Nope its not sponsored, but as the studios release the copyright claims on my reviews in thanks I provide links to where the viewers can legitimately obtain the film and soundtrack.
This is probably my favorite out of the entire series, the first being a close second. The look of Freddy was so menacing with the new makeup design and the long trench coat. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart, rip Wes Craven.
I'm so happy I met Robert Englund early this year at Film and Comic Con Manchester. I got him to sign his autobiography, wonderful down to earth kind of guy and very open to the fans!
Great review! Out of all the Elm Street movies, the 'New Nightmare' version of Freddy Krueger has always scared me the most. The dark coat, dark pants, the extra knife on Freddy's thumb, and how it looked like Freddy had been hitting the gym, it feels like this was the Freddy that Wes Craven had in mind since day one.
In the original script, it specifically described Freddy as "a dark and ominous figure that's different from the movie Freddy like Tim Burton's Batman was to Adam West's." Though it also said he has a crisped skull which he never had in the movie but that would've been neat.
@@brandonspain12345 New Nightmare is my second favorite after part 1. The movie only has some minor flaws they needed to show a Freddy meets Robert Englund scene that was a missed opportunity and Freddy's death, in the end, is a little too easy besides that it's a Masterpiece of meta fantasy fiction.
@@DKDiva804 I think they meant it being meta before it was so popular like it is now. Hollywood loves meta stuff these days, the 90s only got some rare ones. I think of this as a kind of horror Last action Hero, which I also think is a supremely ahead of its time meta love letter to action. Stay Tuned with John Ritter is another good meta 90s movie, mixing all kinds of genres
+Dellivation Sorry to disappoint you, but that isn't really his territory. What he specializes in is 80s and 90s pop-culture, like "Star Wars", "Transformers" and "Jurassic Park". "The Godfather" doesn't fall into the same category.
What? When did Wes die? Oh my god, that's so sad....he was such an intelligent man..offered so much to the genre (Last House on the Left alone is a masterpiece). When and how did he pass?
The idea of an entity taking his form and Freddy coming into the real world and going after the final girl from the film is such a meta idea and is wayyyyyyy ahead of its time. It ranks up there with the best of the franchise, and is certainly the most original. The real world Freddy design with the trench coat is such a cool look for the film too. It all holds up too, just rewatched it this week. Basically yeah this movie is beyond underrated
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a trilogy. The 1st movie, the 3rd movie Dream Warriors, and this movie. Its a horror trilogy about Nancy and her battles with Freddy. Even though the actress Heather Langencamp is playing herself in New Nightmare she is essentially playing Nancy, just with an interesting twist. At the end of this movie Wes Craven writes a note to her that says "Thanks for playing Nancy one more time." The character Nancy Thompson is Mr. Craven's original creation (as is Freddie Kruger). She is really a very interesting and entertaining character. That's why the 1st movie, Dream Warriors, and New Nightmare are the good Elm Street movies and the others are total buckets of shit.
+Jack Sofalot lol finally someone who sees the series how I see it lol, I love freddy but those other movies are really nowhere as great as those 3 you mentioned.
4 does have a good intro but after the DW die off the movie goes from making little sense but with good characters to making little sense with characters I didn't really care for because they weren't well developed. Freddy is a distraction to everything going on. There is nothing that feels real except for Alice's relationship with her father. I just cannot take my suspension of disbelief with this one on. It's easier for me to put my suspension of disbelief on with the 5th one for some reason but that one was directed much better, I cannot accept that one as canon because of the last movie but it does enough to make it enjoyable, The 6th one is atrocious it represents everything wrong with the latter sequels to me. Part 2 has a freakin sweet intro!
The theme for "Nancy's victory" is nearly identical to Highlander 3's "Quickening theme". I checked online and J Peter Robinson scored both films. Wow.
I was terrified of horror films until I was 12 when I rented all of the Elm Street films and watched them in a single night. I conquered my fears that evening along with Dylan and have loved horror films ever since.
