A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors

Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette
Written by: Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner

Director: Chuck Russell
Year: 1987

Rating: * * *     Stars       +       (Fan Bonus *   )  Total: * * * * 

Freddy returns to terrorize a new crop of teenagers. But this time, an old rival of his has trained them to fight back.

Kristen (Patricia Arquette) has a unique ability, that of drawing people into her dreams. But her nightmares are growing worse, and she is sent to a local hospital for clinical study. In the hospital she meets others who are tormented by the same dream monster, Freddy Krueger. Kristen is able to join in their dreams, and draw them into hers, doing what they can to hold off Freddy's attacks. At the hospital, they meet a psychiatrist who specializes in dream therapy, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp). Nancy survived Freddy in the first film, and now grown up, realizes Freddy has returned and is after her charges. She teaches them how to recognize when their in the dream world, and in the dream world they can do anything. She instructs them on how to use their special skills becoming dream warriors. When Freddy captures one of the patients, the dream warriors band together to save him from the depths of Freddy's lair. 

A fantastic follow up to the original film, and certainly makes up for the less than memorable Nightmare On Elm Street, part 2. Robert Englund hasn't lost any enthusiasm as he reprises the roll of Freddy again. Outside of the first film, the Nightmare series tends to be more comical, with Freddy being less creepy, and more of a sarcastic bully. Freddy's death traps are more innovative and big budgeted than ever. The dream sequences are more surreal. Special effects are stellar and creative for a film of this budget. More akin to action than horror, the Dream Warriors is a fun ride and great popcorn flick. It also serves to expand on Freddy's heritage, and cement him as a horror icon.

Further installments in the franchise became more of the same, save for A New Nightmare which presented and interesting twist, and Freddy vs Jason, which gave us the most sinister and demonic Freddy Yet. 

SEE THE TRAILER: A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors

A Nightmare On Elm Street

Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp
Written by: Wes Craven

Director: Wes Craven
Year: 1984

Rating: * * *    Stars       +       (Fan Bonus *   )  Total: * * * *

The spirit of a dead child murderer stalks the children of his murderers in their nightmares. 

One of the more original concepts to come along in films of this type. The monster isn't under the bed, or in the darkened woods. This monster is in your dreams, and if he kills you there, you die in real life. To make matters worse, in the dream world, the monster has complete control over the environment, while the dreamers have to make sense of their surreal surroundings.

The story centers around Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a man accused of a series of child murders years ago. Due to a loophole, Freddy was found not guilty. However that didn't stop a mob of angry parents from chasing him down to an old boiler room and torching it, burning him alive. Now it seems their children are being haunted in their dreams by a burnt looking man in a red/green sweater, and a trademark glove that replaces fingernails with knife blades. Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) is so afraid to dream she forces herself not to fall asleep. Yet she can't do that forever, and slips in and out of consciousness. This makes for some classic moments as she awakens into the dreamworld, sometimes unseemingly so. This keeps the audience intrigued, wondering if she's really walking down the hall in the real world or the dream world. Wes Craven also does a good job of applying the surrealism of dreams onto the film. Characters open the door to their homes only to enter a boiler room, or a school, or even the outside. From dreams they can catch a glimpse of what's happening to others in the real world. The transitions from one to the other are done seamless and with great effect. 

Unlike fellow slashers Michael and Jason, Freddy talks, and this just adds so much to his character. In later sequels, Freddy is somewhat of a wise-ass, but here he is truly creepy and menacing. 

SEE THE TRAILER: A Nightmare On Elm Street