A Nightmare on Elm Street

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Horrorphile - November 2007

A Nightmare on Elm Street

November 22nd 2007 01:19

Michael Myers had been stalking and slashing for a good six years, Jason Voorhees had been slicing and dicing for a solid three years, Leatherface had been in hiding for ten years, but the buzz would be back in another couple of years. It was 1984 and writer/director Wes Craven unleashed the bastard son of a hundred maniacs, Freddy Kreuger, upon the world in his horror masterwork, A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Freddy’s mother, Amanda Krueger, was a nun in an institution for the most violent of the criminally insane, so the back story goes. Over the Christmas Holiday in the early 40s Amanda was inadvertently left inside the patient containment area, where she was repeatedly raped and brutalized. Help only arrived days later. Barely alive, Amanda was rescued from the clutches of the barbaric inmates. And she was with child. A child conceived in pain, torture, insanity and evil. That child was named Frederick Charles Krueger.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Robert Englund

Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger

During the early 70s the psychopathic Freddy became the “Springwood Slasher”, a child-killer that wore a glove with knives for fingers, and disposed of the bodies of his victims in the boiler room where he worked. Freddy was finally caught and brought to trial, but an error in the legal system allowed him to go free. Many of the parents in Springwood were compelled to take matters into their own hands and administer their own brand of justice – so they burned Freddy Krueger alive.

Ten years after his fiery death Freddy Krueger returns as a seemingly invincible dream demon. In nightmares he terrorises the children of the parents who were responsible for carrying out his execution. When they die in their dreams they die for real.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Heather Langencamp

Heather Langencamp as Nancy

When young Nancy (Heather Langencamp)’s best friend Tina (Amanda Wyss) dies a violent death during a dream confrontation with Freddy Krueger, Nancy discovers the nightmarish truth and realises she must find a way to stop the evil spectre of Krueger and his ontological reign of terror … or never sleep again.

Tina (Amanda Wyss) in one of her bad dreams

Wes Craven concocted the idea for the screenplay from apparently real-life incidents involving survivors of Pol Pot’s murderous genocides, who later died of shock from the intensity of their nightmares. Craven then based the look of Krueger on a frightening image he had as a boy when a drunken hobo, dressed similarly to Krueger, glared up at him at his bedroom window from the street.

Fresh-faced Johnny Depp as Glen

A Nightmare on Elm Street was the first feature for New Line Cinema, but they almost went bankrupt during filming. The enormous success of the movie saved them, with Bob Shaye, the CEO, saying the company was “the house that Freddy built”. It was Johnny Depp’s first movie. While accompanying his buddy to the movie's auditions Wes Craven spotted him and asked him to read. The rest is history.

The dream fabric of Nancy's nightmares about to tear

What makes A Nightmare on Elm Street so much scarier and creepier than any of the steadily sillier and lamer sequels which followed (all seven of them!), were a couple of key elements. Firstly Freddy Krueger says very little, he wasn’t the wise-cracking, macabre comedian he became in the later movies; he’s much more of a silent and studied rage of the grotesque. Secondly, there is low-budget ingenuity with the special effects, and a genuinely novel approach to many of the set-pieces within the movie. And of course, it's the first appearance of that bladed glove.

Nancy has a rather rude awakening

The performances might not be Oscar material, but there is honesty there. Deep trash horror veteran John Saxon as Nancy’s father, Lt. Thompson, adds some weight, and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger is a truly inspired performance. And of course, there’s a baby-faced Johnny Depp.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Ronee Blakley, John Saxon and Heather Langencamp

Nancy's parents Marge (Ronee Blakley) and Lt. Thompson (John Saxon) confer over her emotional state of mind

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a seminal modern horror movie, like all the best it’s flawed, but so utterly memorable, and easily, easily, the best movie Wes Craven has ever made. Plying psychological fears with cheap, but often very effective, exploitation tricks of the trade Craven made a highly original and inventive movie that continues to inspire. And the ending, which might appear clichéd now, was a sensational rug-pulling trick.

Never trust a convertible on Elm Street

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you.
Three, four, better lock your door.
Five, six, grab your crucifix.
Seven, eight, better stay up late.
Nine, ten, never sleep again …"

Here's the original theatrical trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

5 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

November 23rd 2007 05:09

Actually I quite liked this movie when I first saw it.
I absolutely hated one of later ones where he visits the film crew who made the movie.

It gave a sense of the unreal encroaching upon reality.
Are we awake or are we asleep?
Like all good horror flick the story gets you in before the frights do.

Comment by KylieW

November 26th 2007 03:32

Celebrity Obsession

I loved this movie! Freddy Krueger scared the living daylights out of me.

You're right, without a doubt the best movie Wes Craven has done.

Comment by Bryn

November 26th 2007 22:24

Horrorphile

Damo, I totally agree. I loathed that smug "post-modern" sequel.

Kylie, yeah, they don't make like this anymore.

Comment by Anonymous

February 23rd 2009 12:32

Nightmare On Elm Street was okay but Wes Craven has done a few good flicks, take for instance SCREAM. And I kinda liked The Mangler.

Comment by Bryn

February 23rd 2009 22:34

Horrorphile

Anon, I've not seen the Mangler, I thought Tobe Hooper did that. I think Nightmare craps all over Scream.

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