Just like Craven, I always disliked the direction A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge went in. The entire concept is an undead killer stalking teens in their dreams absolutely terrifying!!! They decided to force an teenager into killing people. Not only that, it had a loose connection to the original movie.
We barely get Freddy in the movie at all. To be fair, his scenes were still well done. I personally hated it had virtually nothing to do with terrorizing teens in their dreams. Let's put it this way, it turned me off like Brahms: The Boy II. A questionable revamp of a concept at best. Sure there's some rememberable moments in the movie.
There's no way it's going to stalk against the best Freddy movies. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 my favorite Freddy movie. Craven was involved but New Line Cinema were exploiting his name. They ultimately forced the ending Craven didn't want. He may not been on board with the story they went with. He still ended up liking the movie to a degree.
I'll come back to A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 since it's the most focus of this blog entry. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child represents the very aspect Craven hated New Line Cinema done with Freddy. They tried making Freddy more likeable by adding in humor. Which also ended up happening with Chucky. In a weird way, it was recreating A Nightmare on Elm Street 2.
Both involved Freddy possessing one of their victims. Which meant his existence was barely enough to stay in our world. Funny enough, this also was done a little differently in Freddy vs. Jason. I will give them credit, Dan's kill scene especially the rare uncut version is amazing!!! By this point, New Line Cinema was exploiting the character.
This also felt like a weak follow up to the last two great Freddy movies. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare heavily plays on the final horror installment trend. Friday the 13th actually done that twice. Let's be honest, they went full on Looney Tunes with Freddy here. Even one of the kills plays out like something right out of those classic cartoon shorts.
Obviously this wasn't the character Craven created. For my own reasons enjoyed the movie a lot. It's among the worst Freddy movies. At least, there's slightly more reasons I liked it over A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Essentially Seed of Chucky for Freddy franchise. To be honest, I actually prefer Seed of Chucky over it.
I'm not including Wes Craven's New Nightmare. The concept was a rather unique one for it's time. Some of the actors of Freddy's movies plays themselves. Freddy's dark side stalking them being closer to Craven's vision of the character. I will say easily among my favorite Freddy movies. I have nothing too negative to say about the movie, I loved it!!!
Craven did state his thoughts on Freddy vs. Jason to a degree. I seen the crossover movie a lot myself. When he stated how Freddy ended up being done in that movie. He was very on the money with that. Sure Freddy's role was get reduced because they had to split it between two famous horror icons. I would say this version of the character is slightly more comical than actually scary.
We do know it's a follow up to Freddy's Dead and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday respectively. Two weird horror movies at that, I'm a bigger fan of Freddy's Dead. Craven wasn't involved with that crossover movie either. Craven had a difficult business relationship with a producer at New Line Cinema.
Originally, Wes wanted A Nightmare on Elm Street to end with a happier ending concluding everything. In other words, he never wanted that to become an franchise. But the producer in question wanted money. To say lines were drawn would be quite an understatement. Along with that producer, two writers didn't like Craven's concept for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.
It's difficult to say whose direction was better. Craven's concept for that movie ended up becoming Wes Craven's New Nightmare. The best part is they given Craven full control for once over a Freddy movie. It's no surprise it was a great Freddy movie. He also ultimately ended up not working on A Nightmare on Elm Street 4.
The short version is his concept for the movie refused on the spot. Usually for Craven, he starts disliking Freddy movies New Line Cinema forced their way. Unexpectedly, Craven showed up to the first shooting of that Freddy movie. He was so impressed by the director to wrote him a letter. Some of you might be more familiar with some of his other classic movies.
1. Die Hard 2: Die Harder
2. Cliffhanger
3. Deep Blue Sea
Wes stated none of the Freddy movies done stuff like this before or since then. He sure wasn't kidding with such ambition went into this Freddy movie. We're given one of the sickest resurrection scenes in the movie. Originally started as a joke that had Satanic meaning behind it. I won't sugar coat this, a dog peed causing the resurrection to happen.
The amazing shots during this was mind blowing for it's time. Majority of the nightmares in the movie were beautifully done. A good example being Debbie', this chick gets both her arms broken. Then she starts transforming into two coach roaches I counted. What I recently learned is the actress actually dressed up as those bugs during the scene.
I still felt this is among the most creative Freddy movies ever made!!! We had Alice's brother Rick in a bath room stall transformed into a crazy fast elevator. He ends up fighting Freddy whose invisible. Keep in mind, this predates the game franchise Mortal Kombat a few years. The actual scene called Mortal Combat I'm not joking.
Indirectly, Freddy ended up in an actual Mortal Kombat game years later. We also had Kincaid the strong guy dropped a car on Krueger!!! This by itself was beautifully done in the movie. I absolutely loved Freddy slowly stalking looking for them. Out of no where he pushed a car onto him was genius!!! Everything about that moment always sticked with me a long time.
Joey gets tricked by Freddy disguised as a nude chick from a poster. I used to have a water bed a long time ago. After watched that kill scene it made thinking of them not safe. I previously was funny about Kristen's recasting. After some reddit comments, I took a closer look at Tuesday's performance. I got to be honest, I actually felt she brought the character to life more.
No disrespect the original actress Patricia Arquette. In fact, Arquette went up to Knight telling her. She was better at the role than she was. Knight stated how surprised she was being told that by her. Kristen ends up getting burnt alive while saving Alice from Freddy. Concluding the last of the group from the previous movie.
