Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

      I talked about Platinum Dunes, and their horror remakes a bit last year. With the success of the Texas Chainsaw and Friday the 13th reboot, a reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street was the logical next step.  Producers Brad Fuller and Michael Bay, as well as director Samuel Bayer (a music video director making his first and last feature film, at least as of this writing), screenwriters Wesley Strick (known for writing the 1991 remake of Cape Fear) and Eric Heisserer (who would write the script to Arrival) followed the approach Platinum Dunes took with Friday the 13th, and simply took the best elements of the series to try to capture its essence, in particular making Freddy a darker character. Notably, Freddy was made a child molester rather than killer, an idea Wes Craven had discarded for the first film, and given a redone design more realistic for a burn victim. However, they also decided to make a straight remake of the first film, unlike the composite Friday the 13th. While Craven himself was upset at not being consulted, Robert Englund was more supportive of the remake, feeling that CGI could better capture the dream sequences. Replacing Englund in the iconic role was Watchmen's Jackie Earle Haley (who had, incidentally, played a child molester in Little Children),who had auditioned for the first film, but was passed over for his friend Johnny Depp. The film was shot in two high schools in Illinois, specifically for their pools. Released on April 30th, 2010, the film would be box office success, but panned by both critics and audiences.

       The film opens with Dean Russell (Kellan Lutz) in some diner, where he falls asleep and encounters a mysterious man. He wakes up when friend Kris Fowler (Katie Cassidy) meets with him. When Kris leaves for a bit, Dean falls asleep, and the man (Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley)) slashes his throat, in front of Kris and their classmate Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara). At his funeral, Kris has her own dream of Freddy, and finds an old photo of her and Dean as pre-schoolers, even though they met in high school. Kris soon encounters Freddy in her dreams, and Freddy quickly murders her while her ex Jesse Braun (Thomas Dekker) watches. Jesse warns Nancy about Kris death, before his arrest, where Freddy kills him as well. Now, Nancy and friend Quentin Smith (Kyle Gallner) must find out their connection to this man they call Freddy and why he's going after them.

      First and foremost, I like Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy. He's definitely not doing an impression of Robert Englund, and tries to make the character his own. Haley's Freddy is more seething and methodical than the more proactive, cackling Freddy Englund did. Not saying it's necessarily better, but it is different, and Haley's presence as an actor really helps sell this performance. The fact that his appearance is more realistic also helps.  As a straight remake, it works, not entirely imitating the 1985 film but still having the basic elements. The practical effects were well-done.

     Instead of the elaborate, dreamlike, well, dream sequences from the franchise's past, we get really dark corridors and a really bad looking version of the boiler room. That also extends to the actual scares, which forgo the terrifying and interesting kills in favor of boring, poorly edited kills. This is really the central problem of the film: it feels less like a Nightmare film, and more like a Saw knock-off. Very little about it stands out amongst other slashers of the 2000's, and it might not have garnered much attention had it not been a remake of one of the most iconic horror films of all times. Out of all the movies, even the bad ones, there were memorable or interesting parts to them. I saw this film only last night, and I'm already beginning to forget large chunks of it. Even though I wrote a whole review on it, I'm going to forget I saw this film or even I do remember, I won't remember what happens in it.
   
     So, this really takes the spot as the worst one, but only because it is so bland and generic. If it were more hilariously or absurdly bad, it would at least be memorable, but unlike those entries, this just feels like a Nightmare film with all the edge, all the intrigue sanded out, replaced with generic Aught's era "scares", and bland Platinum Dunes production design. Definite skip.


