Starring: Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, Kelly Jo Minter, Joe Seely, Erika Anderson, Danny Hassel, Nicholas Mele.
Director: Stephen Hopkins.
Often remembered as the "second worst" of the Nightmare franchise, Part 5 actually remains one of the more visually memorable installments in the franchise. At least, that's how I see it, anyway. I remember first seeing it on USA's "Up All Night" when I was in middle school (when I started my habit of being a night owl when I should have been sleeping for school in the morning) and generally finding it to be pretty freaky. There was something about the color scheme and lighting that made me feel like I was breaking some sort of rule seeing it, like there was something sinister about it. Of course, I was Twelve or whatever...but that late night edited-for-tv screening in the dark living room of my Mothers house really stuck with me. Along with my early viewings of 3 and 4, it probably stands as a big part of why this series has always been my favorite.
I think more of the Nightmare films should have had cameos of Englund sans-makeup. It's an effective little bit at the beginning when, as we move hurriedly through the gaggle of inmates in the asylum(all doing their craziest performance actor stuff), we see him smirk at the camera. The only time I remember them doing it was in part 2 when he was a bus driver. It's a pretty good nightmare sequence, though: Alice experiencing the horror that Nun Amanda Krueger suffered at West'n Hills.
Lisa Wilcox and Danny Hassel return to reprise their roles from part four, probably a year or so later? Maybe two? Anyway, Alice and Dan are still together and sexually active, and have somehow found an entirely new group of friends: the sassy Yvonne, nerdy artist Mark and model Greta. They're a fairly weird combination: two people whose lives have been mired by tragedy(like, all their friends died. Six of them.), a nerd, an athlete and a model...not sure how those kids get so close outside of fiction. Also, Dan is apparently valedictorian and his Parents don't particularly approve of Alice(possibly because she's a magnet for tragedy and, y'know, the daughter of the town drunk)...especially when he seems more interested in her than his future, which seems like an odd conversation for graduation day anyway. I guess in a town with the kind of death rate Springwood has it'd make sense to push your kid as quickly as possible, though I kind of thought Dan would be approached by football recruiters before graduation day.
Nicholas Mele also returns as Alice's Dad. He's cleaned up his act and gotten sober. Something about that revelation-and his character in general throughout this film-always kind of warmed my heart. It's rare that a Parent has any real source of growth or emotional nuance, and I think it speaks to Leslie Bohem's finished script (with respect to original writers John Skipp and Craig Spector, who are apparently fairly bitter about this whole thing) that it would include that kind of addition.
For some reason, Alice is working at her diner job on graduation day. It makes for a good enough reason for her to wander across the park and get sucked into the nightmare, but...really. Working on graduation day? You must have a pretty lousy employer, Alice. Anyway, wearing her most innocent looking outfit, Alice follows a Nun into a gigantic castle-like convent or whatever...Springwood's geography is pretty odd. She then witnesses Amanda give birth to a horrible freak-baby which, in turn, becomes Freddy. There's a grimy quality to the color and lighting(like I said earlier) that really makes things seem...I dunno, just very tangible. Freddy's return is pretty well done: Alice catches on pretty quick and attempts to stop it, but the church set goes all weird(lots of sideways shots and weird geometry...kind of wild) and boom. IT'S A BOY!!!
Dan once again proves why I dig him: Alice tells him Freddy's back and there is no hesitation. Off he goes. It's a quiet little moment, but when Yvonne asks him if someone died, he gives a nice little head hang. Then he gets killed off in one of the more memorable death sequences. I know a lot of people complain about the increase in Freddy's witty commentary, but (as I said in my write up of the original and will likely go back to when I do the remake) I always felt it suited him. The character was never as "dark" as the fans like to think he was. But, anyway, I enjoy him spitting out the champagne and bellowing"bad year!"
The motorcycle death is really one of the best sequences in the series. It's just so painful looking. It's a little similar to the cockroach death (which I said was a little too much, and I stand by that) but somehow keeps from being too aggressive. It certainly is intense, though, I'll give it that. Dan goes through a pretty terrible ordeal before dying. It's a good death, though, Dan.
I'm not sure why the news of Alice's boyfriend's death OR her pregnancy would be left to the candy striper(even if it IS her best friend), nor on why her sudden shouting about Krueger would be summarily dismissed as crazy talk...didn't six people die a year or two ago, with people shouting about a dream killer? Wasn't Alice directly involved? How do her friends not know the story of how all of Alice and Dan's friends died? I know the history is primarily only important to Alice and the audience, but...I dunno, you'd think other people would have some sort of information. You would also think that the Doctor would be in charge of delivering news.
