not as good as i remember

Rating: 3/10 (9 March 2001)

Nightmare was my favorite horror movie growing up. It used to give me my own nightmares after late night viewings. I recently watched Nightmare again and was completely disappointed. I was never scared in the least, the F/X were prehistoric, and the acting was atrocious. Heather Langenkamp, though young at the time, is horrible. Her mother in the flick is even worse. Johnny Depp is also quite poor in this movie, though I liked him in Gilbert Grape and Ed Wood. There is definitely no hint in Nightmare of his potential.
I give this flick a 3/10. It is watchable and is not laughable as some horror films can be. That being said, it is not very good. It is clearly not in the same league as Halloween. It isn't even as good as Craven's more recent offerings. It's on a par with the Friday the 13th movies and that is not a complement. Watch Nightmare only if you are desperate.