Director: Wes Craven
It's definitely weird to be doing these out of order. My first instinct after watching a Nightmare movie is to just go ahead and do the whole franchise. But right now the goal is to do Wes Craven movies, so I have to curb that instinct and just skip right ahead to his other, less appreciated but somewhat under rated contribution to the franchise: New Nightmare.
This entry is certainly one I learned to appreciate more as I got older. I think I found it kinda dull when it first came out...but I was fourteen when that happened. Oddly enough, I remember first seeing the trailer for it far better than seeing the film. I was watching some other movie and there was a trailer at the beginning. It was an odd trailer: very ethereal and vague until the very end when Freddy bursts out and says "Missed me?" directly to the audience. I remember thinking it was pretty rad.
A lot of people have a tendency to forget that, before there was a "Scream" there was "New Nightmare." It plays with a meta-fiction in a very self aware manner that really, to my knowledge, was never really attempted previously. And it's very, very smart. Hell, they even have Bob Shaye play himself, and it's totally rad.
So, observations.
The scene of Robert-as-Freddy for an interview segment is one of my favorite things ever. I know the point of the scene is juxtaposition-which is very smart, showing the Freddy we know so we can recognize the "new" one-but it's just so heartwarming to see Robert ham it up as Freddy, high-fiving some kid. I can only imagine it's just like real life. I doubt I'll ever have the honor of seeing him in make-up and costume, but I could die a happy man if I ever did.
Miko Hughes is super damn creepy in this flick. I don't have kids myself, but I feel like I can empathize with what a parent might feel if their kid started freaking out in that kind of manner. The kid is staring at a TV, not speaking...and then she shuts it off and he starts shrieking uncontrollably. Creepy stuff. His "never sleep again" growl is really good, too.
David Chesom said it in "Never Sleep Again:The Elm Street Legacy"(an excellent documentary that every one should see at some point) but it bears repeating here: he is the least "special effects artist" looking dude. Have you ever seen a special effects artist? They don't look at all like him.
Rex might be my personal hero. I need to get me a stuffed Dinosaur to watch my back when I sleep, too. I say that as a joke, but right this second I'm seriously considering it, because I love few things more than a sight gag. In fact, the only thing I might love more is a reference sight gag.
The funeral scene is neat, but might be a little heavy on the cameos. But hey, there's no such thing as too much Tuesday Knight. That said, the actual scene as a whole really works well.
"God wouldn't take me" is an extraordinary line-read, and an excellent sentiment.
Why does Heather keep the weird letters? That seems like the kind of thing I'd throw out.
I really, really like the scene with Robert Englund and the painting. It's nothing really extraordinary in terms of story development-in fact, it seems kind of tacked on-but there's something very charming about Robert discussing the difference between him and this "darker" Freddy. Maybe it's just that I find Englund so charming in general.
I do have to say, if I have any criticism about this film...I never cared for the bone claw, or the thumb blade. I mean, it makes sense in context, but I guess you might say it's "not my Freddy."
More creepy stuff from Miko Hughes. The nightmare sequence of him wandering through the house with the knives taped to his fingers was rad.
I dig the exposition scene with Wes. The idea that some ancient evil just really likes the identity of Freddy is kinda silly...but makes sense. Freddy is pretty awesome.
Fran Bennett! She's so amazing in this flick. Every single line read she has just drips with intensity. I loved her in "Community." "Get me a switch!"
"Cut this EVIIIIL out of him!" Oh, man, so awesome.
The transition from "real life" to "Nightmare" movie is really well handled. The subtle levels of transformation: John Saxon becomes Thompson, then Heather is in Nancy's pajamas...and then that amazing musical swell...and then the house is the house from Elm Street. Really smart stuff.
The set design of the weird otherworld that Freddy exists in is just stellar. The Greek and Roman architecture and motifs are just really extraordinary.
Nice follow up with the "Hansel and Gretel" motif. As Heather and Dylan toss Freddy into the boiler...well, just a nice follow up.
I really do love the ending. The basic idea: the sharing of the story with the child. The statement of passing along the art of the story to the next generation is such an incredible one. There is such a stigma about youth watching horror (and this had to be Craven's point) and how it's a corruption, or some sort of traumatizing thing, but the reality of it is that we can teach through it, we can share and bond through it. Horror is such an ingrained thing in our society: it's older than dirt. For the entirety of our existence as a species, or at least as long as we've been able to think, we've told these stories about the things that frighten us. These metaphors for reality. It's not a corruption, it's the sharing of the oldest tradition in our culture.
Final Thoughts: It's a pretty extraordinary film. It's very 90's, and that can't be helped, but it really is an incredibly intelligent examination of not just the "Nightmare" series, but of the very essence of fiction. It's ambitious as all hell, and no matter what its failings (and there aren't that many, really), it's pretty successful in that goal. It's kinda tragic that it didn't do better. I think a sequel taking place in that universe might be kinda rad, really.
Rating: 3 and a 1/2 stars.
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