A killer cyborg travels back in time to assassinate Sarah Connor, who will give birth to the future savior of the mankind. In a desperate attempt to save Sarah, the human resistance sends back a lone soldier to be her protector. The battle for the future takes place today.
"The Terminator" is written by James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, and William Wisher, and is Cameron's third time in the director's chair. Coming from an art directing job with Roger Corman, Cameron saved up his money to eventually create this 80s classic sci-fi thriller.
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Michael Beihn as the lead characters, "The Terminator" features a strong cast with gripping performances. Bill Paxton (R.I.P 😢) and Lance Henriksen--who would later be involved in "Aliens"--have small roles in this film.
Although the "Terminator" series is known across the globe as an unmistakeable sci-fi action landmark, the first film is essentially a horror movie dressed up as science fiction. This isn't too surprising, since Cameron started his career in film working with the b-horror master, Roger Corman.
While "The Terminator" follows a lot of horror tropes, it also has a simple and concise story which creates a sense of tension throughout the film. Additionally, Stan Winston and his team created an incredible design for the Terminator, and to this day, it's still held in high esteem.
The middle section of the film drags a bit to serve as exposition, but the car-chase (there are many of them) pace soon speeds back up leading to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.
If you haven't watched "The Terminator," but you're aware of the franchise's impact on sci-fi as a whole--do yourself a favor, and check this one out. It's dark and gritty, it's got plenty of action, cool (but dated) special effects, Stan Winston's magic touch, and an excellent cast of characters.
The Good-
- A streamlined story with depth
- A great cast
- Solid acting
- Cheesy 80s music
- Fantastic effects by Stan Winston
The Bad-
- The middle section drags a bit
Written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift and directed by Ronny Yu, "Freddy Vs. Jason" is the epic showdown between two unstoppable forces of evil.
Freddy Krueger (played by the brilliant Robert Englund) is hell-bent on returning to Elm Street to continue his reign of terror, but the people of Springwood have erased him from their memories almost completely. To spark the fire of fear he needs to continue his rampage, Freddy resurrects Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger). When Jason murders one too many of the Elm Street teens, Freddy decides to face off with the hockey masked behemoth, and put an end to him once and for all.
"Freddy Vs. Jason" was an idea conceived around the time of "Jason Goes to Hell" in 1993. The final scene of that film showed Freddy's glove grabbing Jason's mask and taking it down to Hell. Since New Line had acquired to rights to Jason, they were now able to work on the idea of Freddy and Jason sharing the same movie.
10 years later, New Line Cinema managed to do just that, and "Freddy Vs. Jason" does a very good job at synthesizing each franchise, while also telling a concise and believable story.
Starring Monica Keena (Lori), Jason Ritter (Will), Kelly Rowland (Kia), Brenden Fletcher (Mark), and Katharine Isabelle (Gibb), this comic book romp of a film features a cast of sort of bland young actors, and of course includes Robert Englund playing Freddy Krueger one last time.
The brightest spot of "Freddy Vs. Jason" is that screenwriters actually came up with a story that makes sense. Moreover, there is enough witty dialogue and references to each series to satiate every fan. New Line Cinema really did their best to make this film a good blend of "Nightmare" and "Friday the 13th."
There's a quick pace to this movie, but the buildup to the blockbuster match between Freddy and Jason is also noteworthy. The audience cares enough about the characters (most of them, anyway) to feel some strong tension towards the end of the film.
Nearly everything else about this film is very good. The visual and special effects are excellent, and the callbacks to "Dream Warriors" and various other "Nightmare" movies are on point. While it's definitely Freddy's show, I think "Freddy Vs. Jason" does a nice job of balancing the imagery from both "Nightmare" and "Friday the 13th" films.
I don't really have many gripes with this film, except that some of the characters (Kelly Rowland and Kyle Labine) are pretty annoying, and the others are quite boring.