Probably my favorite Nightmare movie. The characters have more depth, the writing runs deeper into what horror does to it's creators and it's narrative is much more intricate and original than any of the sequels or the awful remake. What I like the most about this movie, is that over the course of an hour and 52 minutes, grander musical score, deeper characters, complex story and themes, once it's over it feels like waking up from a crazy dream, finally ending up back in reality again, which is incredibly fitting with the film. It really feels like I have gone on a crazy adventure every time I watch it. I appreciate that Wes put telling a good story ahead of trying to make it scary. 8/10
It's funny because I remember seeing this movie a long time ago but the third act took me really by surprise. The scenes I remembered before going in was the claw at the very beginning and Heather on that tv show where they bring in Robert Englund dressed as Freddy. From those memories I assumed the movie was meta and different but not particularly great, like all the other Freddy movies. Maybe I only watched parts of it back then because I feel I should have remembered how good this movie really is. I was taken aback. I had just watched the preceding 6 movies from the box set in the last week and I did not expect this from number 7. Like, when does that ever happen? The Halloween movies and the Jason movies all kept getting worse, and so did Freddy up until this point. "Freddy's Dead" is just a disaster of a movie, a total mess. Like Jason in space or Mike Myers still running after Jamie Lee Curtis in those crappy, crappy sequels. But this is a great movie. One of the best in the genre. Clever, original, scary. Perfectly paced. I gained much respect for Wes Craven tonight.
I remember this coming out as a kid and not too many people really getting it, since it departed a bunch from the concepts of the sequels. Thought it took a lot of guts to do this on Wes' end and New Line to some extent. I think it's a solid send off to his monster, though of course he didn't stay gone for too long. One NOES concept I would of loved to see was Peter Jackson's "Dream Lover" which was passed over for Freddys Dead.
it was ahead of its time ...to meta for people to accept it breaks the forth wall in away. not by talking directly to us but by accepting that the freddy movies before were still just movies
It would do better if released today because people would get it now as for Jackson's idea while interesting I'm not sure teens kicking Freddy's ass for the first act would be good for his image lol.
It's considered one of the best of the series the only way I can see not liking it is if you are someone that just wants a traditional Freddy slasher movie with more kills over story and atmosphere.
Good retrospective/review. New Nightmare is an extremely underrated film that featured a clever and original idea: an ancient entity captured in the ANOES series wanted to cross over into the 'real world' - 9/10 for the film.
Good job, Harper. When I was in college, my friends chose to see Pulp Fiction instead of New Nightmare that week, but I was always intrigued by this "postmodern" sequel.
I wish they did something like this for Halloween. I once heard a concept on it from the team at Cinemassacre, where the movie featured Jamie Lee Curtis as herself, but Michael’s mask was actually made by the Silver Shamrock company from Halloween III, so the guy playing Micheal slowly becomes Micheal and the actors need to play the roles of the characters to save him. Honestly I think the idea behind New Nightmare was a far better move for the franchise than just another movie about Freddie killing people.
Awesome Retrospective/Review Oliver. This movie is really underrated for me. Loved the ideas that they decided to toy around with. Glad Wes decided to go in a new direction with the series. Definitely not a movie you would see nowadays. Sure, it's not a fast paced story or excessively gory like many other horror movies but I definitely consider it as a classic along with the original. RIP Wes.
Great review - I love this movie, it had a fantastic concept. The soundtrack was awesome too, but sadly it's missing my favourite cue - when Heather leaves Dylan at the hospital and heads to Robert's house
I was fortunate to meet Wes Craven at one of the horror convention way back in the 80s. I can't recall the exact year. He was kind and certainly a quiet and modest man. RIP
I remember not watching this one because I didn't like part 5 und hated 6. Years later I was surprised how good "New Nightmare" is. The new "Retrospective/ Review" season is great BTW. As usual! ;)
This film is so good. 1994 Los Angeles was such a weird and creepy year and this film captured that so well. What I love so much about the Nightmare films, in particular Wes’s movies is he makes daytime so eerie..it’s a time where you’re supposed to feel safe, but he flips that. I remember the earthquake well.. I was pretty young, but I was up watching tv all night until the early morning... as soon as I turned the tv off it started shaking.. crazy stuff.