     So, that ends Summer of Terror for this year. Overall, yeah, Nightmare on Elm Street definitely had more consistent quality in their films than Friday the 13th. I've liked a majority of the films in the franchise, and they are pretty interesting both as horror and just films in general. Like I said in this review proper, even the bad ones (except this) had moments that were interesting or warranted a second look. I can tell that the people making these had passion for the material, and were willing to make decision to explore the world of this franchise and its characters, even if it didn't always work. Of these, the first one is probably the best, followed by New Nightmare and the 3rd one. So, yeah, I recommend watching some of these, if only for the fantastic segments some of them have. I wish I could say good night or something, but it's the early afternoon when I'm writing this, so.... here's a photo I took of a Freddy sweater signed by Robert Englund at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle a few weeks ago:

Summer of Terror- Wes Craven's New Nightmare

    As I discussed a few entries back, Wes Craven wrote the concept of Freddy haunting the real life cast and crew of a new Nightmare on Elm Street film for the third film, which was rejected, but reused for this. Craven wanted a return to the darker, more surreal tone of the first one, as opposed to the increasingly absurd sequels (given the last two, this was probably the best move.) Heather Langenkamp returns, this time as herself, since the film was set in the real world, and part of the plot was based on a stalker she had dealt with following the cancellation of her sitcom Just the Ten of Us (a spin-off of Growing Pains). Craven himself, Robert Englund (both in and out of make-up), John Saxon, producers Robert Shaye and Sara Riser, and several of the actors also make appearances as themselves. Craven used many of the props from the original, including Freddy's original wardrobe. Given that the 1994 Earthquake had happened during production, that was incorporated into the script with shots of damage still being repaired in the film itself. Released on October 14th, 1994 (ten years after the first one), it would gross $19 million on an $8 million budget, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. This would be the penultimate performance of Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger (with Freddy vs. Jason being the last, but I already reviewed that, so it's the last film we're covering with him as Freddy.), and Wes Craven's last point of involvement for the franchise before his death in 2015.

     Heather Langenkamp is an actress who garnered attention as Nancy Thompson in the original Nightmare on Elm Street, and lives in Hollywood with her husband Chase Porter (David Newsom. Langenkamp's real husband apparently declined to appear) and son Dylan (Miko Hughes). She starts the film with a nightmare, where Freddy's (Robert Englund) glove attacks a couple of effect guys ( Matt Winston and Rob LaBelle), and has been dealing with a mysterious stalker who keeps quoting Freddy. Not helping matters is her child exhibiting strange behaviors, and dealing with a mysterious figure seemingly like Freddy, despite him never seeing any of the films. She is approached by producer Robert Shaye to star as Nancy in the new Nightmare film that Wes Craven is making (despite Freddy dying in the last one), which her husband (a special effects artist, much like Langenkamp's real husband David Leroy Anderson) has been working on. Sure enough, her husband is attacked by Freddy's glove and dies in a car crash. Afterwards, Dylan begins to becomes more and more unhinged, seemingly influenced by Krueger. Now, Heather must solve that, and why she seems to be having nightmares much reminsicent of the series that made her famous. And her co-star Robert Englund and director Wes Craven might hold the key to the whole mystery.

     Some see the metanarrative of this as a precursor to Craven's later franchise Scream. I've never seen any of those films, but I thought it worked well in this film. It forgoes in-jokes and subtle references in favor of exploring what happens when reality and fiction begin to overlap, and the power of symbols and representation (in this case, a single fictional character). There's a fantastic scene where Wes Craven shows an unfinished script, and the dialogue is what the previous scene had stated. It really has starts to get that way as the walls of reality begin to crumble, and what is a dream or fiction and what is real feels tenuous.  It helps that Freddy returns to being more of an ever-present menace that he was in the first scene, which makes some of these scenes truly terrifying, especially towards the end with him chasing people. Heather Langenkamp gives a great performance, probably my favorite of hers in the series in fact, where she seems naturalistic, but manages to retain a sense of terror, especially as her son is put into danger.  While it may lack the elaborate dream sequences of the previous films, the more grounded, very gory dreams in this more than make up for it, especially when it get towards the end. The effects are some of the finest in this series.

     I complained about the short length of the some of the earlier films, but this actually has the opposite problem. At 112 minutes, it is a bit too long. A lot of the first half of this film could be shortened or removed entirely, and the general jist of it would be the same. It does drag in some scenes because of this length issue. Also, I feel that Robert Englund as himself should've been in it more, or done a bit more in the scenes he was in. Also, a description of the Nightmare film that they were developing in film would've been interesting.

