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Post by Banjo Is Broken on Sept 23, 2007 21:53:59 GMT -5
My faves were the original, Dream Warriors, and then New Nightmare. I could take or leave the rest.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2007 23:12:33 GMT -5
Dream Warriors is probably my favorite movie of the series. Of course, this one holds a special spot in my heart since it's the first one I watched and I remember not wanting to sleep after seeing it. ;D
Part 1 Freddy will always be my favorite, but i've always felt that this one had the best balance of evil Freddy and joker Freddy. Of course, Englund is awesome in all of them.
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Post by plushtar on Sept 24, 2007 0:29:57 GMT -5
Part two is underrated. I found the Freddy in part two to be more evil and sickening.
I use part three as the cut-off point. The movie is good, but we start to see the commercialisation of a classic character. Part three is also the last film to have good deaths. The best part is the continuity from the first which brings back the originals to finally defeat Freddy.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Sept 24, 2007 15:41:09 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER 1988 Director: Renny Harlin This movie polarizes people. Some people find it to be the moment that the series turned to crap, finding the humor in the movie to be too much and the movie itself to be too commercial. On the other hand, there are those like myself, who appreciate the trailblazing spirit in trying to bring these movies to a greater audience (which this movie did, very successfully, to the tune of almost $70 million domestic box office off an $8 million budget). This is just a total fun movie. Even better, it has some very nice sequel continuity (something decidedly lacking from Friday the 13th, for the most part), continuing to develop the characters of Kristen (with Tuesday Knight doing an excellent job filling in for Patricia Arquette), Joey and Kincaid (the woefully underrated Ken Sagoes). And while it's a shame that Kristen has to die, she certainly has a game replacement: Alice (Lisa Wilcox), easily the most awesome character in the entire series other than Freddy himself. Much as the writers (in this case, a young, pre-"L.A. Confidential" and "Knight's Tale" Brian Helgeland) strike gold in creating living, breathing, believable characters that you can actually GET BEHIND in these films, and the shy, introverted Alice certainly fits the bill. This would also be the film where Freddy completely crosses the line and becomes a wise-cracking antihero. I am with director Renny Harlin on this decision - it's been three films of Freddy and his dream shenanigans, nobody is really shocked by it anymore. So if nobody is shocked, why not just entertain in another way? While the humor would grow grating after a time, in this film, it works wonderfully, especially in the kill scenes - the "roach hotel" scene is disgusting (and well-known), and Kincaid and Joey also meet their end in spectacular ways. Harlin and Helgeland truly brought Freddy to the forefront of American pop culture with this film, and for good reason - their handling of the character's burgeoning popularity was masterful in this film, and was a big reason for horror branching out as much as it did during the '80s. This is just a very entertaining film, with great humor, special effects (for the time) - and how can you not like a movie that contains Freddy Kruger and the Fat Boys? *** 1/2 / ****
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Sept 24, 2007 15:43:45 GMT -5
Nightmare 4 suffers the same problem as Halloween 4
Good movie but starts the decline of the series
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JMA
Hank Scorpio
Down With Capitalism!
Posts: 6,880
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Post by JMA on Sept 24, 2007 16:16:52 GMT -5
Nightmare 2 is probably the most forgettable sequel in the franchise. I know I forget about it a lot, but that's probably because it sucks and has no redeeming values.
Then again, the sequel with the worst acting had to be Freddy's Dead.