Now that was quite ballsy to have Freddy kill all three remaining members off like that. At the same time, this director made such a risky move that worked incredibly well. Sheila gets a mess up nightmare with an ending people still talking about. She fell asleep during an exam in school. Freddy took advantage of the situation.
We get to see one of her hand suddenly goes into a portal. Quickly followed up by a robot's hand attacking her face. This all ends with Freddy sucking her completely up from the inside. You could say he sucked the life out of her. The special effects of Sheila getting sucked up was amazingly well done. Freddy does a time loop with two characters while killing off Debbie.
You literately see Alice go up to Dan. Quickly the two in Dan's truck drives to Debbie's. Then the cycle repeats a few times during the nightmare fuel kill scene. I really gotta talk about the ending portions of the movie. Dan gets forced to wake up during an operation at a hospital. Alice takes on Freddy in a church.
I simply from start to finish loved this entire portion of the movie. Freddy allows Alice to beat him up while laughing. Then Alice starts using powers from some of his victims against him. I always loved seeing the two carefully moving on top of the sits at the church while fighting each other. The sudden surprise Alice gets out a device then forced wires into it.
The special effect of a beam going through Freddy's chest was unbelievable in a good way. Alice also wore particular stuff some of the victims wore making such a moment stand out more. Freddy about to close in on the kill. We get possibly the greatest Freddy death scene in history. Alice forced the souls inside Freddy to rebel against him.
We actually get to see a large portions of his body being overtaken by his victims. This was among the hardest to pull off special effects in the entire movie. This also was one of two deaths in the dream world. If you count Wes Craven's New Nightmare. Story wise, it all fits in perfectly. Properly connecting the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.
I also felt this is easily one of the greatest versions. For Freddy I have ever seen I'm not kidding!!! Even Englund himself stated this movie had his favorite Freddy performance. Despite not a clear direction he quickly adapted to end up delivering such a great performance. I also liked day dreams gotten included. Anything that directly affects your mind.
Freddy can easily exploit to his advantage. I also should mention Joey has a more speaking role this time. I do agree Kristen's constant fear of Freddy did bring him back. Thus, every kill he makes in this movie was also her fault. In a weird way, it's like Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Where Tommy Jarvis caused the undead killer to come back to life.
Now going by that logic, this would mean every kill from Part VI to Jason Goes to Hell was his fault. I love the big twist of the movie theater dream. Alice realizes she's watching herself to end up getting sucked into the movie. Which quickly reminded me of a movie called Last Action Hero. Before she gets into the movie was a rather cool attention to detail.
She notices everyone in the sits was Freddy's victims in the movie up to that point. All of them suddenly enjoying the movie as Alice gets sucked in. Not long after that, Alice sits nearby Freddy at a diner. Freddy gets served a pizza with some of his victims now as meatballs. The server turned out to be a older Alice further freaking her out.
We actually get to see Freddy eat one of these meatballs. Everything about that moment puts chills down your spine. They may already been killed but to relive dying in such a fashion is truly mess up!!! This is right before Freddy goes after Debbie. I also loved the famous junkyard world shot. We already knew Kincaid screwed prior.
Adding in that shot showing the entire world is a giant junkyard. The director really didn't hold back on the imagination here. Personally both the following sequels felt tired as well as somewhat uninspired. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 felt like a worthy successor to the original movie as well. Especially for a Freddy movie he ultimately didn't get to work on.
The famous house gets reused a few times. After Kristen's death, literately started each gets their own nightmare experience. I also gotta mention the famous Freddy picture that suddenly burns up. Honestly, even the little things stands out in this Freddy movie. I do see why Craven loved this sequel so much? It was a proper sequel to not only the previous entry.
It also directly continues after the original. But at the same time, Freddy was close enough to Craven's vision of the character. Excluding the second movie, those three Freddy movies could've worked as a trilogy. Yes I seen that video from horror YouTuber Cody Leach about his favorite horror movie trilogies.
No disrespect to that video, it's a worthy choice for Freddy, My actual favorite Freddy trilogy was 1, 3 and New Nightmare. Craven was directly involved with all three Freddy movies. A few actors including Robert Englund came back despite the loose connections in New Nightmare. To be fair, either Freddy trilogy is better than doing the typical direction with A Nightmare on Elm Street 2.
To me, that movie wasn't a proper Freddy movie. Just like Leprechaun: Origins didn't actually use leprechauns!!! Especially with such an unique concept of an undead killer manipulating your dreams. I did expect more than that disaster!!! I also never had an issue with the main actor being gay being a straight character.
Officially many actors and actresses done it both ways for years. Why was that such an issue I'm not even sure? I felt he did the best he could with what was given to him. This is exactly why I place A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 so low in my own ranking. Still ended up being a little better than A Nightmare on Elm Street 5.
Somehow Freddy's Dead was a bit more enjoyable to me. Despite some of the big problems that Freddy movie had. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 was a true master piece. Even considering a lot of horror movies of that era just kept getting sequels. This is easily among the best of them in that era. I highly recommend checking out this Freddy movie!!!
I felt the movie as a whole had the perfect balance just like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. Just using fewer characters with fewer deaths. But both Freddy movies were quite impressive. We actually get to see how evil of a person Krueger is in this movie. The creativity behind a lot of the scenes alone makes it a great one to revisit.
No comments:
Post a Comment