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Editorials

40 Years of “A Nightmare On Elm Street”: How Freddy Changed The Game In The 80s and Beyond

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The year was 1984.  The very first commercial for the revolutionary Apple Computer premiered at the beginning of the year, foreshadowing an irreversible change in the way we live for an entire generation. While one can argue this may very well be, the most significant moment in ’84, (or hell an entire decade), most horror fans may dispute that. 40 years ago, one of horror’s biggest and influential icons was born from the mind of the late Wes Craven-Freddy Krueger. Robert Englund gave him a body, Craven gave him the brain- see what I did there- and unleashed Freddy Mania unto the generation that became the golden era for Slasher movies; and shows no signs of slowing up all these years later.

While I can’t speak for every single child of the ’80s, Freddy Fever rose high and rampant over the course of a decade, introducing an entire generation to the horror genre due to Springwood’s Slasher popularity. Nancy said it best, “Every kid knows who he is. He’s like Santa Claus.” 

And even celebrated much more so by the horror fandom than the generous, jolly ol’ dude. With on-screen heroes emerging in the decade like Indiana Jones, Rambo, and pretty much any Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Freddy rose to the ranks as a hero of a generation of horror movie fans by being nothing more than the ethos of pure evil-slapstick comedy added later-which only BOOSTED all the diehard FredHeads (myself included) to put him on a higher pedestal; rounding out the Holy Horror Slasher Trinity with his buddies Michael and Jason.

I mean, you’ve really made it when MTV (when it was, you know, amazing) lets you VJ and just end up doing whatever the fuck you want. That’s some star power.

And it all stemmed from an idea inspired by real-life horrific events that dated back a decade earlier.

As most of you are aware by now, Craven was enthralled by a story he came across in the LA TIMES about a family who had survived the Killing Fields in Cambodia. They made it safe and sound to the United States, but their young son was soon terrorized by horrible nightmares and was eventually found dead.

From Vulture Magazine, circa 2014:

“He told his parents he was afraid that if he slept, the thing chasing him would get him, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time. When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over. Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare. Here was a youngster having a vision of a horror that everyone older was denying. That became the central line of Nightmare on Elm Street.”

All that being said, WHAT exactly had the youth of our generation so insanely captivated by, well, a brutal child killer? I can only speculate on watching Freddymania evolve throughout the ’80s, and ’90s, to today’s hardcore fan base that follows Freddy and Friends to the ends of the Earth via social media and horror conventions (I’m totally one of those people), and speaking with fellow FredHead buddies. And the answers are pretty quite simple: The children are the warriors of this horror franchise. They are the ones who recognize the evil while the adults stand around with their thumbs up their asses. THEY are the ones who stand together, (just look at Dream Warriors) and face their enemy head-on. So it’s only natural an adolescent would gravitate toward something they could possibly relate to. Society is often guilty of not listening to our youth, and A Nightmare On Elm Street made that loud and clear, folks.

Another reason, and this is personally true in my case being a female, is that each of the NOES films gave us the absolute, most ass-kicking heroines that any young girl would be proud to look up to. First off, let’s just get this right out of the way- Nancy is the goddamn Queen. Even though it was quite clear that she was slowly getting edgier as the film progressed- to be fair she was working on a week’s worth of almost no sleep while Fred was trying to murder her– she really had the most logical and sturdy head out of EVERYONE in that entire film. Including her parents. Not to mention, she went full Rambo on Krueger’s ass. I’m not going to sit here and try to argue how she managed to set all those booby traps, fall asleep, and capture Freddy all in twenty minutes of film time. Let’s just appreciate the fact that this girl went balls to the wall, going as far as tackling her predator to the ground WWF style in one giant FUCK YOU to his face. And then she turns her back on him and calls him “shit”.

Goddamn. GIRL FUCKING POWER.

35 Years of Freddy: A Clawed Imprint On An Entire Generation

Prior to Heather Langenkamp’s debut as a horror heroine, there really hadn’t been too many “final girls” who actually used their wit and a bit of critical thinking to overcome danger. Sydney Prescott said it best, “Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door.” Ironically, another character of Wes Craven-which is a big reason why I adore him and the strength he gave his female heroes.

