Post by Angry Scientist on Oct 21, 2003 15:20:51 GMT -5
A Nightmare on Elm Street
What a great new idea for a horror movie! This one's a classic: teenagers are having nightmares (they all do), and what they fear manifests itself into physical "boogeyman" Fred Krueger, who can enter their nightmares at will and kill them. In the new age of the early 80's 'political correctness', this was a formula for big-time success.
But, looking back at the movie, people will always return to Elm Street for more restless nights. Nightmare on Elm Street's Fred Krueger (played rather brilliantly by Robert Englund, nearly everyone agrees) is the real-deal. Though, the film has a lot of worth without him. And it's true you rarely even see him at all in the original. Wes Craven's original Nightmare has all the elements of a classic modern horror film: memorable special-effects and death scenes, decent acting, a remarkable villain / force of evil, and an intriguing story concept.
Craven's direction also allows for the film to get better as it goes along, which is the secret to it's winning me over. When I saw it the first time, I had rented an older VHS copy where it was really hard to see what was happening in the dark. That made it hard to appreciate the scares. This Nightmare is one of the most interesting and worthwhile horror films I've ever seen. Though I love it now more than ever simply for the 80's-dialogue and music.
4.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
If I could start out this quick-review by setting aside what everyone else has said about this sequel, I would. But, I feel this one's gotten a bad rep for tiny crimes. Horror fans now, and at the time, weren't much ready for the emotions or the homo-eroticism of this film. I don't even know what the writer of this film must've been thinking! Or, for that matter, why the producers decided to go ahead with the script.
I guess to say that this sequel is bad homo-eroticism is saying that, from what little we actually do get to see, that the guys are unattractive. I can't think of another arguement, and if you listen to the others who bite this movie because of it, they don't have much of an arguement for this element either. The guys are nice, there is so little male sexuality here- let alone homosexuality, so it's just an underexplored element. The fact that this movie doesn't go very far into any direct territory is why it faults.
But, it's still a decent try for being emotional. Whether the script is very detailed in Lisa's character or not, the actress plays it well. And her scenes help propell the movie's conclusion to make it work. And the direction by Jack Sholder is decent. If it ever seemed that for so long the film was getting boring, I'd realize there was another trick up the director's sleeve. The scene where Jesse finds himself with Freddy's claw in sister's room begins with a winding one-take shot beginning in the basement and working all the way up to the upper regions of the house into sister's bedroom. That made my jaw-drop. And there are other equally satisfying moments for those who don't care if the movie's a little slow. I say, deal with it!
3.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
It would have been really hard for a sequel of any movie as successful as Wes Craven's original Nightmare to be better than the original. But, it's easy to say, that Nightmare 3 comes closest. The best part about the origin of this installment, is that there's an equal amount of history and inspiration behind the story, which was also co-written by Wes himself. There is an actual origin!
And then, Robert Englund, and the rest of the cast, give equally committed performances which do the story it's due justice. Now that the right feel is in place, this sequel really wouldn't have had to go to such extremes with the special effects, but they did anyway. And the effects actually outdue both the previous Nightmares, combined even! Every aspect of this film, for a horror film, is above average. And no one element outdoes another.
4.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Who knows what this script's characters could have been in the hands of a talented cast of actors? Because this film doesn't have one. In fact, most scenes with any speaking required are painfully pedestrian. The acting is so bad, it hurts. And Robert Englund's part is reduced to a series of pretty bad one-liners while slicing-and-dicing. But, the special effects are even better than the last film, which is the only reason I'd recommend seeing this sequel.
2.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
You could look at this film and say it's very different from Nightmare 4. The acting is a little more tolerable, though still pretty rock-bottom. Freddy has a few less wisecracks, but now they have young children trying to be creeps as well. This Nightmare may be a little more serious... but still lacks the right casting. And with the effects more gruesome than ever, they seem more shoddy than before. There's no true compensation for the lack of talent in front of the camera. This one just doesn't have what it takes to hold anything up to the previous four Nightmares.
2 stars out of 5
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Just when it seems like they couldn't get any worse... again, Robert Englund feels a little wasted- not to mention the bad celebrity cameos by Roseanne and Alice Cooper. And this installment was lucky to get Yaphet Kotto, but they don't do anything with him. Though, there is a bit of an upside to this Nightmare. And that is, there's a strange amount of memorable scenes. Especially, the "Nice hearin' from you, Carlos" death sequence and Freddy's "Power-Glove" video-game. The 3-D sequence falls flat on it's face, unfortunately. And, the end credits shows a wonderfully edited array of clips from all 6 Nightmares to this point, arguably the best moment from this Nightmare. And the Metal Blade soundtrack contains one of the Goo Goo Dolls' better tracks.
2.5 stars out of 5
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Not as fresh as most of the other Nightmares, this Nightmare may have the majority of campy performances in the series. Miko Hughes delivered his best work in Pet Sematary, too bad there's nothing very creepy left over for New Nightmare. Heather Langenkamp is lovely, and fulfills the functions of an actress playing 'herself', but isn't very convincing of her own true emotions. None of the performances in this Nightmare ring true. And that spoils most of the actual nightmare scenes. The best moments are the tv that won't be turned off / Freddy jumping out of a closet, and Heather's conversation as Nancy with John as her father when the real world suddenly becomes the Nightmare on Elm Street movie.