"Freddy Vs. Jason" is a graphic novel style horror film that meets the expectations of fans of each respective franchise. There's plenty of gory kills, witty humor from Freddy, and action scenes for fans to sink their teeth into.
Get yourself some popcorn and candy--check your brain at the door--and place your bets!
The Good-
- A good balance of both Freddy and Jason
- Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger (of course!)
- A quick and concise story
- Great special and visual effects
The Bad-
- Kelly Rowland as Kia
- Kyle Labine as Freeburg ("Jay and Silent Bob" rip-off)
- Bland characters
After the "Nightmare" franchise crumbled under its own weight, Bob Shaye and New Line spent some time thinking about how to resurrect Freddy at least one more time. Krueger's creator, Wes Craven, who had since fallen out of touch with Shaye and New Line, felt that it was time to bring "A Nightmare On Elm Street" full circle and back to its horror roots.
"Wes Craven's New Nightmare" is written and directed by Wes Craven. The film plays with the idea that the actors of the original film are being haunted by an evil spirit posing as Fred Krueger, and the line between dreams and reality starts to blur.
Heather Langenkamp, who played Nancy from the original film returns to play herself (sort of) as she learns that New Line is working on bringing Freddy back to the big screen. "New Nightmare" also features Bob Shaye (as himself), Robert Englund (as himself and Freddy Krueger), John Saxon (as himself), and even Wes Craven is in the movie!
The acting is pretty solid all around, but the boy (Miko Hughes) who plays Heather's son, Dylan, can be quite annoying in the first half of the film. Although he does do a good job when the tension starts ramping up, his performance is definitely the biggest flaw in the film.
There are a lot of memorable dream sequences in "New Nightmare" that help bring the sense of terror back to the series. While there aren't so many deaths scenes in the film--they are quite effective and evocative of the first "Nightmare."
Wes Craven breaks the fourth wall to create a movie within a movie. At the time in 1994, I don't think there was ever really a horror film like this. Craven weaves a story that not only harkens back to the first "Nightmare," but also opens the door to a much more terrifying Freddy Krueger. This is by far the film's strength, and it shows how much imagination Craven put into this return to form.
"Wes Craven's New Nightmare" is a strong finale for Freddy Krueger, and a love letter to the fans of the first film. Definitely check this one out! This is a must-watch for fans of the "Nightmare" series.
The Good-
- A very unique and creative story
- Strong performances all around
- A much darker and scarier Freddy
- Fantastic dream sequences and callbacks
The Bad-
- Miko Hughes as Dylan (mostly the first half of the film)
We've finally reached the bottom of the barrel of "Freddy" films. This is the point that New Line decided to set "A Nightmare On Elm Street" to self-destruct, and this film definitely collapses in on itself.
"Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" is directed by Rachel Talalay (who had long worked with New Line on the other "Nightmare" films) and is written by Michael De Luca, who has found a lot of recent success as a producer.
The sixth entry in the "Nightmare" series follows a young amnesiac who happens to be the very last of the Elm Street children. He believes that Freddy is keeping him alive because he thinks he's his child. "Freddy's Dead" tries to be a mystery, but it doesn't have a good poker face at all.
"Freddy's Dead" stars Lisa Zane (Maggie), Shon Greenblat (John), Lezlie Deane (Tracy), Ricky Dead Logan (Carlos), Breckin Meyer (Spencer), Yaphet Kotto (Doc), and the incomparable Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. As the casting would suggest, the acting is rather hit or miss in this installment--missing most of the time, unfortunately.
After playing Freddy Krueger five times, Robert Englund finally feels a bit tired in the role. The majority of his screen time is relegated to comedic cheeseball moments and cringeworthy one-liners. That's not to say that Englund doesn't shine through when the story warrants it--overall though, his performance just feels lackluster. Even Freddy's makeup looks bad in this one! What's up with that?!
"Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" works best when it fleshes out the story of Freddy Krueger and how he became the eternal dream stalker that he is. The film needed to spend more time on his backstory instead of spending the first half of its runtime running in circles.
It's really unfortunate that the film doesn't dig any deeper into the drama behind Freddy Krueger, and the audience is only given glimpses and flashbacks of his transformation. The last act when Maggie goes into Freddy's brain is the one shining moment in this entry.
New Line Cinema wanted to send Freddy out with a bang, and instead he just sort of fizzles out in "Freddy's Dead." What we're left with is a tired, uninspired, and unimaginative story with bland characters (mostly) that we don't care about. Even the way Freddy is finally killed (as the titled suggests) is just plain lame--but oh, the last portion of the film is in 3D! 😐
"Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" is the weakest link in the series. It features some backstory on Freddy, but the first half of the film falls flat on its face. If you're a die-hard Freddy fan, like me, you'll be able to find shreds of redeeming value here. Otherwise, stick to "Dream Warriors" and "The Dream Master."
With the success of "The Dream Master," New Line Cinema immediately got to work on the next installment. For better or worse, "A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" is where the series took a dive into the wacky and ridiculous.
"The Dream Child" was written by John Skipp, Craig Spector, and Leslie Bohem. Stephen Hopkins, later of "Predator 2" and "Lost In Space" fame would cut his teeth directing this cartoony chapter in the "Nightmare" franchise.
Following the events of "The Dream Master," Alice and Dan get together and conceive a child. Quite abruptly, Alice discovers that Freddy Krueger is attempting to return, but she's not sure how. She doesn't have to be asleep for Freddy to reach her, and once she finds out that she's pregnant, Alice learns that Krueger get to her and her friends through her baby's dreams.
Admittedly, the plot is quite farfetched, and "The Dream Child" really plays out like a comic book on crack. The surrealism and fantastical elements that punctuated "The Dream Master" are ratcheted up to 11 this time, and I think it adds a lot of fun to this film. I'm sure other fans of "Nightmare" are opposed to the comical and off-the-wall take on Freddy Krueger, but I've never found it to be a deterrent in my ability to enjoy this one.
Lisa Wilcox returns as Alice, and does a good job playing the lead role and final girl character. Supporting characters such as Dan Haskel (Dan), Kelly Jo Minter (Yvonne), Erika Anderson (Greta), and Joe Seely (Mark) join Alice in her battle against Freddy. What's surprising to me is how minor characters from "The Dream Master" actually have arcs to follow in this entry. For instance, Alice's dad, Dennis (Nicholas Mele) is now sober after being an alcoholic in the previous film.
While the general consensus among Freddy fans is rather negative towards "The Dream Child," let's look at some of the positive aspects of the film. Similar to its predecessor, "Nightmare 5" excels at its visuals effects and dreamscape sequences. Since Freddy is able to torment Alice while she's awake, this really incites a lot of split-second nightmares that move the film along at a breakneck pace.
Secondly, I think the idea of Alice and her dealing with pregnancy is an interesting idea for a story, and not one you would normally associate with a horror film. Those story elements keep things fresh and gives "The Dream Child" a unique angle.
Robert Englund once again hams it up as Freddy Krueger. His one-liners are silly, but this is an 80s horror film, and it all fits. Englund seems a bit tired in some scenes--the death scenes in particular--but overall, his portrayal of Freddy has always been the foundation of the "Nightmare" films.
There are actually some callbacks to the other "Nightmare" movies too, which I think get overlooked. Freddy has one elongated arm when he makes his first appearance in the film--that's an homage to his introduction in the original "A Nightmare On Elm Street." The never-ending pit from "Dream Warriors" and "The Dream Master" shows up several times as well, and Freddy scratches his claws against things as he did in the original "Nightmare," too.
