The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection (New Line Platinum Series)
by Chuck Russell, Jack Sholder, Rachel Talalay, Renny Harlin, Stephen Hopkins
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Actor: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Lisa Zane, Robert Englund, Rodney EastmanDirector: Chuck Russell, Jack Sholder, Rachel Talalay, Renny Harlin, Stephen Hopkins
Writer: Brian Helgeland
Writer: Bruce Wagner
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 764 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-09-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: New Line Home Video
DVD Reviews of The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection (New Line Platinum Series)
DVD Review: Awesome Presentation of a Classic Horror Series!
Summary: 5 Stars
Back in the '80's, when I was a little kid, Freddy Krueger was one of the biggest name drops on the playground. Star of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" film series, Freddy was a neighborhood child-killer (they never went into much more detail than that on his original crimes) who got off on a technicality and was hunted down and burned alive by the parents of Elm Street. Now, Freddy is after the Elm Street teenagers, this time by slaughtering them in their dreams, still using the homemade, clawed glove he killed with when he was alive. Now, that may not seem like the most interesting plotline in film history these days, after years and years of Freddy/Jason/Michael copycats, and if you have only experienced Freddy in a sequel or two, you might be reminded of something like "Leprechaun", a horror villain that is as much about comedic puns and wisecracks as bizarre and gratuitous onscreen slaughter. Granted, over the course of Freddy's career, he got goofier and goofier, becoming something of a live-action Looney Tunes character poisoned by pure evil. However, after revisiting these films again recently, I must say, they all manage to be interesting and entertaining, and most importantly, if you haven't seen the original in a long time or at all, you probably don't realize or have forgotten how good it really was. These are still not my favorite horror films and I can't say I ever really found Freddy a very scary character, obviously threatening knife-fingers aside, but I'm glad to have this boxed set as part of my collection, and (talking about the 8 disc release here with the Nightmare encyclopedia) this really is a great package for true Freddy fans or horror lovers in general.
Now, in "The Nightmare on Elm Street" DVD Collection, we get the first 7 films Freddy starred in so far. What we don't get is "Freddy vs. Jason" and the upcoming remake, naturally, which will recast the lead role with Jackie Earle Haley (a fantastic actor you may know as Rorschach from "Watchmen"). In everything Nightmare up to this point, Freddy was always played by Robert Englund. Robert basically IS Freddy, but I like Jackie, so we'll see how that goes. Anyway, another thing that comes to mind which you won't find in this set is the TV series, "Freddy's Nightmares", which was a sort of horror anthology show that Freddy simply hosted and ran for 2 seasons. It still has not received a DVD release, and I really don't remember it too well myself, just vaguely. Anyway, what follows is my brief description of the 7 films that come in this set, with my opinions on them. Each film is in its own DVD case (the oldschool cardboard and plastic kind) and carries cast and crew text bios that are from the corresponding film's original release press kit, and the original film and 7th film (New Nightmare) include commentaries by Creator/Writer/Director Wes Craven, stars John Saxon and Heather Langenkamp, and Director of Photography Jacques Haitkin (the newer film's commentary is just Wes). All other bonus features are saved for the 8th disc, the "Nightmare Series Encyclopedia". An additional note on the package, all the cases are packed inside a very nice, very cool looking outer case. Also included is a booklet of press material for each film and 2 3D glasses to be used during the 6th film's finale if you opt to watch it with the 3D effects.
Film 1: "A Nightmare on Elm Street": This is the original Wes Craven masterpiece, which, believe it or not, was inspired by real articles Wes once read about some young Thai workers who were dying from a series of extraordinarily bad nightmares. In this classic film from 1984, a group of teenagers who live on Elm Street begin to get picked off one by one in their dreams by the murderous Freddy. Whatever he does to them in their nightmares actually hurts them in real-life, leading to some very disturbing and frightening scenes. Seemingly the strongest of the group, a young girl named Nancy is determined to survive, discover the truth about the killer, and defeat him. Great performances, the original, creepier take on Freddy, and a simpler but more engrossing story are what make this film hold up so well. And many folks will get a kick out of seeing Johnny Depp in his first feature film role as Nancy's boyfriend!
Film 2: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" (1985): When a new teen moves into Nancy's old house, Freddy attempts to use him to enter the real world through a possession of sorts. It's a reluctant killer/monster kind of role, and because it is different from the other Freddy films in this way, it's not well liked. Something else often brought up about this particular film is all the gay/bisexual subtext. Overall, this one is not really a story that sticks with you or even that has many "moments". I'll always remember it as the one I used to run across on television the most when I was a little kid and that scene where the guy is licking his girlfriend's, um... sternum, at a party, but other than that, not very special for the straight audience. Oh yeah, it does have the funny guy from "Vamp" in it.