3 stars out of 5
What a great new idea for a horror movie! This one's a classic: teenagers are having nightmares (they all do), and what they fear manifests itself into physical "boogeyman" Fred Krueger, who can enter their nightmares at will and kill them. In the new age of the early 80's 'political correctness', this was a formula for big-time success.
But, looking back at the movie, people will always return to Elm Street for more restless nights. Nightmare on Elm Street's Fred Krueger (played rather brilliantly by Robert Englund, nearly everyone agrees) is the real-deal. Though, the film has a lot of worth without him. And it's true you rarely even see him at all in the original. Wes Craven's original Nightmare has all the elements of a classic modern horror film: memorable special-effects and death scenes, decent acting, a remarkable villain / force of evil, and an intriguing story concept.
Craven's direction also allows for the film to get better as it goes along, which is the secret to it's winning me over. When I saw it the first time, I had rented an older VHS copy where it was really hard to see what was happening in the dark. That made it hard to appreciate the scares. This Nightmare is one of the most interesting and worthwhile horror films I've ever seen. Though I love it now more than ever simply for the 80's-dialogue and music.
4.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
If I could start out this quick-review by setting aside what everyone else has said about this sequel, I would. But, I feel this one's gotten a bad rep for tiny crimes. Horror fans now, and at the time, weren't much ready for the emotions or the homo-eroticism of this film. I don't even know what the writer of this film must've been thinking! Or, for that matter, why the producers decided to go ahead with the script.
I guess to say that this sequel is bad homo-eroticism is saying that, from what little we actually do get to see, that the guys are unattractive. I can't think of another arguement, and if you listen to the others who bite this movie because of it, they don't have much of an arguement for this element either. The guys are nice, there is so little male sexuality here- let alone homosexuality, so it's just an underexplored element. The fact that this movie doesn't go very far into any direct territory is why it faults.
But, it's still a decent try for being emotional. Whether the script is very detailed in Lisa's character or not, the actress plays it well. And her scenes help propell the movie's conclusion to make it work. And the direction by Jack Sholder is decent. If it ever seemed that for so long the film was getting boring, I'd realize there was another trick up the director's sleeve. The scene where Jesse finds himself with Freddy's claw in sister's room begins with a winding one-take shot beginning in the basement and working all the way up to the upper regions of the house into sister's bedroom. That made my jaw-drop. And there are other equally satisfying moments for those who don't care if the movie's a little slow. I say, deal with it!
3.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
It would have been really hard for a sequel of any movie as successful as Wes Craven's original Nightmare to be better than the original. But, it's easy to say, that Nightmare 3 comes closest. The best part about the origin of this installment, is that there's an equal amount of history and inspiration behind the story, which was also co-written by Wes himself. There is an actual origin!
And then, Robert Englund, and the rest of the cast, give equally committed performances which do the story it's due justice. Now that the right feel is in place, this sequel really wouldn't have had to go to such extremes with the special effects, but they did anyway. And the effects actually outdue both the previous Nightmares, combined even! Every aspect of this film, for a horror film, is above average. And no one element outdoes another.
4.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Who knows what this script's characters could have been in the hands of a talented cast of actors? Because this film doesn't have one. In fact, most scenes with any speaking required are painfully pedestrian. The acting is so bad, it hurts. And Robert Englund's part is reduced to a series of pretty bad one-liners while slicing-and-dicing. But, the special effects are even better than the last film, which is the only reason I'd recommend seeing this sequel.
2.5 stars out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
You could look at this film and say it's very different from Nightmare 4. The acting is a little more tolerable, though still pretty rock-bottom. Freddy has a few less wisecracks, but now they have young children trying to be creeps as well. This Nightmare may be a little more serious... but still lacks the right casting. And with the effects more gruesome than ever, they seem more shoddy than before. There's no true compensation for the lack of talent in front of the camera. This one just doesn't have what it takes to hold anything up to the previous four Nightmares.
2 stars out of 5
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Just when it seems like they couldn't get any worse... again, Robert Englund feels a little wasted- not to mention the bad celebrity cameos by Roseanne and Alice Cooper. And this installment was lucky to get Yaphet Kotto, but they don't do anything with him. Though, there is a bit of an upside to this Nightmare. And that is, there's a strange amount of memorable scenes. Especially, the "Nice hearin' from you, Carlos" death sequence and Freddy's "Power-Glove" video-game. The 3-D sequence falls flat on it's face, unfortunately. And, the end credits shows a wonderfully edited array of clips from all 6 Nightmares to this point, arguably the best moment from this Nightmare. And the Metal Blade soundtrack contains one of the Goo Goo Dolls' better tracks.
2.5 stars out of 5
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Not as fresh as most of the other Nightmares, this Nightmare may have the majority of campy performances in the series. Miko Hughes delivered his best work in Pet Sematary, too bad there's nothing very creepy left over for New Nightmare. Heather Langenkamp is lovely, and fulfills the functions of an actress playing 'herself', but isn't very convincing of her own true emotions. None of the performances in this Nightmare ring true. And that spoils most of the actual nightmare scenes. The best moments are the tv that won't be turned off / Freddy jumping out of a closet, and Heather's conversation as Nancy with John as her father when the real world suddenly becomes the Nightmare on Elm Street movie.
3 stars out of 5