The stupid girl trope in horror movies had always really bothered me until I got a dose of Nancy. The only other final girl that came remotely close to being a full-on badass that any young girl would admire prior to NOES, is Amy Steel’s Ginny from Friday the 13th Part 2. Nancy is Ginny turned all the up. And I respect the fuck out of it. We finally had someone willing to fight back with both her mind and skills she obtained. The strong female presence would continue throughout the franchise, and personally, I really think it made other horror films and franchises really think twice about the dumb girl victim angle. Post 1984, the main female characters in BOTH Friday the 13th and Halloween, respectfully, had a bit more fight in them. Think of Megan from Jason Lives, or Rachel from Halloween 4 who helped break the cycle. We can thank Nancy for that.

If someone wants to chime in about Jamie Lee Curtis, don’t make me remind you that just screamed her way through the first one until Loomis saved her ass; and then again in the sequel. A sequel where she literally laid in a parking lot where help was 10 feet away and waited to call out until they were gone.

I fucking love these movies to death, but I can never get past the stupidity of that.

Last but not least, A Nightmare On Elm Street has always been seen by me as a “comfort horror film”.  Over the years, I’ve written several articles on how horror films actually soothe my anxiety- And the NOES films are exactly that for me. Comfort in times of stress and the harsh realities of the real world. I refer to films like these in a term I coined, “FANTASTICAL HORROR”. Films like Halloween and Friday the 13th (only the first, after that they became FANTASTICAL), were very much real to me. THAT SHIT COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. It’s very plausible an escaped lunatic could go on a killing spree or a deranged childless mother going apeshit on a group of kids. With NOES, mehhhhhhhhh, highly doubt a burnt-faced demon is gonna kill me in my dreams. This is not to say that one could never die in their sleep, or to take away the fact that the movie is really terrifying in other aspects. But, it’s not realistic to me. And that’s ok! In times of real-world tragedies, shitty adult issues, and when the world seems so ugly that you want to pack up and move to Mars, Freddy, and the gang are here to take us to Dream Land. To a place that takes us out of reality and into the world of Fantastical Horror.

You know, kinda like Harry Potter but cooler. Don’t you Hogwarts fans @ me.

Happy 40th anniversary, Freddy and the gang. And to all my fellow sons and daughters of 100 maniacs who keep the fandom of this movie as strong as ever. We are all his children now and forever.

35 Years of Freddy: A Clawed Imprint On An Entire Generation

On a last note for all you Fred Heads, make sure you grab the latest revised edition of “NEVER SLEEP AGAIN” that has all new information about the making of the movie via the cast and crew! The book releases on November 9th, 2024 and you can grab it here on Amazon!

Interviews, News

“Halloween 4” Director Returns To Roots With Halloween Film “Natty Knocks” and New Book

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It’s no secret to anyone here how much I adore HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS, so when I was asked to interview Dwight Little, the master director of Halloween aesthetics, I never said yes to something so fast in my life. A visual showman and a pure fan of the holiday we all love, Little returns to his roots with a brand-new horror movie set on Halloween Eve called NATTY KNOCKS which, ironically, roots itself into some old-fashioned Halloween tropes and lore makes this holy matrimony of Halloween delight, what Dwight Little calls, “A Seasonal Halloween Movie“

Dwight Little’s new Halloween visceral venture, NATTY KNOCKS, brings back former alumni he’s worked with Robert Englund, Danielle Harris, and newcomer to the director’s world, Bill Moseley as the film’s crazed antagonist Abner Honeywell in a horror genre-mash-up mixed with supernatural and urban legend elements. Honeywell (Moseley) is traumatized as a child via his witness of his Grind House actress turned prostitute mother, Natty’s untimely and brutal death by the hands of vengeful women who proclaim she’s a witch; giving the small town where they reside, a horrible crime turned into an infamous legend over the years and setting us up for a sweet Halloween treat filled with vengeance. Dwight Little describes the set-up as “a Roger Corman inspired B-Movie within a B-movie”.

Protagonists Danielle Harris and our film’s John Houseman(as Dwight Little describes his character), Robert Englund, who unravels the ghost story of Natty so beautifully, round out the family reunion of Halloween film nostalgia which is a true love letter to the fans of HALLOWEEN 4 in retrospect. Little states that filming with the horror alumni again, more than 30 years after both HALLOWEEN 4 and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, brought back both great memories and fuzzy feelings-which is a whole ‘nother piece in its own right of which we will explore in Part 2 of my interview with Mr. Little where we celebrate the 35th anniversary of HALLOWEEN 4.