@@illiteratealphabetagency9716 In LA particular, of course the earthquake. Started the year with destruction, then there was the OJ case in the summer. Of course, people die out here in that manner all the time, but as a kid.. I never saw death covered like that. It was constantly on, you heard it being constantly talked about. I don’t know how to correctly explain it, but personally, LA just felt weird that year as a kid. Some other stuff that was happening, albeit outside of LA, but that added to the feeling was stuff like Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Brandon Lee dying (93)/The Crow in 94, and I was a huge fan of that film. I had a small theater in my neighborhood I was able to walk to and watch movies, most of the time alone. I watched The Crow in an empty theater.. I was 11. I fell in love with the movie, but was also creeped out that I was watching a dead person on screen, who died on set, knowing I saw his last moments alive in a scene. 2pac was shot in New York in November of 94, also huge fan of his. I hope this randomness kinda made sense to you for how I was feeling in 94. I think if you researched any of the things I mentioned, you can get an idea of just how creepy the coverage was and how I experienced it as a kid.
@@aaronbrown4366 Interesting times, indeed. Thanks for that. I recall most of those things, but wasn’t living on the west coast when it happened. If you like that time period, there’s a decent Kurt Russell movie you might enjoy called Dark Blue. He’s a corrupt cop, in the time leading up to the riots. Take it easy!
Congratulations Oliver, another hit in your list. The "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise has a curious story here in Chile. In february of 1988 the second movie of the series was released... yep, THE SECOND MOVIE but under the curious title of "Nightmare"... and was a hit. So just a few months later they released the first movie, and at the same time they released the second movie on VHS AND Betamax with a small card that said "Part 2". Unfortunately, many of the films of New Line Cinema were bought by different distributors here in Chile and this delay in years the arrival of the following movie and sometimes you could buy the US version in VHS or Laserdisc first (and at a very high price) in selected music stores before it was released in theaters. What a wacky world was that one, don't you think?
Yeah but Heather assumes her role as Nancy, Saxon becomes Lt. Thompson, so wouldn't Robert become Freddy, as they all become their characters in the end?
@@26michaeluk I don't think so, remember it wasn't "really" Freddy, but an ancient entity that had always been trapped by stories, and only assumes the look and mannerisms of Freddy to break into the real world. That's also why his look is way different and more menacing in real life. I also think John Saxon didn't turn back into his role, only Heather, I think at that point Freddy had already been messing with her head and she was hallucinating that moment, basically Freddy nudging her into that last step to become Nancy finally.
@@codyt821 I know it's not the actual Freddy but you do raise some great points. Personally New Nightmare is brilliant to me and it's tied with the original and Dream Warriors as the best of the series.
So sad Wes is gone now. One of the most influential directors in horror through multiple generations. The original Nightmare on Elm Street scared the crap out of me when I saw it as a teen. That scene where Freddy kills Tina.....I still get chills...not to mention, nightmares of Freddy til this day!! O_O RIP to one of the masters of horror.
Uhm.. Recording your dreams?? That's been done, in an episode of Freddy's Nightmares actually. However, found footage lost it's charm years ago and wouldn't really work too well with Nightmare..
I love this movie. One of my favourite horror films. It definitely has its hammy moments, but it's one of the more unique horror films to date, and with its release, meant that the series didn't have to end on the shit note of Freddy's Dead. Great analysis and review, Oliver Harper. :)
I’m so glad Craven got to see some revenue after Bob Shaye told him Nightmare would never get made with the involvement of an “agent,” and that Craven could “trust” him, and he even added that they “were friends”...
I'm surprised you didn't talk about the Freddy's Nightmares TV Series which came out in the late 1980's/very early 1990's. The first episode is the origin backstory to Freddy (reprised by Robert Englund) of how he came to be, which is directed by Tobe Hooper (director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie). There is a handful of other Episodes with Freddy as the main character (again reprised by Robert Englund) e.g. Sister's Keeper (which is the sequel to the first episode), Freddy's Trick Or Treats etc. I think those handful of episodes are scarier than the actual movies which the episodes shows Freddy as a slightly more darker character but still with a sense of humour.
great review , i agree with Robert Englund this new nightmare was the best of freddy , it takes so many time and hard work to do a movie ... back in a day was so difficult ....what a wonderful experience
Olí, mate, it's greedy of me! But I just cannot get enough of your Retros during the October month!! I wish you'd have the resources & time to work on 3 or even 4 in this month! Doing 1 Commercial Film, 1 Retro Film, & 1 obscure or less known film. That would be awesome! You do the Halloween thing very well, & I look forward to these so much. I've never got on very well with this franchise. Freddie was never a threat to me like Alien or Chucky was. And I felt the hand slasher was far too over emphasized. But your Retrospectives can make the dullest films turn to treasured moments! You guys really revel in this artform, & I can totally appreciate that to its fullest during the spooky season! Thanks so much for putting in the effort you do. It's a great pleasure old sea dog!!