      I think this is probably the best one of these after the first (with the third a close second), and whether you are a horror fan or not, it is an interesting exercise in metanarrative, having a fictional character slowly invade the real world and the people making the films. It is really fascinating the way it integrates both elements.  It seems like a practice run for when Craven did his next big franchise Scream, which would come to define slashers for the next decade. I highly recommend it, (though watch the first for some context)

    Like I said, I already did Freddy vs. Jason, and even watching this, I really have nothing to say about it. This will be the last of the original continuity we'll cover, and tomorrow, we'll skip ahead to the 2010 reboot.

Summer of Terror- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

     The initial script for this had a grown up Jacob David Johnson (the child of Alice from the last film) fighting Freddy and the "Dream Warriors" from the third one coming back to assist him. Ultimately, director Rachel Talalay (making her directorial debut with this film, though having worked on some of the previous films as both an effects person and a producer) disliked the script and had Michael de Luca (a screenwriter and New Line executive who later wrote In the Mouth of Madness, which I discussed two years ago) re-write it. Another idea (from Peter Jackson. Yes, that one) had teenagers coming into Freddy's realm to beat him senseless. Several major celebrities made cameos including Alice Cooper (without make-up), Rosanne Barr, and Johnny Depp, making a return to the franchise that put his name on the map. The last ten minutes were in 3-D, though this feature was removed from some releases (including the one I saw). The late John Carl Buechler, who directed Friday the 13th, Part VII, did the effects for the film. The film did well, having highest opening-weekend box office gross of the series, and the fifth overall best, but was lambasted by critic, many placing on a list of the worst of 1991.

    So, Freddy (Robert Englund) is not in fact dead, but has wiped out all the children and teens in Springwood. However, one lone survivor (Shon Greenblatt) manages to wriggle his way out, but is knocked unconscious, and gains amnesia. While recovering in a troubled youth center, he becomes a patient of Dr. Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane, sister of Billy) , who also treats Spencer (Breckin Meyer), Tracy (Lezlie Deane) and Carlos (Ricky Dean Logan) at the center. She is fairly skeptical of her colleague's Doc (Yaphet Kotto) "dream therapy". Burroughs tries to take the survivor ("John Doe") back to Springwood, and the three teens hitch a ride in an escape attempt. And well, Freddy gets bored easily, apparently.

    Okay, this has some interesting moments, particularly exploring Freddy's youth and his death, finally giving hints as to how he manages to have these abilities. The effects are superb as usual, and the last ten minutes are pretty good, managing to conclude this incarnation of the series with a conclusive death.

       I complained about how cartoonish some of the deaths had been in the last one, and this one is far worse. There is literally a segment where a character is trapped in a video game, and Freddy spouts old Nintendo ad slogans. The other major deaths are potentially interesting, but they either go on too long or they're just absurd. I finally get why this version of the character got on people's nerves, because it does get grating to have him spout puns and jokes all the time, and it really took the menace out of him. Add to that, again, the writing isn't that good, with reused scares and ideas that never really get explored. This doesn't even have good dream sequences to make up for that, so there's really nothing to see here.

     Yeah, I'm going to go out on a limb, and say this is probably the worst of these. I think this is a good skip, unless you really want to finish the series or see how he was demolished before Freddy vs. Jason. Otherwise, I can't think of any reason to see this.

    Alright, now we get on to Wes Craven's New Nightmare tomorrow.

Summer of Terror-Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

    So, the idea of this, (originating from Leslie Bonham) was pitched for the second film, but rejected because of the pregnancy of one of the executives. Bonham got the chance to write the chance to write this as the fifth film for the franchise. However, the process of actually filming it was strenuous with director Stephen Hopkins having only four weeks to actually shot the movie and four weeks to edit. On top of this, the film was heavily cut down from its original vision to avoid an X-Rating, resulting in watered-down death and continuity errors. Released on August 11th, 1989 (about a year after the last one and apparently one of the last slasher films of the 80's), it was not only the lowest grossing of the franchise, but the most negatively reviewed up until this point. Even director Stephen Hopskins stated he was dissatisfied with the final result. Does it deserve this treatment? Let's take a look.

