gave it a "minus" because Roseanne is SO annoying!)
7) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)...Rejoice! The fear and dread of the original are back! Wes Craven took the story in the only real direction it could go and he comes up with a winner. It's pretty unsettling when you realize the script being shown on the screen is what's playing out on the screen. It turns the story inside-out and creates a genuine unease. Seeing many of the actors back, playing themselves, is also disorienting. My only complaint is the movie couldn't sustain this fragile dreamlike state through to the end. The last 10 minutes or so fall back on the goofy special-effects laden sequences of previous movies, dissipating much of the suspense. Still, the good far outweighs the bad. This is a solid way to end the series. RATING: A
I'm not even bothering with FREDDY VS. JASON (Ugghhh) or the 2010 remake of the original.
Strangenstein
I've spent the last couple weeks re-watching all the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movies and thought I'd try my (gloved) hand at reviewing the series. My opinions and ratings are based on my reactions as a fan, and as always, your mileage may vary.
1) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)...I remember sitting in a darkened theater in Sherman, Texas, scared out of my wits as Freddy Krueger made his initial bow. This one expertly walks that twilight area between dreams and reality and creates a palpable sense of fear and dread. There are several scenes of pure horror, too. Granted, the character and premise were new, which really caught audiences off-guard and threw them for a collective loop. While the scares have been diluted throughout the years (and throughout the sequels), this first Nightmare features a (thankfully) non wise-acre Freddy and stands as a towering achievement in terror. RATING: A+
2) A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)...This one really is the "odd man out" in this series! Freddy hasn't yet gone over to the dark side, i.e. wise-acre, but he also isn't much of a menace. The movie also never approaches the ultra-creepy dreamland of the original (although the opening bus scene is cool). It seems as if this was just a quickie to cash in on the first, and the filmmakers didn't yet realize what they had on their hands. One more strike---no Nightmare music motif that worked so well in the original. The "one, two, Freddy's coming for you..." appears out of nowhere in this one, never making much sense. It's a good movie to look at, and tries to tell an interesting story, but it pales in comparison to the original. RATING: C
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)...Many fans give this one high marks, but I'll admit, it leaves me a little cold. Yes it's great to see Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon back, and yes it's cool to have Wes Craven involved. But the wise-acre Freddy begins appearing in this one (albeit not completely) and that always turned me off. On top of that, the dream sequences are telegraphed. The original was so unnerving simply because the dreams were so unpredictable. This time around, the dreams become set-pieces unto themselves and that robs the film of much of its suspense. With all that said, I still enjoy it! RATING: B
4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)...Self-awareness sets in with this one and the franchise wouldn't recover (until New Nightmare). There isn't one thing that's scary and the sense of dread that permeated the original is long gone. The nightmare sequences are simply showcases for special effects. Slick and fast-moving, it was made for a mass audience, and to that end, it delivered. But I'm not a "mass audience", I'm a monsterkid. RATING: C-
5) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)...The downward spiral continues. This one is good to look at and Freddy's menacing of an unborn child is admittedly strong, but overall this one is just, well, there. I watched it but never once felt involved with the story or cared for the characters. Freddy's wise cracks are as annoying as ever, and once again the nightmares are just showcases for the special effects guys. I saw it back in '89 and left the theater disappointed. I watched it last week and again felt disappointed. RATING: D
6) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)...This one's a real stinker. Characters that generate no sympathy, a meandering storyline and dumb special-effects dream sequences add up to one depressing movie. The studio was just trying to milk some last dollars out of this burned out franchise. Instead, they burned me out. RATING: F- (NOTE---I gave it a "minus" because Roseanne is SO annoying!)
7) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)...Rejoice! The fear and dread of the original are back! Wes Craven took the story in the only real direction it could go and he comes up with a winner. It's pretty unsettling when you realize the script being shown on the screen is what's playing out on the screen. It turns the story inside-out and creates a genuine unease. Seeing many of the actors back, playing themselves, is also disorienting. My only complaint is the movie couldn't sustain this fragile dreamlike state through to the end. The last 10 minutes or so fall back on the goofy special-effects laden sequences of previous movies, dissipating much of the suspense. Still, the good far outweighs the bad. This is a solid way to end the series. RATING: A
I'm not even bothering with FREDDY VS. JASON (Ugghhh) or the 2010 remake of the original.
Strangenstein