Alice getting out of the hospital and going directly to her friends to tell the whole story is a nice touch. No bullshit, just alert the whole gang automatically. They're not receptive at first, and seem to be dealing very well with the death of their friend (he died the night before! Like, less than twenty four hours!)...it's followed by a nice scene between Alice and her Dad. He comes home with healthier groceries, and she asks if he's disappointed in her. Mele gives a great line read of "No. No I'm not." and even references hoping for a boy because he would like to hear the sounds of a little boy again. Never forget Rick. Never.
Greta goes next...as good as the scenes more or less are, they sure are thrown together pretty quickly with little to no cohesion. Again, the death scene is well handled: good effects, and interesting enough dynamics(there's a visual metaphor of being infantalized, and about eating disorders). Greta doesn't have an awful lot of characterization, though, so it's hard to invest much besides visually.
I think this movie could have used more Mark. He's probably my favorite Nightmare character after Rick, really, but that could be because he's a nerd who loves comics like me. I also think The Phantom Prowler is actually a pretty cool character design. But, he's probably the only victim in this film to get real personality. He was totally in love with Greta, who was way out of his league(again, I can totally relate. I, too, spent my high school years in love with a statuesque young woman who was out of my league), he's not handling her death well and he totally changes his tune and decides he believes in Freddy. He has a nice decoy death scene, even if it's designed to bring plot elements in: Jacob, the creepy little boy, is Alice's unborn baby and his dreams are what allowed Freddy to return and, basically, Freddy wants to collect the souls of Alice's friends and use them to possess the baby.
The Doctor really does suck at his job. His bedside manner is terrible, he violates Doctor/Patient laws to tell Dan's parents about Alice having anxiety attacks (which actually isn't super uncommon in young pregnant women...and also there are, y'know, shrinks and medicine and all sorts of things to deal with that stuff but nope calling her dead boyfriends parents. Not HER Father, her dead boyfriends parents)...I think you should get a new doctor, Alice.
Mark suggests abortion, which is pretty huge for a late eighties horror flick. He also does a great job in the background of the scene between Alice and Dan's Parents...it's cool he's left in the shot at all. It would have been easier to just have him go outside, but instead he offers some excellent support in the shot...until the discussion gets to a certain point, and then he underscores its importance by slowly excusing himself. It's some nice screen business. Then her Dad sticks up for her, too, which is excellent. Joe Seely really does some nice work...it's too bad he didn't do an awful lot else. Mark is way too rough on his comics, though...bad fanboy.
Nice little moment of strength for Yvonne, though: as she's falling through the air off of the compromised diving board, she manages to utilize her training into an organized dive...and when Freddy picks her up to show her to Alice, she's throwing punches. I like the (admittedly few) interactions between Freddy and Alice: it plays like comic book nemesis encountering each other.
If there is one thing I'd change from Mark's death scene, it would be the skateboard. I don't object to the rest of it so much: I like the black and white imagery, the weird doll stuff and The Phantom Prowler...I mean, as far as the latter, they opened that door with part three and dream powers, so it works for me. Super Freddy is a little goofy, I'll admit...but there's something really jarring and creepy about him being turned into paper and shredded. I put it up there with the cockroach and motorcycle deaths, really: that sense of immobilization and helplessness...I find it pretty unsettling myself.
The climax looks fantastic. Great M.C. Escher designs, stained glass windows, weird geometric shapes...and then some pretty cool latex effects of Freddy bursting out of Alice and the souls just bursting out of Freddy with faces indicative of their deaths...it all looks really great, and organic and slimy. Good stuff. It's a bit of a hurried conclusion story wise, which...well, the whole thing is hurried story wise. It really is an awkward film in a lot of ways, with some solid ideas kind of keeping things afloat. I feel like the story wanted to be deeper but just didn't have the time to breathe. It's like a cake that you take out of the oven too soon.
Final Thoughts: It's a really rushed film on the page and in the sense of direction: Hopkins handles the effects stuff well, though, and most of the film has some astonishingly excellent visuals. I don't think we needed the late nineties rap song over the credits...really doesn't fit. But overall...well, it's a pretty okay film for a quick sequel. Looks great, less filling.
Final Rating: Two and a half stars.
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