Well folks, there we have it, all the “Nightmare On Elm Street” films so far, there is talk of a sequel being made to the remake, rumour has it that it’ll be in 3D, but no confirmation has been made on anything yet. I for one think it’s time we let this franchise die now to try and focus on new ideas.
There’s no doubting the impact that Freddy has had, not just in the Horror genre but also in pop culture as-well, even today he’s a character that is still talked about and used in a-lot of jokes, references etc, easily lining him up amongst the Horror greats.
One of the things I don’t like is I think it was a double edged sword for Robert Englund’s career, he truly was amazing as Freddy, it’s a role he will always be remembered for and he deserves all the praise he gets as he is that good. The problem is that other than the Elm Street films he hasn’t really had a chance to progress from it, his career has been full of cameos and b-movies. This is an actor who belongs in the big leagues, Watch the film “Inkubus” and you will see what I’m talking about.
If you’re a Robert Englund fan then I suggest you read his autobiography “Hollywood Monster”, it has great detail about the franchise and lots of behind the scenes info and you’ll also earn a-lot of respect for the man and what he went through to make those films for us to enjoy. He also talks about the impact of the Freddy mania era which is great fun to read.
The franchise is sadly remembered more for it’s bad points than it’s good ones. Yes there are a-lot of bad moments but the good ones we had were great viewing and the bad moments are more are ones that are referenced a-lot so you learn to take it with a pinch of salt. I think the fact that the whole Freddy machine became more of a merchandise brand than a film didn’t help keep it’s credibility, there was a-lot of Freddy merchandise, I think we knew it was getting too much was when kids toys were being released, you weren’t supposed to have fun with Freddy, he was supposed to scare you.
Another release I would recommend with the “Nightmare On Elm Street” tag is the documentary of the franchise called “A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Elm Street Legacy”, clocking in at over four hours long we are given a very thorough look at each film in the original franchise and have interviews with people involved in each film, it makes for a very intriguing and fact filled watch.
It may not be the best franchise in the Horror genre but it is certainly one of the most loved and most watched. I personally love the series but felt it went on a few films too long, but that’s Hollywood for you.
SomeWhatNerdy ~~~ To read all of Raz’s reviews, including all of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, click HERE.
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And as always, thanks Raz for another great look back!