Speaking of HALLOWEEN 4, D.L. says he purposely inserted some Easter Eggs, including maybe some ominous images from a particular movie intro, honoring the 1988 fan-favorite film of the franchise inside NATTY KNOCKS, so make sure to look for that while watching! There’s just something about watching a Halloween horror film with Bill Moseley and Robert Englund that has The Return of Michael Myers sprinkled throughout the movie, that just makes me feel so damn good inside.

NATTY KNOCKS is currently streaming FOR FREE on TUBI, which Dwight highly praises as a “wonderful opportunity for horror fans to enjoy good horror movies on a budget,” and I couldn’t agree more. The Blu-ray is now available on AMAZON, which you can buy here!

Dwight Little also has a new memoir, Still Rolling: Inside the Hollywood Dream Factory, where the director talks make or break creative battles, Hollywood intrigues, unpredictable studio executives, and temperamental actors are all documented in colorful detail. That being said, I asked D.L just how scandalous this book really is?!

D.L.- “There is actually some gossip, and it’s not a takedown of anybody, but I’ve worked with enough well-known profiled people like Wesley Snipes, Keifer Sutherland, etc… and there’s some good, interesting stuff about movies and TV stars. But there’s mostly a lot of behind the curtain stuff, and I think film fans are going to like it… Especially those who love HALLOWEEN 4. It’s really a must-read for any big fans of that movie as there’s some deep dives into both that and PHANTOM and horror fans, I think, will really love it.“

Horror fans and Hollywood aficionados can pick up the book here at Amazon!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this interview, where we talk all things HALLOWEEN 4!

Editorials

1988: The Year of Freddy-Mania and Release of “Dream Master”

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1988 was a banger year for horror, but just as with Highlander, there can be only one; and that year belonged to Freddy. Point-blank.

A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master holds a very dear and nostalgic place in my dark heart. I was merely six-years-old when Dream Master made its theatrical run in August 1988, but I was also a blossoming horror nerd, contrary to my peers who were playing with Barbie while I had my poseable mini Freddy figure who I would throw in the passenger seat of my best friend’s barbie’s corvette.

Freddy was totally Kenough.

I didn’t get to see Dream Master at the movies, mostly due to my age, but my first viewing was rather at a sleepover the following year at my older cousin’s house as a double feature with Halloween IV. I was invited purely out of family politics, as my cousin was three years my senior and definitely didn’t want to deal with her “bratty little cousin”. Too fucking bad, tho. I was crashing the party so I could watch some cool movies with the older kids and show them I could hang. I had already seen Dream Warriors and Freddy’s Revenge at home, (believe it or not, I hadn’t seen the original until after this shortly after this viewing of Part 4), so watching it for the first time with kids close to my age and also horror fiends, was something really special. Might as well note, given our age, we all felt super awkward when, you know, this scene happened as we were all flat-chested adolescents.

Also, this is the first time I even heard the term wet dream. Thanks Freddy for the sexual education!

In 1988, Freddy took on an entire generation of youth and persuaded them to bend to his will. Hell, I was obviously certainly one of them. Wes Craven’s creation and the character that Robert Englund made infamous was climbing the ranks years prior, rising as a superstar within the first three films, and the fourth film was no exception. As a matter of fact, the promotions done for the film, along with the movie itself catapulted Freddy into superstardom outside the horror genre, breaking that wall into modern pop-culture phenomena where we would see a guy whose main purpose is to kill kids, have his face on bubble gum sold at candy stores.

NOW, THAT IS SOME SERIOUS STAR POWER.

While Freddy-Mania as we Fred-Heads like to put it, ran wild well before Dream Master, it certainly hit its stride and its absolute peak in 1988. Freddy was EVERYWHERE. From hosting his own hour-long MTV special (of which you can in its entirety here), several music videos, Halloween costumes, late-night guest appearances, toys, merch, that god-awful yet fan-fucking-tastic Nintendo game, and even a board game ensured that even the pearl-clutchiest of prudes knew who Freddy was. Especially, us, the kids.

Also, you had the cool parents if this was sitting in your game closet.