Great retrospective. This film is actually my favourite entry in the franchise. The hospital scene was very good, but the one little niggle I have is that the rotating room effect doesn’t work with hair/clothing - for example, Freddy’s coat should hang towards the floor, but it doesn’t (due to gravity).
Rewatched New Nightmare tonight after not seeing it for a good few years and that's exactly the thought I had whilst watching it. Both very underrated.
i have never been one for found footage or fake attempts at making it look real but this movie might be the one that could have benefited more from that style
Nice one Oliver. I just got that Box set on Blu Ray. I think I will try watching The original and this one as you suggested. Then fill in the rest after. I had pretty much given up on Nightmare by number 4, but Im looking forward to watching this one again after seeing your Retro. Well done mate
The film has no opening titles to blur the illusion of whether it's a film, a documentary, or something else altogether. In reality, Heather Langenkamp's real husband David LeRoy Anderson is a special effects man. As he is in the film. In this film, Freddy is depicted much closer to what Wes Craven had originally intended for the character, much more menacing, much less comical, with an updated attire and appearance. In the ending credits, Freddy Krueger is credited as himself, even though Robert Englund reprises the role.
Certainly one of the most unique entries in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. I've always liked The Dream Warriors and the original the best though.
I feel that an opportunity was missed that could have allowed the film to be meta and realistic, while also allowing Freddy to do some impossible stuff. Imagine if the film made the audience question if Heather has been dreaming this whole time. Or if Heather has gone insane due to the stress of being an actress, a mother, and the constant nightmares. Or if this was real and that something evil was out to get her. A nice psychological twist that really made us wonder what was going on, what was real and what wasn't. Because the film obviously paints the whole thing as really happening and it takes away more than it gives.
In this film, Freddy is depicted much closer to what Wes Craven had originally intended for the character, much more menacing, much less comical, with an updated attire and appearance. However in 2015, before his death, he would admit he regretted changing his appearance and said: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Which was why he kept Ghostface's mask the same in every Scream movie. The events in this film revolve around Heather Langenkamp having a stalker. In real life, she did have a stalker, and Wes Craven got her permission to weave it into the story. The television show appearance was inspired by a real encounter. According to Wes Craven: "Robert Englund and I did an appearance together on public television in the San Francisco area. It was about whether this kind of movie was bad for children or not. There were parents in the audience and then kids. All the kids leaped to their feet and started chanting, 'Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!' I remember looking at the show host and the parents, and they all looked horrified." In reality, Heather Langenkamp's real husband David LeRoy Anderson is a special effects man, as he is in the film. The film has no opening titles to blur the illusion of whether it's a film, a documentary or something else altogether. In the ending credits, Freddy Krueger is credited as himself, even though Robert Englund reprises the role. The basic premise of the film, Freddy invading the real world and haunting the actors and crew responsible for the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films, was originally intended to be used for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), inspired by the movie Return to Horror High (1987), but the idea was rejected by the studio at the time. Before making this movie, Wes Craven watched all of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films. By the time he was finished, he claimed that he could not follow the storyline at all. He further regards the sequels to be weak compared to his original masterpiece. Robert Englund has said this is his favorite movie of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise along with Freddy's makeup being his favorite look. Wes Craven's daughter Jessica Craven appears as a nurse. David LeRoy Anderson, who is Heather Langenkamp's real-life husband, declined to play himself. Miko Hughes has kept the sewn up Rex dinosaur since filming. Wes Craven had an original copy without the scars. The "bio-engineered" hand and glove that Freddy uses in this film (as opposed to the glove used in the prior films) is actually derived from the artwork of the theatrical poster and video box covers of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Heather Langenkamp and her real-life special effects artist husband David LeRoy Anderson had a son named Daniel (born 1991), serving as the basis for Heather's family in the film. Tragically, Daniel died in 2018 at the age of 26 as a result of a brain tumor, the same condition that had already taken director Wes Craven's