Growing up I was never really into horror films, and thus I have always been playing from behind in regards to even some of the most famous franchises from the genre. I haven't seen all of the kills from Jason, Freddy or Michael, although from what I gather based on reactions of others at some of those sequels, I don't really think I have been missing much.
Just last year I finally saw the second film from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, Freddy's Revenge, and my goodness what a turd of a picture. The original and I go way back and I have revisited it multiple times, so I was in shock that a second installment could be that terrible. I mean, sure, maybe number 7 or 9 from a franchise that has gone on far, far too long, you can walk into that with zero expectations and maybe laugh at the ridiculousness, but a direct sequel of a classic? Shockingly bad.
So you can understand and perhaps even appreciate my fleeting desire to move on to the third film, right? Freddy's Revenge isn't even fun bad, it's just bad bad, the type of time spent with a movie that I wish I could have back. Why waste even more of it on another silly Freddy fest?
Multiple voices in my ear, including my wife and buddy, kept hyping up A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, telling me it was a delicious bounce back after the misguided second film. Alright, fine. Let's give it a shot.
Success. Those voices ring true. Dream Warriors is a dark, delightful, and appropriately silly in a good way movie that kept me engaged and entertained throughout. What a refreshing surprise when I had given up any hope of appreciating a Freddy flick after the first one. Sure, it's cheesy and the dialogue isn't anything to write home about and the effects are cartoonish, but at the very least they got the tone right and it felt like the type of 80's horror I would have embraced as a kid rather than a grossly unfunny comedy like the film before it.
There is a fourth one of these, right? Should I go ahead and give it a shot? I feel like I have to now, but I still have reservations...gut feeling without doing any research, it's bound to be a turd.
Then again, it could be another Dream Warriors situation. This one wildly exceeded my expectations.
4/5
OH MAN!!! One of my favorite, probably favorite, 80s horror movies. I had such a crush on Nancy/Heather Langenkamp when I was a kid (and the nurse from Joey's dream). I loved how they all had special powers in their dreams and came out of their shells. I still remember the lines ("I AM THE WIZARD MASTER!!")("In the Name of Lowrik, Prince of Elves, Demon Be Gone!!")("Wanna Get High?")("Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch"). Freddy was my all time favorite horror villain. Those knives are freaky.
ReplyDeleteThis one also was, I think, Patricia Arquette's first real film. Lawrence Fishburne also has an early role here.
OH MAN, thinking about this, I need to go watch this again. 5/5.
Had no idea you loved this one so much, haha. You could have been another one of those voices in my ear encouraging me to see it finally, as I kept putting it off because of how poor the second one was.
DeleteWow, blast from the past! I haven't watched this movie in yeeearsss. I remember liking it more than 2, and damn your giving me the shivers in remember that "puppet" scene!
ReplyDeleteYeah not surprised you liked it more than 2 Cody haha. Watching 2 for the first time last year and this one finally now, 2 is so terrible.
DeleteI never found 2 to be as terrible as everybody things, I sort of look at it as dumb fun, but even then it's very rare I'd watch it. What bugs me more about the film other than the fact it wasn't good, is the fact that the people making it honestly thought the gay themes were super subtle, and not in your face.
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