So what's bad in "The Dream Child," and why did I give this one such a low rating? My reasoning is that by this time, "A Nightmare On Elm Street" was running on fumes, and New Line was losing its Freddy fanbase. The script was literally pieced together page by page--that's how bad it was. The director has said that he would have to come up with ideas for the nightmare scenes on the spot, and somehow stitch together the story.
I have a lot to say about this one, strangely, and the fourth and fifth in the "Nightmare" series would probably be my own personal favorites in the series. They're so weird that it's intriguing to me how they were even filmed. There's plenty to dig into with "Nightmare 5," and I really think Freddy fans are unfair when they say it's a poor installment.
"A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" is by no means an essential Freddy film. It's sort of like the extended universe for "Nightmare," but that's not entirely a bad thing. If you give it a chance, and just have fun watching the craziness play out, I'm sure you'll have a good time with this one.
The Good-
- The same stuff from "The Dream Master"
The Bad-
- A hurried production
- Some uninspired death scenes
- May be too out there for typical Freddy fans
Directed by Renny Harlin and written by William Kotzwinkle, Brian Helgaland, and the Wheat brothers, "A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" catches back up with Kristen from the previous film, now played by Tuesday Knight. Kristen and her friends Kincaid (Ken Sagoes) and Joey (Rodney Eastman) are still haunted by Freddy Krueger, and Kristen fears he's going to return stronger than ever.
The audience is introduced to new characters Andras Jones (Rick), who is Kristen's boyfriend, and Alice (Lisa Wilcox) who is Rick's sister. Rick is annoyed by Kristen's stories about Fred Krueger until people start dying, and by then it's too late for the Elm Street kids.
Alice, and her school friends, Dan (Danny Haskel), Sheila (Toy Newkirk), and Debbie (Brooke Theiss) team up to figure out how Freddy is able to hunt teens who are not connected to Elm Street. Moreover, they must find a way to stop Freddy before his dreamscape killing spree spreads any farther.
"A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" is the "Nightmare" film that I've seen the most times. It's a film that I think is rather difficult for me to review because it took me a long time to decide if I enjoyed it as a follow-up to "Nightmare 3."
"The Dream Master" has the daunting task of being the successor to "Dream Warriors," a sequel that propelled "A Nightmare on Elm Street" into pop culture and made Freddy Krueger a household name. Furthermore, it has to develop and expand upon the characters of "Nightmare 3" while introducing the viewer to new heroes along the way. Lastly, there was a writer's strike happening at the time the script was being developed, too. This makes the plot sometimes feel disjointed and confusing. I don't think "The Dream Master" is a perfect sequel, but I do think that it succeeds on many fronts.
The first thing "Nightmare 4" hits out of the park is the effects. This sequel is by far the most visually spectacular, and the dream sequences are very surreal. There are many times in "The Dream Master" when I can't tell if Alice is awake or asleep, but nonetheless, I am treated to disorienting and imaginative visuals along the way.
Robert Englund's Freddy makeup got an upgrade, and he completely runs the show in "The Dream Master." In fact, this is the first "Nightmare" film where he receives top billing.
Lisa Wilcox's performance as Alice stands out, and her character's transformation from insecure, shy girl to kickass hero chick is really cool to see. Alice is a much stronger female character than Patricia Arquette and Tuesday Knight's Kristen--I'd even wager that she beats Nancy from the original "Nightmare."
Her final bout against Freddy ramps up the excitement and action, and highlights "The Dream Master" as one of the better "Nightmare" sequels. The last act of the film pushes the surrealism and fun to the next level, and it's very rewarding.
"A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" is a colorful, dizzying, and kinetic follow-up to "Dream Warriors" that any 80s horror buff will enjoy.
The Good-
- Outstanding special effects
- Fast-paced and exciting plot
- Imaginative dream sequences
- Robert Englund's performance as Freddy
- Lisa Wilcox as Alice
The Bad-
- 80s cheese (could be a good thing, too!)
- So-so acting
- The Karate dream sequence *facepalm*
