Review #45: A Nightmare on Elm St (1984)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Wes Craven (Director)

Robert Englund (Freddy)

Johnny Depp (Glen Lantz)

Heather Langenkamp (Nancy Thompson): ANOES Part 3, ANOES Part 7, Shocker (1989)...pictured right

John Saxon (Lt. Donald Thompson): ANOES Part 3, Black Christmas (1974), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Blood Beach (1981), Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994), From Dusk ‘til Dawn (1996)

Amanda Wyss (Tina Gray): Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Better off Dead (1985)

Jsu Garcia (Rod Lane): Wildcats (1986), Predator 2 (1990), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), Candyman 3 (1999), Devil in the Flesh 2 (2000), Collateral Damage (2002), Along Came Polly (2004)

Charles Fleischer (Dr. King): The Hand, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – voice of Roger (1988), Back to the Future 2 (1989)

Joseph Whipp (Sgt. Parker): Scream

Lin Shaye (Teacher): ANOES Part 7, Critters, 2001 Maniacs, Killer Pad

Joe Unger (Sgt. Garcia): TCM 3, Pumpkinhead 2 (1994)

Trailer:

Plot:

A town's serial child killer (Freddy) has finally been caught, however he is later “set free” on a prosecution technicality. Outraged, the town’s parents deceide to take matters into their own hands. They catch him to him and burn him alive in an abandon building (that's called street justice).

Years later, Freddy returns as a "dream demon" and appears in children’s dream to kill them and to complete his revenge on the town. The children’s fear gives Freddy his strength. The children who die in their sleep, also die in the real world. Some deaths look like accidents, while others go on unexplained to authorities.

ANOES (A Nightmare...Street) centers around a young teenage girl named Nancy. Nancy along with her friends’ experience “nightmares” about Freddy and her friends slowly die one by one as Nancy struggles to solve the mystery of Freddy.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) co-stars as Nancy’s boyfriend. Nancy fights to stay awake during the movie until she figures out how to defeat Freddy. At the end she learns some secrets about the dream demon and defeats him (now we all know that she doesn’t really “defeat” him).

Dream Sequence Time:

Approx.: 27 min. and 39 sec.(of 89 minutes)

Freddy Puns In Film (or smart ass remarks): 3

Villain:

Freddy (Robert Englund) is one of the most recognizable horror movie killers. Freddy is terribly scarred by burns and fashions a red and green striped Christmas sweater and a black hat.

On his right hand, he wields a four-finger-knife glove to slash his victims. Freddy’s not afraid to use other methods of death as he uses his powers in the dream world to dispose of his victims. He even has his own nursery rhythm:

♫ 1…2…Freddy’s coming for you ♫

♫ 3…4…Better lock your door ♫

♫ 5…6…Grab your crucifix ♫

♫ 7…8…Gonna stay up late ♫

♫ 9…10…Never sleep again ♫

Cast:

Heather Langenkamp begins her horror movie legacy as the film's lead teenager, Nancy. Outside of Freddy...she is the story. Nancy is a typical teen who has a father as a cop (played by John Saxson). His rule is pretty tough as he rules the house. Nancy's mom is...well, let's just say she likes the bottle of Vitamin "A" if you get my drift.

Nancy struggles through her high school days like every typical teen does...only she has a little bit more pressure burdened on her shoulders. Nancy has a bad dreaming problem in the name of Freddy. Nancy discovers that Freddy can actually kill people in their dreams, and then decides not to get any shut eye in the fear of becoming his latest victim.

Nancy battles the elements of sleep deprivation and...being a high school teenager, as she quickly matures and battles the dream demon himself. Langenkamp does a pretty good job in the film turning the valley girl into a tough chick who whoops a little Freddy butt in the end.

ANOES is Captain Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) first movie role. Once again, the horror industry paves the way and gives great actors and actresses the start in life they need. Depp also has the pleasure of having one of the coolest death sequences in horror movie history as he gets sucked into his bed only to be remembered as a geyser of blood afterwards.

SFX:

Okay ANOES had a small body count (no big deal) and an over-the-top usage of blood (also no big deal), but the dream sequences were constructed and done pretty good. When I first saw the flick, not all dream sequences were easy to point out...unlike the other films.

One dream sequence I really liked was the bathtub scene. I thought there was a lot of horror movie fun and creativity there. Too bad we didn't get to see what the babe had underneath the bubbles.

TNA:

ANOES had no boobies, one sex act, one bathtub scene, and three hot chicks (Shark Factor), but nothing else on this front. I was a little disappointed for a horror movie that was made in the mid-80’s not to fully exploit this area.

Just a fair warning for the viewers who WANT to see that stuff...A Nightmare on Elm St. is not the franchise you want to be watching. I'm just saying...TNA is not one of it's strong points.

T.Gun's Take:

I give ANOES mega originality points for using dreams as the playground for death. I mean MEGA. This film created a whole new realm of horror. The boogeymen are no longer the psycho guys who hide behind masks and wait in the woods for helpless teens. Freddy brought a whole new level of fear into the audience's hearts. The safest place in your life (your bedroom...unless you have crabs or something) is not safe anymore.

ANOES offered a small peek into the background of Freddy’s history. Don't worry, as more and more sequels get made, you'll see bits and pieces of the whole picture. Besides who knows what the remake will have on it's table? Remake? Yep. Expect it to hit theaters in spring of 2010. I know...we don't really need it.

The setting in the film were pretty good, especially the boiler room sequences. They were dark, eerie and creepy. They created the opportunities for the multiple fun "make the audience jump out of their seats" situations.

Just like Halloween and Friday the 13th, ANOES produced a recognizable musical score for Freddy. It will easily be identifiable with Freddy films to come. Even the little nursery ryhme I displayed earlier is a catchy jingle.

Sadly enough the movie marked the rise and fall of the movie franchise. Bummer! It definitely was the best of the franchise. The next seven films are a complete waste of time and money (except maybe the third movie and FvsJ). Nightmare was a well thought of and put together movie that had potential for more things, but someone down the lines screwed things up.

ANOES is a classic horror movie that is a must see for any fan of the genre, and a film even the casual movie goers should see.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened November 11, 1984 and made $10.8 million at the box office ($1.27 opening weekend)
-Every sequel made more money at the box office than this one (including opening weekend sales)
-Nightmare was New Line Cinemas first movie and Johnny Depp’s first movie.
-Ladies that auditioned for the role of Nancy: Jennifer Grey, Courteney Cox, Demi Moore, and Tracey Gold...could have been her
-Wes Craven’s wife plays the role of the hot dream clinic nurse
-The word(s) Elm Street never are seen or spoken in the film except during the opening and ending credits
-JFK was killed on Elm Street in Dallas
-The “Freddy Glove” was used in parts 1 & 2 and also in Evil Dead 2, but then disappeared
-Directors Wes Craven and Sam Raimi reference each other in most of their films; in Nightmare, there are two references to the Evil Dead (A Sam Raimi film). One is a poster for the movie Evil Dead and the other time, the trailer for the Evil Dead appears on the television