      Alice (Lisa Wilcox) has finally settled down after the events of the last film and graduated high school. However, she is haunted by visions of the conception and birth of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in an insane asylum. In the last one of these, she sees him getting resurrected in the church where she defeated him last movie, and he hints that he's found a way to get back. She tries to contact her boyfriend Dan (Danny .... Hassel), but Freddy gets him while he's en route. Alice faints, and finds out from nurse friend Yvonne (Kelly Jo Minter) that she is pregnant with Dan's child, which Alice realizes is Freddy's conduit to make his comeback.

      The dream sequences in this series just get better and better, and this easily has some of the best. Dark, surreal, scary, with some interesting twists and excellent visuals. It truly pushed the effects of the period while also looking great today. I don't really want to spoil some of these because these are some really original stuff.

     The best thing about this film is also its biggest drawback. The superb effects are in fact often on full display and are very clear. It's scary, but as it goes on and especially as it serves the often haphazard, ludicrous plot, the film really starts to come off as more campy, and that's where it really starts to fall apart. I tolerated Freddy Krueger's wisecracking persona, but here, it becomes unbearable, and it really diminishes his threat. A lot of the deaths are also way too over the top to invoke any real terror. In fact, a lot of them seem more like Looney Tunes gags than horror movie deaths. It also doesn't help the story is confusing and kind of ridiculous, with too many moving parts to take note of. I think a lot of these problems can be attributed to the cuts made, meaning some scenes are not in the film, and there are continuity errors here. So, maybe the uncut version is better.

    So, this is easily the weakest the series has gotten so far. Again, the effects are the probably the best of the whole series, so if you want to see that, it is a recommendation. However, there really is no reason to see this unless you want to see all of them.

    Alright, so we finish off the original continuity with Freddy's Dead (since I already did Freddy vs. Jason)

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

        The initial idea for this film from Wes Craven and partner Bruce Wagner involved dreams as a vehicle for time travel. This was rejected out of hand for the producers, who instead went with an idea from Brian Helgeland (recommended by Robert Englund himself, because Halgeland had written Englund's directorial debut 976-EVIL. Helgeland would go on to write LA Confidential) and brothers Ken and Jim Wheat (who would later write the ... Stepford Husbands. Well, they can't all be winners). Finnish director Renny Harlin (later known for Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodbye) got the job after pestering the producers for a while to get the job. Harlin would get inspiration from a Chinese ghost story and many of his own nightmares, though his initial vision for the film was cut down by the producers. Not helping was a then ongoing writer's strike, which forced Harlin and the actors to improvise many scenes. Patricia Arquette, seeking a wider range of roles, turned down a hefty offer to return to her role as Kristen Parker, which went to Tuesday Knight instead. The film had a budget of $14 million, the highest of the series thus far, and grossed $49 million, though with mixed reviews.

      After the deaths of Nancy Thompson and Freddy (Robert Englund) in the last one, Kristen (Tuesday Knight), Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), and Joey (Rodney Eastman) try to adjust back into normal life. However, Kristen is still haunted by him, and pulls the other two into her dreams frequently, where they have to calm her. In the meantime, Kristen has a new circle of associates, including boyfriend Rick (Andras Jones), his sister Alice (Lisa Wilcox), Sheila (Toy Newkirk), and Debbie (Brooke Theiss), while keeping in contact with Kincaid and Joey. However, lo and behold, Freddy's back, and he promptly dispatches Kincaid and Joey. Before he kills off Kristen (the last of the children whose parents had killed Freddy), she transfers her abilities to Alice. Now Alice and her friends must stop Freddy, who decides he likes this gig.

     This definitely has some of the best dream segments and scares of the franchise thus far. Very inventive, very scary, using a variety of interesting and disturbing imagery, ranging from the mundane gone wrong to the eldritch. There's a martial arts setting early in the film that's a particular highlight. The idea of Alice having the ability to absorb the abilities of her dead friends, along with bringing them into her dreams is an interesting conceit that works well overall. Robert Englund is, as ever, an excellent presence that manages to be slightly intimidating in his own way. I also like that this ends with a full on fight sequence.

