Spotlight on: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

This Friday marks the return of horror's most popular modern day monster: Freddy Kruger, in the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake. Quite frankly I feel underwhelmed by it. Seeing as exact scenes are redone doesn't really do anything for me. But, I am a huge fan of Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach in the excellent Watchmen, and I think he is a great choice to take over for Robert Englund. I also totally love the beautiful Katie Cassidy, and it's always nice to see her in a genre film, even if she is the remake babe. Will I see it? Eventually, if I hear good things, I'll see it sooner.
And, yes, I know there was a TV series, but man that show was pretty fucking bad...
Anyways, in celebration of Freddy's return, I will do quick reviews of the movies, including picking my fav kill. I should point out that of all the horror villains, Freddy is my favorite and the Nightmare series holds a very special place in my heart, as they helped me get into the genre.

All reviews are out of 4 stars.

- A group of teens are terrorized by a hideously burned man in their dreams. But, if they die in their dreams they die for real. Turns out said man, Fred Krueger, is a filthy child murder, whom their parents burned alive when the courts let him go. He now wants revenge on them by killing their kids.
Craven's best movie is my third fav movie, ever. A dark, scary and imaginative horror movie that features some great effects despite the low budget. Our heroine, Nancy (the lovely Heather Langenkamp) is one of the genre's best heroines.
BEST KILL: Johnny Depp dies as a geyser of blood erupts from his bed, in a classic moment.
RATING: ****


- Taking place several years after the original a teen moves into Nancy's house, but finds that Freddy wants to possess him.
Though dark, this first sequel is one that I have never been a fan of. I always found it to be strangely uninteresting and uninvolving. It does have a weird homoerotic feel to it, though. And, there are some really memorable moments. The best of which is definitely when Kruger enters the real world at the pool party and tells the kids, "You are all my children now!". A truly classic moment.
BEST KILL: Friend gets impaled on door by Freddy's glove.
RATING: **


- The last group of the descendants of the parents who killed Freddy are being offed one by one at a psychiatric ward. Nancy returns to help them and destroy Freddy.
A return to form for the series, this is the best of all the sequels and one of the finest horror sequels, around. The tone is a perfect mix of the seriousness of the original and the jokieness that would take hold of the series from hear on in. The special effects are truly awesome. Including the beautiful effect that is Jennifer Rubin, who looks delicious as a punk babe. It was also great to see Nancy return. And, the whole concept of dream powers is pretty kick ass. Also kick ass is the Dokken title track played at the end of the film. A classic! This holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first R-rated movies I saw in it's complete/ non-TV form.
BEST KILL: Kid gets turned into a puppet by Kruger with his veins as puppet strings. A personal favorite kill of mine!
RATING: ****

- Freddy comes back to kill the surviving characters from the last film, but Kristen (this time played by Tuesday Knight) gives her dream powers to the beautiful Alice (Lisa Wilcox). Freddy uses her to get to the other kids, though.
This one is totally over-the-top and would and mark the series officially turning towards a more campy villain. Freddy cracks lots of jokes, but Wilcox makes for a great heroine and the pace is fast. On top of that the FX work is excellent. A fun little ride.
BEST KILL: A hottie is turned into a roach. Awesome!!!!!
RATING: ***


- Freddy wants to possess Alice's baby. Alice must stop him.
This one suffers from some pacing problems, but again Wilcox makes for a yummy and great heroine. The FX work is still awesome, but I don't like the way Freddy looks in this. The kills range from the silly (the comic book kill is terrible) to the awesome (most of the other kills). In all, this one is pretty decent, but definitely a let down from the the two that preceded it. It should be noted that this movie was given an X-rating by the MPAA, and the R-rated DVD is cut.
BEST KILL: The beautiful Erica Anderson plays a girl who wants to be thin and is forced to eat her own guts. One of the goriest kills in the entire series.
RATING: **1/2

- The last of the Elm Street kids are dead. Now an amnesiac looks for Freddy's daughter to battle him, kill him, and end this forever. We learn more about his past and how he got his horrible powers.
The worst entry in the series this "ending" to it is pretty silly. The video game death is ridiculous and a series low point. The only way to watch this is in 3D, for the climax, otherwise it is crap.
BEST KILL: Freddy makes a dude's head blow up.
RATING (in 3D): **
in 2D: *1/2