life in 2015. At three appearances, Heather Langenkamp has played the protagonist in the series more times than anyone else. However, none of her appearances have been consecutive. At one hour and 52 minutes, this is the longest film in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. This is the first and, as of 2022, only movie in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise that doesn't have any opening credits. At around 35 minutes) When Heather Langenkamp vomited in the morgue, she was spitting up a combination of clam chowder and bean soup. The credits call Robert Englund's wife Patrice. In real life, his wife is Nancy Booth. The scene where Freddy tries to swallow Dylan whole, is similar to the scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), where the Freddy Snake tried to swallow Kristen whole. After Heather makes the decision to play Nancy, the version of the house she enters has a blue door, like it did in the original. All the other sequels showed the house with a red door. At around one hour and 40 minutes) In the final scene where Dylan stabs Freddy's tongue outside the oven, you can hear the famous Psycho (1960) shower scene music. Freddy's death in this film is similar to his original death when he was burned alive by a group of vigilante parents. This the only Nightmare on Elm Street movie where Freddy does not kill any teenagers. Every character killed in this movie is an adult. Body Count: Four In A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the movie that Glenn watches on television to try to stay awake is The Evil Dead (1981). In this film, the movie that plays on television is A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
this is the best of the Nightmare series, a brilliant fascinating ahead of its time film. I loved seeing John Saxon back and the new look for Freddy (as the evil, not as Robert Englund) was incredible
The key to reboot the franchise is in this movie. Lets assume that Freddy is just one of many demons capable to get into people's dreams, or like in New Nightmare he's an ancient evil entity so he doesn't have to look and behave like Krueger. Now we can take Elm Street concept, set everything in the same universe but with a new monster (but it has to be good and different). This way we can avoid inevitable comparisons with Englund, and tell kinda new story. We can call it A Nightmare on Maple Street or Palm Street =D
A near perfect thriller! There are a few very small flaws throughout, and I don't really like the cheesy finale (I get their decision, but it felt a little silly at times), but on a whole it's a very good movie. Oddly enough my favorite moments in this are the moments without Freddy, though Robert gave a terrific performance.
Get your pitchforks and torches ready people. I'm going to share my controversial opinion: This is my least favorite Nightmare on Elm Street movie (not counting the remake). The whole premise of the movie taking place in "real world" killed all my suspension of disbelief, Dylan was ungodly annoying and the ending was huge letdown (Freddy killed by fire from the nightmare world? C'mon, that's just stupid!).
Great Retrospective/Review, I sometime ago (I think last year) I bought this movie on DVD. I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. I absolutely loved the first "Nightmare on Elm Street", such an unsettling and disturbing movie, the best way to watch that film is to watch it at night with the lights off, then it becomes super creepy. Watching Cinemassacre's "Monster Madness 2011", I managed to get some good recommendations on what movies to see and buy. Honestly I never bothered with the reboot in 2010, it was just super unnecessary and watching a couple reviews of it (James Rolfe and Phelous), it looked like a mess. Kinda sad that Roony Mara almost quit acting after that movie, thankfully she had that turn around with the remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Also the way the characters were portrayed, judging by clips, were boring and dull. Yeah, I was there when I got the tragic news on Wes Craven's passing. I was going on to IGN, and saw the news, I was shocked. I really begun to dig his work. The first movies I saw of his was the original "Swamp Thing" movie with Louis Jourdan, such a cheesy movie, but so much fun, and "The People Under The Stairs", which looking back is pretty cheesy, but not terrible. After seeing Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, I was ultimately introduced to his movies. I rented movies like "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Last House on the Left" and really enjoyed them. I then bought the original "Nightmare on Elm Street" in the wake of the dull remake and absolutely loved it. The horror community lost a real champion of the genre. R.I.P. Wes Craven.
There is no "lesson" to be learned from them remaking the first film again. Films that are great get remade for a new generation, the only thing I hope they "learn" when doing this new film is they don't try to be "better" just have fun with the film and add to the mythology, many films have had great remakes and its time to get over the fact that Robert Englund will never return as the character and the franchise can still make money and tell new stories.