     I'll admit, I wish that the survivors of the last film had been in it more, or had at least put up more of a fight against Freddy. Given that we had seen them fight off Freddy so effectively, it would've been nice to have them put up more of a fight. It also feels somewhat derivative of the last one in some parts, particularly how it involves a team-up and Freddy dispatches the main teens one by one. It manages to be distinct, but it is quite galling.

     So, this has some of the best sequences of the series, but also not really the strongest writing of them. That lands it at a solid okay. Not my favorite per se, but definitely worth watching just for some of these sequences.

     Next is The Dream Child.

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

   (Apologies for the lateness of this. I had an unexpected engagement and I couldn't finish the movie. This, however, might allow me to start writing these the day after, so that some time has passed. So, win?)

    So, as I discussed last time, Wes Craven didn't really want a franchise out of the first film. However, success of the second film convinced him the viability of it, and he returned to write the story for the film (with the intention of ending it as a trilogy). He originally conceived of a metanarrative, where the cast and crew making a new Nightmare were haunted by Freddy (ha! Unintentional pun, and yeah, this was reused for New Nightmare,which we'll look at soon enough), but the studio rejected it in favor of his other idea for the film, where a group of teens in an institution fight off Freddy with the help of Heather Langenkamp's (who returns for the film) Nancy Thompson. The script by Craven and Bruce Wagner was then re-written by director Chuck Russell (making his debut with the film) and his partner Frank Darabont (who would go on to write the Academy Award nominated film The Shashank Redemption ). Speaking of the Oscars, the film is also incidentally, the acting debut of future Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette. The filming was a tad arduous (full of long shoots and special effects mishaps, in part caused by a reduced budget for the film), but grossed $44 million on a $5 million budget, as well as mixed reviews.

    Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) is a young woman who, naturally, falls asleep on night, and has an encounter with Freddy (Robert Englund), who chases her around an abandoned house before slashing her wrists, which causes obvious concern to her mother (Brooke Bundy), who commits her to a psychiatric episode. There, her clear somniphobia causes her to resist the orderlies (including Max (Laurence Fishburne)) and attending physician Dr. Neil Gordon (Craig Wesson), before an intern therapist Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) manages to calm her by reciting part of Freddie's nursery rhyme. Thompson then meets Kristen's fellow patients, including Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), Phillip (Bradley Gregg), Jennifer (Penelope Sudrow), Taryn (Jennifer Rubin), and Joey (Rodney Eastman). Thompson and Gordon, however, have a different agenda in mind for them: being the last surviving children of Freddy's lynch mob, they hope to train them to battle him. And with Parker revealing a special ability to bring people into her dreams, they just might have a chance.

     I really like that they again focus and elaborate on another aspect of Freddie's actions. In the second one, it was specifically him trying to possess someone to come back. In this one, there is more of a focus on the psychological effects of Freddy's actions. The fear of sleep and dreams, how Freddie's actions can be interpreted as some sort of psychosis. The Dream Warrior aspect is also well-done, in assembling a team of people haunted by Freddy to control their dreams and use it to vanquish him once and for all. It was nice to see Nancy Thompson in a more mature role, using her own experience to help others. Each person is given enough time to really develop and make them full characters and not slasher fodder. I also like that they do delve into Freddy's backstory a little, and reveal a bit about why he ended up the way he did. Despite the apparently cut budget and some dated one (like a Harryhausen skeleton at the end), the effects are still great, and are quite terrifying to watching, particularly one involving tongues. While Freddy's wisecracking apparently wasn't seen as kosher by many people, it distinguishes him from silent killers, so I'll give him a pass, and he is threatening most of the time and still omnipresent. Finally, there's a funny gag with Dick Cavett and Zsa Zsa Gabor  (which was apparently unscripted, because Gabor didn't know what movie she was going to be in).

     Again, some dated special effects that look funny rather than horrifying today. I didn't like how they handled John Saxon's character (also returning), which seemed like a staunch departure from the way the character was in the first film. The ending was a tad confusing (which makes sense, given it was rewritten from a finale to the franchise written by Craven), and I sort of wish that the titular Dream Warriors had fought together, Avengers-style. Just a thought.

   Another win, and another very interesting, unique entry into the franchise. I'm curious as to what they'll do next. Anyway, recommendation, though watch the first one at least for some context into this one.