- Taking place in the "real" world Freddy tries to leave the cinematic world and enter ours, as he terrorizes Heather Langenkamp (the actress not the character of Nancy). She seeks out Craven and Englund for help.
Imaginative entry in the series marks the return of Craven to the series. While, the movie is a solid entry in it; it hasn't aged as well as it should have. Still, this ranks as the third best in the series and one of Craven's best movies. Great acting by Langenkamp, a solid script, and good FX work help this one be something truly worth seeing.
BEST KILL: Babysitter gets dragged up the wall and slaughtered by Krueger.
RATING: ****

- Freddy uses Jason to escape from hell. They eventually meet and battle.
It took years for this one to be made, but it is fun enough to be worth the wait. Sure it's silly, but come on; what where you expecting? Hot babes, cool metal tunes, and lots of fucking gore. Works for me.
BEST KILL: Truth be told Freddy only has one kill, and it ain't the movie's best. But, this blog is about him and his movies, so... Anyways, his kill of a dude in the bathroom is pretty cool, nonetheless.
RATING: ***1/2




So, there you have it. Hope this brought back memories for you guys. I would love to hear your thoughts on the series. And, I also wanna know, are you gonna see the remake? What are your thoughts on it? Anyways, remember, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T FALL ASLEEP!


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The Top 5 Wes Craven Films

On March 13th the unneeded remake of Wes Craven's classic The Last House on the Left will be hitting theaters. The trailer seems to imply that they got it all wrong. So unless one of you has seen it and can tell they have done a nice job, I am thinking this one is more The Fog than Halloween or Friday the 13th as far as modern remakes go.

Craven has made some pretty shitty films, in particular in the last few years. I mean when your best recent film is Red Eye, well that says a lot or doesn't depending on your take on things. But, despite this the man has made some of the genre's most important and influence films. Here then are his 5 best movies:

5. - This movie bought back the slasher film, albeit in a much more Hollywood manner. While many of the films it inspired or that ripped off of it, or it's inferior Craven helmed sequels (the third one was terrible!), it still stands a solid film. The problem is that over the years the movie has not aged well and does not hold to repeated. Baring that in mind the opening scene is still a classic moment (in particular in the unrated cut, sadly only seen on laserdisc). There is some good acting and the climax is thrilling. I enjoy the deconstructing of the slasher film, but it has many faults. But, then you see a piece of festering and worthless shit like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and really appreciate this movie. A classic despite all it's issues.

4. - Wes Craven and producer Sean Cunningham (who would go to direct the original Friday the 13th) gave us one of the most brutal and disturbing horror films ever made in this grindhouse classic. I think this film would be perfect if not for the stupid humor which is so out of place in a film like this. The villains are great in their role, in particular David Hess, who gave a career defining performance as scumbag Krug. The victims also give great performances, and the parents vengeance is highly satisfying. The brutal violence and degradation is still powerful, even after all my viewings and all the years that have passed. A film that is a landmark of it's time, it remains one of the greatest rape revenge films ever, topped only by Ms. 45.

3. - Before Craven deconstructed the slasher film with Scream he did it here. It's a great idea, that does work, but not as good as it could have. I have found that the film plays best the first time around, but regardless this a well written and acted movie. The lovely Heather Langenkamp gives a stellar performance. And, it is a blast to see Englund, Craven, Saxon, and Shay all playing themselves. The prospect of Freddy coming into the real world and terrorizing the lead from the original film is really an interesting. As is the involvement of such real life things such as actress stalking and the effects of violent horror on children.

2. - Continuing the more hardcore aspect of the horrors of LOTHL Craven wrote and directed this brutal, intense, and enthralling classic. The fact that both the villains and heroes are shown through their family life, adds an interesting dynamic to the proceedings. The attack on the family in the trailer remains one of Craven's strongest and most frightening moments. It is also highly satisfying when the heroes fight back. Avoid the Craven directed sequel or the sequel to the enjoyable, albeit inferior remake, as they both suck Micheal Berryman's asshole.

1. - Craven's best film is not only his scariest movie, but it is also one of the scariest horror films ever made. Like the early movies in his career this is an important and influential movie within the genre. ANOES took the slasher movie and added a new fantasy/ supernatural element that had not been present before. It is also a highly original and surreal movie that does a great job of presenting the world of our nightmares. The cast is good, with some classic performances. But, beyond all that it heralded a new horror villain in the form of Freddy Kreuger. While, the series would go down a more FX heavy/ pun filled style, the original remains a dark and terrifying movie and my third favorite movie ever.

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