Quick Reviews!!

Rating: 10/10 (13 April 2005)

In 1984 Wes Craven redefined the horror movie forever, bringing his own rules to the game, avoiding the clichés that had gone before, making an exciting, inventive, gory, wickedly clever, and above all-scary film. A Nightmare On Elm Street, spawner of sequels, influencer of crap is the movie horror fans hoped for in the early eighties, but is also an effective satire on small town life, our fascination with serial killers, our fear of the unknown, and the sins of our forefathers.
Nancy is a 14 year old. She has a cute boyfriend who would do anything for her, and two friends who mock them by being...experienced. Nancy lives with her alcoholic mother in a large house, her father is the local Sheriff, they divorced a while ago. One night when the four friends are staying together, Tina is brutally murdered by a hideously disfigured man, seemingly in her dreams. Her boyfriend watches on, horrified, while Nancy hears the screams from outside. Rod flees, and the cops look for him believing he is the only possible killer. However, once caught Nancy becomes convinced that someone else killed Tina, a man named Fred Krueger. Later Rod dies in his cell, it is believed to be suicide but Nancy knows differently. Her mother becomes increasingly estranged, as Nancy does all she can to stay awake, knowing that if she sleeps she may die. Her mother takes her to psychiatrists as she doesn't know what to do, not knowing that everything she is doing is wrong. She goes so far as barring Nancy inside the house, and she can't see Glen her boyfriend. Nancy believes Glen is next. Upon investigation Nancy finds out Krueger's story- he was a child murderer who stalked the town a few years ago. He was caught but escaped unpunished by some loophole, so the residents took the law into their own hands, burning and killing Fred. However, now he is back for revenge by killing the children of Elm Street once again in their dreams, where they should be safe. Nancy thinks that she can bring Fred into the real world and stop him, but needs Glen to stay awake. However, Glen's parents think she is a maniac and take the phone off the hook. Glen is killed and his parents are clueless. It is up to Nancy to stop Krueger, hoping her father will be ready when she screams for him. So she lets herself sleep, and looks for Fred.
This is one of the most imaginative horror movies ever, blending dreams with reality so the viewer never knows whether a character is asleep or not, giving a sense of tension throughout. Craven uses all the force which caused his previous films to be censored and banned, but makes his themes more subtle, and substitutes the realistic and grim visuals of The Last House on the Left for the fantastical sights here. For the most part it is the fault of the parents that their kids are killed- they created the monster by trying to kill the monster, but more importantly they then feel like their job has been completed, not realising when their kids are in danger. There is a total lack of understanding between the two generations, and little trust in the abilities of the youth. It is not only a tale for those reaching adulthood to be afraid of the world, that in the end we have to rely on ourselves rather than those who have protected us, but it is a story about the older generation's fear of the next generation. They want to be leaders but have their own insecurities, they want to be respected but show little in return, they want to protect but cannot see when something is really wrong.
The young cast is good, particularly Langenkamp. Garcia and Wyss have little to do, Depp has a bigger role and shows some of what would make him a legend. It is Langenkamp who carries the film, and she is excellent in her portrayal of fear, paranoia and helplessness, all the things we face when we are teens. We forget though that these things rarely leave us. She screams, but thinks, and is not the typical stupid teen, making an assertive step towards saving herself and her friends, while trying to hold her family together. Indeed she proves to be the strongest character in the film, preceding Ripley by a few years. She knows her survival is down to herself. The older members are also very good. Blakley is brilliant as Marge who cannot cope with Nancy and with her break-up, giving in to booze like so many others. Saxon is also good as the father trying to get on with his life and work, and forget the evils of his past while trying to understand his daughter. And of course, Englund steals every scene he is in. He is terrifyingly believable, the perfect example of what lurks in our nightmares, waking and dreaming. His one-liners are comic to himself as he takes sadistic joy in following and killing kids. In later films they become silly, but here we get the sense that these are the exact words that would come from a paedophile and serial killer.
The effects here also standout, with the famous bloodbath bed scene and Tina being torn all over the ceiling becoming some of the most famous images in horror history. Kreuger looks scary, those blades will be heard in our dreams, and the dream world is filmed with care so that we can tell that there is something not quite right about the surroundings, unsettling us. A highly effective film, scary and at times funny, but thought-provoking and unnerving with one of the most frightening villains ever committed to film. This inspired many clones, but this is still the king and continues to influence many films, horror and beyond. And count the number of Simpsons references.
10 out of 10