   Alright, Number 4: Dream Master . 

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part II: Freddy's Revenge

     Despite the success of the first film, Wes Craven refused to return to direct a sequel, not wanting to have a franchise. So, the duties for this film went instead to Jack Sholder, who directed the slasher Alone in the Dark (unrelated to the game series). The idea for the film came from Leslie Bonham, who had initially pitched a pregnancy plot homaging Rosemary's Baby, before switching to a demonic possession. After attempting to replace Robert Englund, it was realized that it just didn't work without his iconic performance. The screenwriter, David Chaskin, added more focus between the male lead, Jesse, and his girlfriend. He also added a homoerotic subtext to the film, particularly in showing the main character as a closeted gay man dealing with repressed feelings. The actor, Mark Patton (himself closeted at the time) resented this and Chaskin for many years. Released on November 1st, 1985, the film grossed over $30 million on $3 million budget, and received mixed reviews.

     Five years after the first film, the Walsh family has moved to the now named Springwood, into the old home of the Thompsons. Sure enough, the son, Jesse (Mark Patton) starts to have strange visions of Freddie Krueger (Robert Englund), following him, terrorizing him. Eventually, he and his girlfriend Lisa Webber (Kim Myers) find the diary of Nancy from the first film, learning of her experiences. Soon, there are a number of strange events occurring throughout the Walsh house, and Jesse is told to kill by Freddy. And as he struggles, he slowly succumbs to that command.

    Despite Craven not being at the helm, Sholder does a competent job, managing to capture the feel of the first film, with its ominous atmosphere and bright lights, while putting his own spin. That, and the unique plot of Freddy trying to seize control of a person in the real world, make this feel a lot different than the first. It has different scares, a different plot, different characters. It feels almost like an entirely different franchise, connected to the first only by Freddie's presence and the prominence of dreams. I did enjoy the ways they portray Krueger slowly taking over Jesse's body, even having Freddy jump out face-hugger style towards the hour mark. While it is very distinct from the first one in many ways, it manages to retain one of the key elements of the first that worked best: defeating Freddie through sheer willpower and overcoming fear. Finally, the scenes have even bigger scares and even bigger stakes, which is appropriate for the film.

    Like the last one, it feels too short, and a lot could've been elaborated on or explored, including Jesse's relationship to his family and his new schoolmates. It also has the cliche criticism of second act problems, where it drags a bit and it stops for a bit, (though that has some good scenes of Jesse's descent). Copying the first's ending was a bit much, especially since the rest was very distinct from the first.

      If I hadn't read about it, I probably wouldn't have picked up on the famous gay subtext of this film, but having read it, it does contextualize a lot of the film, especially how Jesse's internal rage was manipulated. So, as an artifact, it is pretty interesting and I suppose it can be recommended for academic purposes? Otherwise, pretty good horror movie, would recommend to people who liked the first one.

     Alrighty, tomorrow is Dream Warriors.

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street

    Alright, with the relative success of last year's Summer of Terror, I figure I might as well continue with the most logical successor: The Nightmare on Elm Street series. I've heard, on the whole, this series has a more consistent quality than the Friday the 13th series. Plus, there are fewer films to review. I would've done this back in June, but I've been busy. Anyway, let's start at the beginning with 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

(Reminder, I will not put spoilers in the synopsis, but if needed, I will put certain spoilers in the critique, so be warned)

