The Nightmare that started it all!

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2005)

Wes Craven writes and directs one of the greatest horror films ever made that went on to spawn a million dollar franchise. The story begins with 4 local teenagers who are having some bad dreams to say the least. Tina (Amanda Wyss) tells Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) about the nightmares and realize that the same creep has been terrorizing her in her dreams. Soon enough Tina is killed and her boyfriend blamed. Nancy's nightmares increase as the man know as Fred Krueger (Robert Englund) attempts to kill her in her nightmares. She finds out that he was a child killer in town that the locals including her parents, hunted down and burned to death. No one believes her including her boy friend (Depp) and father (Saxon), so she decides its up to her. Nancy manages to pull him out of her dreams and kill him. The Ending is a bit confusing weather or not she was dreaming when she killed Krueger or when the movie ends. But that's one of the effects that Wes Craven put into the film not knowing what is dream and what is reality. Of all the Nightmare films this is by far the best directed, written and acted of the series. Craven manages to put together a movie that can be genuinely creepy at times. Being a big horror movie fan, this was great and rather then the slasher flicks that it became this sticks to a better story line. The acting was in most part better than the other films. Langenkamp and Saxon are great in their roles along with Depp, though I hate him, he is a good actor. Englund though one of the main stars does very little in terms of acting. His charter does not have nearly the funny one liners he would be know for in the future. The special effects are average for the time, nothing special here. The story is probably where this movie shines the most along with the main charter of Freddy. This one may not be as entertaining as 3 and 4 but overall is a better film. I must have seen this film as kid in the mid eighties and it was very refreshing to see it again, because this is what a real horror movie should look like. I'm sure the DVD will have great extras and plan on getting it. Big ten for a classic film of pure horror and terror.