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Post by forgottensinpwf on Sept 24, 2007 17:06:33 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE 1985 Director: Jack Sholder I first saw "A Nightmare on Elm Street" when I was in eighth grade. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience, and is actually THE movie that is responsible for my horror obsession today. So it comes as no surprise that I was very hyped to see "Nightmare on Elm Street 2." And while I didn't find it to be as woefully bisbegotten as many fans do, I certainly see the complaints. The central character in the film (Jesse, as played by Mark Patton) is not a very strong central figure, much more of a victim than any of the female heroines in the rest of the series. While this is an interesting change, it certainly doesn't leave much in the way of suspense for the film - we never, ever believe that this Jesse character is any sort of legitimate challenge to Freddy, so why bother? Second, the movie suffers from a decided lack of Freddy himself. When he's on screen, the movie is top notch, as Robert Englund turns in an even better performance than he delivered in the first film, including the first hints of the famous/infamous (depending on your outlook) "Freddy humor" that would become the hallmark of the series as it goes on. The "You are all my children now!" line is fantastic and iconic. Overall, however, the movie just feels like "Nightmare-1 lite." So there's a new family in the Elm Street house - the Walsh's, only this bunch is nowhere near as well-acted or likable as the Thompsons in the first film (including Clu Gulagher - don't ask). The supposed scary sequences in this film are, for the most part, very lame and uninspired. Who, pray tell, thought that basketballs that bounce by themselves (gasp!), exploding birds, and melting records were scary? Unfortunately, this crap takes up about a third of this movie's running time - leaving us with a whole lot of tedium. I wouldn't be doing this movie credit if I didn't mention the prevailing theory of a whole lot of reviewers out there in the hinterlands regarding Jesse Walsh's supposed homosexuality. While I could write my own essay on this matter, I'm essentially with Matt of X-Entertainment all the way in this matter - hey, if that's what they were actually going for in the film, more power to them, and actually the movie becomes A LOT more interesting if you keep that little theory in mind while watching the movie. However, I believe that there is no real social or sexual commentary in this film - basically, people are just looking for something in a film where really NOTHING happens. While the film does have its moments (the best being, in order, Freddy's takeover of the pool party and Jesse's hilarious girly shrieks as he wakes up from his nightmares), overall, this is just a poorly plotted, nonscary, and truly one of the most bizarre (seriously, what the *frick* was up with those dogs with Freddy faces?) horror films of all time. * 1/2 / **** i didn't care that much for nightmare 2, but i found this part unintentionally hilarious. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR7WW6200mg&feature=PlayList&p=588FCEDC3BECEF48&index=5"a God damn Cherry bomb"
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rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Sept 24, 2007 17:09:59 GMT -5
FREDDY'S DEAD was a golden opportunity f***ed.
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Post by rubber johnny on Sept 24, 2007 17:11:35 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE 1985 Director: Jack Sholder I first saw "A Nightmare on Elm Street" when I was in eighth grade. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience, and is actually THE movie that is responsible for my horror obsession today. So it comes as no surprise that I was very hyped to see "Nightmare on Elm Street 2." And while I didn't find it to be as woefully bisbegotten as many fans do, I certainly see the complaints. The central character in the film (Jesse, as played by Mark Patton) is not a very strong central figure, much more of a victim than any of the female heroines in the rest of the series. While this is an interesting change, it certainly doesn't leave much in the way of suspense for the film - we never, ever believe that this Jesse character is any sort of legitimate challenge to Freddy, so why bother? Second, the movie suffers from a decided lack of Freddy himself. When he's on screen, the movie is top notch, as Robert Englund turns in an even better performance than he delivered in the first film, including the first hints of the famous/infamous (depending on your outlook) "Freddy humor" that would become the hallmark of the series as it goes on. The "You are all my children now!" line is fantastic and iconic. Overall, however, the movie just feels like "Nightmare-1 lite." So there's a new family in the Elm Street house - the Walsh's, only this bunch is nowhere near as well-acted or likable as the Thompsons in the first film (including Clu Gulagher - don't ask). The supposed scary sequences in this film are, for the most part, very lame and uninspired. Who, pray tell, thought that basketballs that bounce by themselves (gasp!), exploding birds, and melting records were scary? Unfortunately, this crap takes up about a third of this movie's running time - leaving us with a whole lot of tedium. I wouldn't be doing this movie credit if I didn't mention the prevailing theory of a whole lot of reviewers out there in the hinterlands regarding Jesse Walsh's supposed homosexuality. While I could write my own essay on this matter, I'm essentially with Matt of X-Entertainment all the way in this matter - hey, if that's what they were actually going for in the film, more power to them, and actually the movie becomes A LOT more interesting if you keep that little theory in mind while watching the movie. However, I believe that there is no real social or sexual commentary in this film - basically, people are just looking for something in a film where really NOTHING happens. While the film does have its moments (the best being, in order, Freddy's takeover of the pool party and Jesse's hilarious girly shrieks as he wakes up from his nightmares), overall, this is just a poorly plotted, nonscary, and truly one of the most bizarre (seriously, what the *frick* was up with those dogs with Freddy faces?) horror films of all time. * 1/2 / **** take that back, you grady hater
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2007 17:24:21 GMT -5
My favorite death in Dream Master is Rick's. I always chuckle at Freddy beating him up and giving some warrior wisdom (not to be confused with Warrior Wisdom). "Ninja warriors have calm. Find your balance, Rick!". And I thought the scene where Alice is in the movie theater was kinda cool.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Sept 24, 2007 18:25:22 GMT -5
I find it interesting that a lot of the replies in this particular thread revolve around "Nightmare 2." While the movie is quite atrocious compared with the rest of the series, there's no doubt that it evokes a response in people. Maybe I will post that phenomenally long dissertation I have regarding the psychosexual themes in that flick.
