Product: New Nightmare [VHS] (1994)
Rating: 4.0
Reality, or fantasy, or fiction . . or a film within a film?
This probably isn't the best Freddy film to watch if it's your first time watching one. But I needed to see one, to get the gist, as I'm going to see the new `Freddy Vs Jason' movie in a couple of days. I've seen some Jason/Friday 13th movies, and I know the basic storyline behind the Freddy films, but I thought it would be best to see one. I probably should have watched one of the first ones, right?This film has shades of `The Exorcist', `Poltergeist', `The Ring' and `Urban Legends 2: The Final Cut'. It has the best bits of all these movies thrown in. Unfortunately, I can't say which bits, cos it might give away the plotline. But you get the idea.This film gets very confusing, and I found myself with my head in my hands throughout, trying to figure out what was happening. Wes Craven plays himself, as does Robert Englund. And according to the credits, Freddy Krueger plays Freddy Krueger. Right . . .There are quite a few actors who play themselves in this film, which I didn't realise, having not recognised anyone, including the lead actress.There are quite a few mistakes I noticed in this film; mainly the microphone quite often appears at the top of the screen. Does no one watch these films anymore, in the editing room? Or were they on that tight a budget that they couldn't afford to? It's really noticeable.It must have been really weird for Wes Craven to be in front of the camera for once. He was a natural too. Although he didn't have a big part, he had a considerably bigger part than in the first Scream movie, where he appeared for a split second (blink & you'll miss him!), as a janitor, wearing a Freddy-esque striped sweater.The soundtrack to this film is absolutely fantastic! I really enjoyed it, and it was noticeable throughout the film, which was actually a good thing. I recognised some of the music, although could not place it.Although it doesn't have as much killing as the Jason movies, Freddy has all the suspense and creepiness to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film. Without all the blood & gore that has Jason fans going back for more, it's hard to see why these Freddy films were as popular. I was disappointed that there wasn't more killing, and when there was, it was always in a dream - or was it? If you're after blood & guts, and teenagers getting killed right after they've done the deed, then you need to watch the Friday 13th movies. However, if you want to be jumping out of your skin, or wondering what IS going to happen next, then you're best going for the Freddy movies.But if you're a fan of both movies, then you will have to see `Freddy Vs Jason', and get the best of both worlds. And who's going to win? After seeing this . . . I think it might be Jason, although I stand my ground, and say there's going to be sequels upon sequels!