Film 3: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" (1987): Things got back on track and generally interesting again when Wes Craven returned as writer for Nightmare 3. This one brings back Nancy (and her dad) as she tries to help a new group of Elm Street teens survive Freddy's attacks and use their own special dream powers to defeat him once and for all. The teens are fighting the good fight from a mental hospital to which dream specialist Nancy has been brought on staff. The teen focus of the film this time 'round is a girl named Kristen, played by a cute, young Patricia Arquette, who has the ability to bring others into her dreams with her, allowing them to team up against their attacker. This return to form makes for a great film, gets more imaginative with the nightmares and has some very memorable moments, and yet everything is written well enough to not let it get excessively campy. It's not the first film, but it's a truer sequel.
Film 4: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" (1988): In the fourth entry into the Freddy franchise, the story rightly continues with Kristen from the previous film (though recast here with Tuesday Knight). Freddy returns from... what I guess we'll call death, for lack of a better word, and how he returned is something I'm not quite sure about, unless you just figure it didn't work because he is immortal (which I think was the implied explanation). But, anyway, Freddy's back, he's harassing the survivors of the previous film and trying to get new victims brought to his reach through the powers of Kristen and her boyfriend's sister, Alice. What we eventually discover is that this film is actually about Alice (played by hottie-hot-hottie Lisa Wilcox), who begins to gain power as her friends are killed around her. Each one has a skill that she inherits, allowing her to become a dream warrior and do battle with the immortal Freddy. "The Dream Master" is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting films in this set. Granted, it helps a lot that I find Alice very attractive, but it's also very creative and a fun story. Some of the acting isn't so great, it's kind of goofy and nonsensical, but it's still highly entertaining. Any flaws it has are much worse in the next film.
Film 5: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" (1989): Freddy and Alice both return in the 5th film, in which a now slightly pregnant (but still totally hot, even if she went from red to blonde) Alice thinks all is well until Freddy tries to come back through her unborn fetus's dreams. Alice, with the help of her friends, must defend her dream child from Freddy while also struggling to discover the mystery of Amanda Krueger, Freddy's mother. With its revelations into Freddy's past, this film does have something to offer, but over all it can be a chore to watch (probably much worse if you aren't as into Alice as I am) due to some of the casting just not pleasing me. For one thing, never could stand that kid who plays the dream child, and I find Alice's new friends on the annoying side too. Some of their lines are on the cheesy side to be sure.
Film 6: "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (1991): Now, I gotta say, this has to be the most over the top films in the Freddy saga, not contemplating New Nightmare's premise. In "Freddy's Dead", intended to be the last Freddy film, Freddy does meet his end (even if he does return again in Freddy vs. Jason), and we do get more fascinating glimpses into his past and a look at his offspring, plus the truth about Freddy's special state of existence, but I swear, this is the goofiest movie of them all. The video game kill, the Johnny Depp cameo, the Escape from New York opening, the 3D ending,... oh, and don't get me started on Rosanne and Tom Arnold! By the way, they must have ignored the condition of Springwood here when they wrote "Freddy vs. Jason"... gotta rewatch that one to be sure though. Anyway, in this film, set in the future (from when it was released, anyway), Freddy has killed all the children and teens of Freddy's stomping ground of Springwood, Ohio, and now wants to reach his offspring in order to gain access to new victims. This takes us to a shelter for wayward youth in which a group of young teens are planning an escape. They unwittingly end up in Springwood with a doctor from the shelter, and of course, the fun begins all over again. In the end, we're treated to a father/child face off that requires 3D glasses for almost no effect. I mean, it doesn't look very 3D on my TV, but that stuff never did seem to work on home sets. Maybe when I get an HDTV it will be better. Anywho, you CAN opt to watch the film entirely in 2D. Overall, this film is bad, but entertaining throughout.
So, before I get to the 7th and final film in this set, let me say that I think the best films are 1, 3, and 4, not necessarily in that order, but probably. 2, 5, and 6 had their good qualities, but were over all not very good. New Nightmare is a completely different animal though.
