Andy's Archive: A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Credit: New Line Cinema

Everyone in my generation likely grew up with their own horror "icon", whether it was Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, or it could have even been the evil doll Chucky. Of those 4 horror franchises of the 1980's, mine was Halloween, with the masked murdered named Michael Myers. I liked the silent killer whose reasons were never known, just that he had a mission to kill his sisters and anyone who stood in his way. It wasn't until I was an adult that I watched many of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels; in fact I didn't even see the original movie until 2008!

This first film in the series introduces the villain Freddy Krueger, who begins stalking and killing a group of friends in their dreams. Later films would turn him into more of a comedic character, but in this original entry, he's sadistic and even stalks one of the girls while she's taking a bath. If there's any humor present, its darkly comedic and not played for big laughs like later sequels. Robert Englund is Freddy Krueger, Heather Langenkamp is Nancy, and in his first feature film, Johnny Depp is her boyfriend Glen. The couple realizes they've had similar nightmares about a mysterious man after their friend Tina (Amanda Wyss) shares her nightmare with them after school.

I'm sure my opinion is a controversial one, but I found it to be more frightening when Krueger isn't on-screen. When he he does appear, its mostly to run after the girls and tackle them, and it almost ruined the suspenseful atmosphere that the film had created. I realize I'm also viewing 30 year old special effects, but Krueger with long arms and cutting himself to reveal oozey scars was more humorous than it was frightnening. I feel that if you aren't able to create special effect the right way, then it shouldn't be done at all. Those long arms of Freddy should have been left for one of the sequels where it would have felt more at home. I felt that the less Freddy is seen, the better; which is ironic because I watch the sequels just for his appearances.

With this first Nightmare film, I liked the atmosphere that Director Wes Craven created through whispers, shadowy images of Freddy, as well as his clawed glove popping up, and even when he popped through the wall over the bed of Tina. That is an example of a great practical effect that many horror films from the 1980's are known for creating, which last in your mind long after the credits have rolled. The scene I felt was the most frightening and best executed was when Nancy is in class. The brilliance of the scene is that its not even apparent that she's dreaming until she turns her head, and seated next to her is her bloody friend Tina inside of a body bag!

Despite my gripe with Freddy tackling girls, this movie stands the test of time as one of the better horror films of the 1980's. That atmosphere of fear created by Craven, as well as Freddy's unique appearance, made it apparent that this wouldn't be the only time we'd see this villain on the big screen.