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Post by plushtar on Sept 24, 2007 18:38:14 GMT -5
To quote good ol' J. R.: Freddy's Dead is by far the most controversial horror film of all time.
I will repeat this line if you review Halloween and get to Season of the Witch but that is a different issue.
Anyway, I hardly see the problem with Freddy's Revenge. I guess its all a matter of tastes. I also see hillarious irony in calling it forgetable. More people remember this film, rather than Dream Child; when people refer to Alice Johnson, they refer to her moments in part 4, rather than 5.
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Post by tankmcquade on Sept 24, 2007 18:48:47 GMT -5
"This is it Jennifer.....your big break on TV! Welcome to prime time B*****! CRASH!
Greatest Freddy Kill.....ever.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Sept 24, 2007 21:09:38 GMT -5
To quote good ol' J. R.: Freddy's Dead is by far the most controversial horror film of all time. I will repeat this line if you review Halloween and get to Season of the Witch but that is a different issue. Anyway, I hardly see the problem with Freddy's Revenge. I guess its all a matter of tastes. I also see hillarious irony in calling it forgetable. More people remember this film, rather than Dream Child; when people refer to Alice Johnson, they refer to her moments in part 4, rather than 5. Agreed 110% on Alice. She was such an awesome character in Part 4, but so forgettable in 5.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Sept 24, 2007 21:11:07 GMT -5
Part 5 was a dud anyway
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Corporate H
Grimlock
He Buries Them Alive
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Post by Corporate H on Sept 24, 2007 21:14:10 GMT -5
I only really enjoyed the original Nightmare and New Nightmare. Aside from that I thought the series was really lackluster.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Sept 24, 2007 21:19:00 GMT -5
I only really enjoyed the original Nightmare and New Nightmare. Aside from that I thought the series was really lackluster. Add in "dream warriors" and i agree 100%
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Dean-o
Grimlock
Haha we're having fun Maggle!
Posts: 13,865
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Post by Dean-o on Sept 24, 2007 22:26:45 GMT -5
The first was fantastic. Once Freddy became a prankster then the series turned to shit.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Sept 25, 2007 14:44:38 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD 1989 Director: Stephen Hopkins If there's one thing you can say for this particular series of films, every movie in it seems to have a fresh, new, original idea. Part 2 had the male heroine and all of the sexual undertones. Part 3 had the group of characters taking on Freddy and the sense of comaraderie between them. Part 4 had the character of Alice Johnson and a climactic final battle. But Part 5 just has a very drab, empty backdrop for its entire existence - the "Freddy's baby" storyline. Aside from that, it also cheapens the extraordinary Alice character from Part 4. Whereas in Dream Master Alice was a kickass, take-no-prisoners heroine (and, as I said earlier, easily the best character in the whole series other than Freddy himself), in this one she has been downgraded to just another victim - to the point where she cannot even defeat Freddy herself anymore. There are some pluses in this film. Once again, the supporting cast is top-notch - I love the comic-book geek who meets his end in the very same manner that he has lived his life, as are the rest of the teenagers in this film. Stephen Hopkins is also an excellent director, and does a great job with the overall atmosphere of the film. I believe this film to have the best art direction in the entire series (especially the upside-down "stairs" sequence") I was never a fan of Dan, the musclehead from Part 4 who is now Alice's lover in this film - but at least he dies fairly early in the film. This movie is decidedly low on body-count - unless I'm mistaken, I believe there are three deaths total, and, with the exception of aforementioned comic geek, none of them are really imaginative. In addition, this officially marked the point in the series where the Freddy humor became too much. It was toned down a little in the follow-up film, "Freddy's Dead," but this movie would be the peak of the jokester Freddy - to the point where it becomes grating and distracting. In short, the pluses: excellent art direction (including Freddy's look in this film - I love the long fingers), supporting cast Minuses: Too much humor, baby storyline, Alice's character, lack of kills ** 1/2 / ****
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Brain Of F'n J
Hank Scorpio
Not that cool enough to have one of these....wait.
We Discodians must stick apart.
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Post by Brain Of F'n J on Sept 25, 2007 14:52:32 GMT -5
I actually liked 5. I found it darker then 2, 3 or 4, almost a return to the Freddy of the original. And I liked the baby storyline.
But the supporting cast was a bunch of throwaway victims. You could see the deaths coming a mile away. Asthma girl, the model, the comic geek ... they all screamed their deaths in advance.
Jed Shaffer ~I believe you're using comeuppance in the wrong context, by the way. It means "get what you deserve". I doubt the innocent victims of Freddy deserved to die.
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