Great first chapter in the Elm Street series!

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2015)

The original 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street is more than just your average ordinary scary movie. It's a scary movie that influenced other scary movies such as The Ring, The Grudge, Saw, Hostel and Paranormal Activity and it is the reason why we have Freddy Krueger, one of the most iconic horror villains on the screen.
The original 1984 classic is written and directed by Wes Craven and was released on November 9, 1984 and it's distributor, New Line Cinema from going bankrupt and spawn a multi-media franchise, including eight sequels, a 2010 reboot of the same name, produced by Michael Bay and starring Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, video games, comic books, a TV show and a crossover between the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and Friday the 13th franchise, which was titled Freddy vs. Jason, and released in 2003.
The plot deals with a killer named Freddy Kreuger attacking Nancy Thompson and her friends in their dreams, successfully killing all but Nancy, in fictional Springwood, Ohio. Krueger's back-story is revealed by Nancy's mother, Marge, who explains that he was a child murderer.
The parents of Springwood killed Kreuger after he was acquitted on a technically. Nancy defeats Freddy by pulling him out of the dream world and stripping him of his powers when she stops being afraid of him.
The original Nightmare on Elm Street is a classic for me because at the time I was growing up, I really did not know what a scary movie was until I got my first taste in 2003 when I saw "Freddy vs. Jason" and that's when I started to like scary movies.
Robert Englund plays the role of Freddy Krueger and he would remain in that part for all eight original Nightmare on Elm Steet films, but would soon be played by Jackie Earle Haley in the 2010 version. Now, I can't say which actor is better as Freddy Krueger because I like both of them. I know my sister LeeAnn is going to curse me out for saying this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I actually prefer both actors playing Freddy Krueger. Sure, Jackie Earle Haley may not have the comedic stuff like Robert Englund, but he does do one thing right: play the part of Krueger in a scary way, much like Englund does in the original 1984 film and it's sequels. Heather Langenkamp plays Nancy Thompson and she would play the part of Nancy again in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" and she would also play herself and Nancy in "Wes Craven's New Nightmare". Johnny Depp plays Glen in the first film of his career and a lot of people said that this is his worst performance, but I actually like him in the first Freddy Krueger film. Jsu Garcia and Amanda Wyss plays Tina and Rod and they are good in the time they have on screen. John Saxon plays Lt. Don Thompson and he is just amazing.
The music composed by Charles Bernstein is amazing and really amazing and I really liked the musical score. The movie's tension and suspense builds up to each nightmare in the film. My favorite nightmare is when Nancy is in the bathtub and Freddy's claw comes out of the water and tries to kill her, but she drowns and she eventually gets out.
The visuals were impressive for 1984 and they are just as incredible now as they were back then. The editing and dialogue is memorable as heck and this movie is really cool and impressive.
The style and tone of this movie is really dark and serious and it is very good for this kind of scary movie. The sequels were also cool and amazing, but the only one I had mixed feelings about is the fifth film, "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child". But, I will get to that in a later review.
Overall, the original 1984 version of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is really well directed, well-written, darn good acted and has a great musical theme that tells you that Freddy Kreuger is coming for you. The movie is gory in some scenes, but it has a purpose for being in the movie, which I like and I have no problem re-watching the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise over and over again, especially the 1984 film, the 2010 remake and the 2003 crossover with Friday the 13th. The music by Charles Bernstein is really amazing and it is very dark and sinister and it is really cool to hear the Freddy Krueger theme. The film is definitely getting the best possible rating I can give it and that is a 9 out of 10.