Film 7: Wes Craven's "New Nightmare" (1994): In Wes Craven's return to Freddy, he took a very different route; VERY different. "New Nightmare" is not an actual part of the Freddy continuity. In fact, "Freddy vs. Jason" would be more fitting in this set as the true 7th Freddy film. Honestly, Freddy isn't even in "New Nightmare". Instead, what we get is a demon that has taken the form of Freddy. Though, I'm sure some would argue that this is the "true" Freddy, closer to the original intention of Wes Craven, but frankly, that doesn't make him the best Freddy. While Freddy became a bit of a caricature as his series went along, something characters with strong personalities often do, and while he may be more frightening without any humor, he's also boring that way. Yes, sadly, I think I'm going to have to be one of those folks who wasn't all too happy with New Nightmare as a viewing experience. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The film is actually about real people, those who worked on the Freddy films, playing themselves. And, yes, that sometimes means having to watch non-actors act, including Wes. And the focus is again on Heather Langenkamp, the actress who played Nancy, this time playing herself. As it turns out, an ancient demon that is kept prisoner by the art of storytelling has been trapped in Wes's films as Freddy Krueger all these years, but now that Freddy's character is dead, the demon is free again and going after the woman he knows as Nancy. It's a crazy and kind of cool idea, but like I said, the fun is sucked out of it and it's mostly about Heather trying to keep her son safe while everyone believes she's losing it. It's interesting enough the first time around (and I know people who say it is their fave Freddy sequel), but the only things I really enjoyed in this one were Robert Englund playing himself and one really hot babysitter played by Tracy Middendorf. This is nothing against the filmmakers. I know Wes loves this one, but it seems too much of a personal project. Probably much more enjoyable to the people who actually worked on the Freddy films than to the average horror movie-goer. So, basically, it's a decent scary movie, but it's disappointing for someone out to see a Freddy film, I think. But, what do I know? I actually think I got the most enjoyment out of "Freddy vs. Jason" over all the other Freddy movies. Then again, maybe I lean a little more towards Jason..., which is kind of funny, since my personality is more Freddy-like. Anyway, before I close on this one, I should also mention that this film does remind one of "Scream" in some ways, and this is something often said about it, except that Scream had much wider appeal. Of course, this film predates Scream, and something I forgot to mention earlier was that the "Scream" who hasn't seen the original Elm Street in a while (or at all) will probably really enjoy connecting all the things taken from it for the later film.
Now, as for the Nightmare Encyclopedia, I won't spend too much time on it. You get trailers for the films, tons of interviews, music videos, images, alternate endings, and vintage clips. It's pretty much everything you'd hope for in DVD extras. For me, the most fun was the MTV stuff, especially the Dokken video for Dream Warriors (as good as watching any of the films, ha) and the intro for it. You could spend a lot of time exploring this disc, as there is a game-like way of finding the various features, but thankfully, you can also use the index.
So, overall, if you're a Nightmare fan or want to explore the saga for the first time, this set is outstanding. Overall, it's an enjoyable entertainment experience. Freddy is a classic and enduring icon, and watching this set, I like him more than ever before. It's always better to watch a continuing saga back to back, so this is the way to do it. This is a highly fun and imaginative horror series, whether you find any of it actually scary or not. I have never been one to be truly troubled even by my worst nightmares, but some folks take them very seriously. If your dreams trouble you, this might be the kind of horror film that sends chills up your spine too. I do recommend getting "Freddy vs. Jason" as a companion to this set though, as I enjoy that one probably the most along with the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street". And, as for that upcoming remake, I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it. As usual with the new remakes, it looks like they are trying to really get creepy with it, and I think it'll be quite good, even if I kinda feel that Freddy is like Indiana Jones: a character only one man can truly portray, at least per century, ha. But, like I said, the new guy is a great actor, so I'm giving it a chance. Plus, Katie Cassidy is a goddess, though I'm sick of seeing her get killed in horror movies...
Description of The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection (New Line Platinum Series)
For two generations Freddy Krueger has scared the dickens out of movie goers. Now the most-dreamed-about name in horror history can be seen from beginning to end in this must-have collection.In the trinity of modern horror films, there's the father (Michael Myers of Halloween), the son (Jason of Friday the13th fame, a knockoff), and the unholy spirit, Freddy Krueger of the Nightmare on Elm Street films. The spectral man who haunted the nightmares of unsuspecting teenagers with deadly consequences, Freddy (as played by Robert Englund) was a truly frightening bogeyman and icon for the '80s. Unlike the hockey-masked Jason, who dispatched horny teenagers with mechanical and monotonous ease (he never talked, never took off his mask), Freddy was a truly creative and diabolical villain, with a sadistic and blackly funny personality. The hallmarks of the Nightmare on Elm Street series were imaginatively gruesome suspense pieces, set in the overactive imaginations of the teen victims. The first film of the series, Wes Craven's truly intelligent and scary film, was so hugely successful it begat not one, not two, but six more sequels, each pretty much diluting the originality and horror of its predecesor. (Horror fans will fondly remember Drew Barrymore's assertion in Scream that the first Nightmare film was great but all the rest sucked.) Still, there's fun to be had in the remaining films in the series, seeing as a number of aspiring filmmakers cut their teeth on the continuing saga of Freddy. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and Chuck Russell (The Mask) worked on the third installment, Dream Warriors (starring a young Patricia Arquette), and Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2) came to prominence with the ingeniously macabre fourth film, The Dream Master, coscripted by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential). Craven and original star Heather Langenkamp did return for the last film, New Nightmare, which presaged the tongue-in-cheek postmodernism of the Scream films and resharpened Freddy's ability to scare. --Mark Englehart
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