Now, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 had some serious pressure having to follow up the thought-provoking and scary as hell Nightmare 3. Renny Harlin, the 28-year-old Finnish director coming off his spirited horror flick Prison the year prior, had been banging on New Line’s door for some time to get it on the Freddy madness and was given his chance with Dream Master. Brian Helgeland, who helped Robert Englund write his directorial debut 976-EVIL the same year, took a first-time stab at penning the script. Worth noting that Helgeland would also obtain an Oscar for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL less than a decade later, so that’s just some trivia for you if you ever needed to make a Freddy and Russell Crowe connection.

Dream Warriors is unofficially by fans, clamored to be the best in the series apart from the 1984, original, but I can argue that Dream Master is just as good, and in some ways, even better than its predecessor- depending on what type of movie you’re into as Warriors and Master can seem like a far leap from each other even as sister films with the tone, atmosphere, and even Freddy feeling more fun this time around. Maybe it’s just me, but the more serious intention of the movies went right out the window when a dog pissed out flames to resurrect Freddy’s dried-out bitch bones and cook him to a more suitable temperature of extra-crispy.

And, you know what? THAT IS TOTALLY OK. Dream Master is fun as hell and all the dream sequences are winners in their own right. From Freddy pulling Joey into his own waterbed, mocking him for his over-ravenous sexual appetite, to Debbie being turned into a cockroach, the creativity keeps us on edge and doesn’t get boring even after the 300th time watching it.

And then, there’s Alice.

Alice, played by Lisa Wilcox, is much like Rachel Carruthers in Halloween IV, (who by the way was up for the role for Kristin Parker in Dream Master, but took the role as Rachel instead)! She’s the second-coming of a final girl in a beloved slasher franchise where she not only lives up to her predecessor Nancy, but gives us a fresh and imperfect character that female horror fans can relate with. Alice has problems. She’s shy. She has internal trauma unrelated to the fact there’s a nightmare demon trying to murder her and all her friends. She’s just simply trying to navigate her life while struggling with her own self-worth. While this sort of theme in horror heroes suffering from PTSD has become rather typical in modern horror, in the 80s, it really wasn’t common at all. And this is where Dream Master and Dream Warriors really pull itself together as true sister films when they broke down that fourth wall, diving into unresolved trauma. Warriors dealt with the stigma of mental illness, and Dream Master followed us down that path of the aftermath while touching on unresolved wounds from the past. It was quite groundbreaking for a slasher film, and you have to respect that.

Alice Johnson’s journey towards her end-game battle with Freddy is unique among her ’80s horror movie peers. In many of these films, the “Final Girl” concludes her screen time with some sense of strength and badassery for overpowering her antagonist – be it a supernatural foe or a more mundane one. However, the NOES franchise has always paid special attention in giving their heroines an extraordinarily powerful presence from start to finish – something which I, as a female, have always admired. Sure, they’re goddamn scared of getting killed in their sleep because, come on, who wouldn’t? But, in the famous words of SCREAM’s Sidney Prescott, they certainly never came across as some, “big-breasted girl that can’t act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door.”  

Nancy had a strong will, Jesse had the power of love, and Kristin had dream power. Alice, while not at first possessed all these traits, eventually brought Freddy to his knees (or rather, torso) in the finale. And while the battle was glorious, it was the road that led to it that left my adolescent self inspired to be a role model rather than a victim. And for that, she, to me, is the ultimate final girl in the NOES franchise.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 opened up to rave reviews from fans, not so much from critics so fuck ’em, amassing nearly $50 million at the U.S. box-office alone, and was also the highest-grossing horror film in all of 1988 (considering what a grand year ’88 was for horror, that’s pretty damn amazing!) It was such a success for New Line that the TV series Freddy’s Nightmares was green-lit as a result; which also originally premiered in October of 1988. Maybe not to the same sort of rave reviews from fans, as I guess people wanted more Freddy rather than him as a host, but some of those episodes are still well worth a watch; especially the Tobe Hooper-directed pilot episode. Regardless, the combination of all these massive achievements in only a year, undeniably make Freddy the KING of 1988 HORROR.

That being said, I can’t think of a better way to close this piece out than dropping this bomb right here. Here’s to 35 years of being petrified of dying in my sleep from asthma!