      I've discussed Wes Craven and his seminal work in horror genre in a couple of these. Born into a staunch Baptist family in Cleveland, Craven became an English instructor, both on the high school and university levels, following his graduation from John Hopskins, before eventually going into filmmaking. He would do some very low-budget, X-rated feature under pseudonyms before finally hitting it big with the visceral horror film The Last House on the Left, and following it up with the also visceral The Hills Have Eyes. He would do several more films in the early 80's, Deadly Blessing, an adaptation of the DC Comics character Swamp Thing (that film inspired Alan Moore's celebrated run, among others), and a sequel to The Hills Have Eyes. He was almost destitute due to the failure of the former two, before coming up with the idea for Nightmare. Its conception had a number of origins. An old vagrant that Craven had seen as a child. A horror parody his students at Clarkson University produced on Elm Street, Postdam, New York A number of sleep related deaths amongst Southeast Asian refugees. The Gary Wright song "Dream Weaver". The DC comics character Plastic Man. The fact that red and green are the two most contrasting colors to the human retina. All of these elements were put into the character of Freddie Krueger, named for a childhood bully of Craven's. After finishing the script in 1981, shortly after the production of  Swamp Thing, and shopped it to several studios, before film distributor New Line Cinema (then just starting film productions through some films by John Waters) agreed to produce (though money troubles would cause the budget to inflate from $700,000 to $1.1 million). Craven was determined to make a great movie villain. Inspired by the masked killers of the time, he made Krueger heavily disfigured as his "mask", and considered having a stuntman play him, like Jason. However, after several screen tests, it was decided that an actual actor was needed. He was also changed from a child molester to a child killer due to a number of child molestation stories popping up in the news at the time. Robert Englund (at one point, considered for the role of Han Solo and having played a large role in the show V) was soon cast, and put into heavy make-up, coming to embody the role for the rest of the franchise. After actor Charlie Sheen passed up the role of Glen, other actors were considered and auditioned. Eventually, Craven's daughter picked out an actor accompanying a friend to their audition from a headshot, and Craven cast a young Johnny Depp in the role. Filmed in and around Los Angeles, it would use 500 gallons of fake blood and other extensive special effects (including an oatmeal-glue mix for the melting staircase scene, and of course, Freddy's glove, made with steak knives). Released on November 9th, 1984, the film make $1.2 million on its opening weekend,and $25 million over its run in theaters. The success would push New Line into the mainstream, making it "The House that Freddy Built". It has come to be seen as one of the greatest horror films ever made.

      In an Everytown, USA, high schooler Tina Grey (Amanda Wyss) is chased in a dream by a mysterious disfigured man with claws (Robert Englund). When she awakened, there are tears in her nightgown. While her boyfriend Rod Lane (Nick Corri) is unsympathetic, her friends Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her boyfriend Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) comfort her. Sure enough, the next night, while Rod and Tina are sleeping together, Tina is again hounded by the man, who catches up, and kills brutally. Rod witnesses her body being torn under the sheets, and flees. He is subsequently accused by Nancy's father, Police Lieutenant Donald (John Saxon) of her murder. However, Nancy is unsure, and she herself is pursued in her dreams by the man, now calling himself Freddy. She would soon find herself in a seemingly unwinnable situation, all while learning stunning truths about her mother (Ronee Blakely) and the other parents on Elm Street.

     I did this film back when these were short Facebook reviews. I remember not liking it, feeling it was too cheesy and weird. Now watching some 5 or 6 years later, I definitely didn't give it its due credit. The atmosphere of this film is amazing. It is all pervasive, slowly invading even the most calm settings around, and it seems never-ending. This is helped by Freddy's reliance on dreams, which means the characters are always going to encounter him because of the need to sleep. It makes for some great, inventive scares, and the creeping sense that follows you as you and the characters try to determine his next move. There is some great, iconic imagery, especially the boileroom, which is shot in a dream-like quality. I appreciate that Freddy himself is distinguished from other slasher by his facial scares and his lively personality, as well as supernatural abilities. He is a great villain, constantly around, and even when things seem safe, he pops back up. The way he's defeated is especially clever, using the logic established in the film and personal growth to slowly diminish his power. I like that some scenes are indefinite as to whether they're dreams or not.

    If I had one criticism, it is too short. A lot happens, but it is wrapped up very neatly. It might've been nice to explore the community a little, Freddy's crimes in life, how the dream world works, but the film is only 90-some minutes. I also feel that it lags in certain parts, especially the scenes where they try to determine the cause of Nancy's problems, and I wish they had gone a little more into how Freddy got to be a supernatural ghost, but perhaps they explain it in the sequels.

   I was way off about this movie. This was actually pretty good, and this time around, I enjoyed it a fair bit. I recommend it to horror fans or thriller fans as well, or for historical purposes to see the origin of a horror icon. It does pique my interest in the sequels as well.

      Speaking of which, join me tomorrow for Freddy's Revenge.