in danger of becoming unfashionable

Rating: Null/10 (17 February 2004)

This movie has not really aged gracefully. It's a showcase for wooden actors, klutzy mechanical effects and silly genre cliches, and even if you dig the premise (which is definitely cool), you gotta admit that the execution is rather clumsy.
Still, this is a refreshing change of pace from the smarmy and self-aware horror we get these days. Craven's own "Scream" thumbed its nose at the conventions of the horror genre and "Buffy" followed suit, but for those of us who don't necessarily want horror to be a postmodern laugh-riot, a movie like the first "Nightmare" has something to offer. A proactive heroine, creepy dream segments, a menacing atmosphere (the one quality that excessive humor is sure to destroy), and a novelty appearance by Johnny Depp add up to decent entertainment.
In the final analysis, this is a superior example of teenage horror. But I still think that the best horror movies star adults (what's the appeal of seeing adolescents get hacked up, anyway?) and are treated in an adult way...anyone up for watching "Curse of the Demon" instead?