JB & The Chop Do: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Another Elm Street flick! Can you believe it?! Yeah, sure! While it must be said, the last few have been particularly bad, it looks like there might just be some light on the horizon here! It seems the Freddy canon was still not ready to give up the ghost, even after all the flops before it.

SYNOPSIS: It’s nearing the 10th Anniversary of the film ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and one of the stars, Heather Langenkamp is being scared by a voice on a phone, sounding very similar to the film’s villain, Freddy Krueger. When Heather’s husband is killed in a car accident and is discovered with slash marks on him, Heather starts to wonder something. Especially when she discovers that Wes Craven is writing another ‘Nightmare’ film. Soon, she realizes that Freddy has now entered the real world, and the only way to defeat him is to become Nancy Thompson once again. – via IMDB

After the last two films that were pretty darn dreadful, things had to start looking up, and truly, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare delivered on that front, though certainly not without flaws.  This Elm Street entry is definitely the biggest standout for me when growing up, purely because it was on TV all the time when I was a kid.

The plot is significantly changed up, which is a good thing for this. Freddy is now fighting to come into the real world, no longer content where he was. Who else, naturally, to bring him in but Heather Langenkamp, who played Nancy Thompson, the girl who beat him? So this is how it was going to be, but could the studio pull it off without the super flop the last ones were?

The answer is yes, mostly. New Nightmare is incredibly gimmicky, but it works in some strange way, though there are some icky flaws that are just not on. It is not inundated with cheese (too often), like the last few predecessors, and has a darker and more serious tone. However, what did not work for this film at all was the length. It was far too long and self-indulgent on Craven’s behalf, and could have easily been twenty minutes shorter as well as featured less of the director himself. Just saying. What I did like was seeing Robert Englund being himself then slipping away, though more time could really have been invested in watching his descent into the madness that births Freddy Krueger, and I liked Julie, though I feel she got too little screen time in this crazy long movie.

I was not a fan of Freddy’s new makeup or his permanent wearing of a trench coat or his new clothes so much, though the trench did make him look darker. I was a big fan of his boots and what not, very badass, very cool.

Yep… issues and all this was not a bad watch, especially when you compare it to the last few we have had to suffer through, like oh my gosh. I liked it for the most part, but I was so not a fan of the excessive length, that really was a killer for me.

Let’s start this off by saying that I liked this movie – I did – it was a fucking miracle compared to the last one. But I also need to make sure I mention that there are things I didn’t like about it.  I don’t ever care if a movie is about making a movie – as long as it’s good – but I always find it risky to let the director give himself too much face time – because he could come off as a pretentious asshole. I don’t know if Craven pulled that off here but he had a lot of screen time. Too much for me, but that’s just me, a dumb, old Chop. I can’t remember – did he have a ponytail in this? It was the 90s so ponytails on men were en vogue but I always thought ponytails on me were particularly not fashionable. Sorry Brian. Pretentious ponytailed assholes.

I honestly can’t remember if Craven is MAKING a new Nightmare movie in this or if he was just the writer but someone’s making a new Nightmare movie and Heather Langenkamp is requested to reprise her role from the 1st and 3rd movies. I think she’s hesitant about it but her husband is working on it and strange things start to happen – IN THE FORM OF MURDER!!!!!!!! eventually – Langenkamp does her best Nancy Drew sleuthing and figures out Fred Krueger is coming to life and everyone thinks she’s batshit – UNTIL MORE MURDERS HAPPEN!!!!!!! While I think this movie was much better than the last two – and Kruger is once again NOT a wise-cracking anus – some suspect shit happens – like when he’s some sort of god in the clouds and lifts Langenkamp’s kid across a busy highway.

Anyway – remember this????

Heather!!! Don’t look now!!!!! DUM DUM DUM TA DUM!!!!!

SLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULUUUUUUUUUUUUURP!

I also didn’t really care for the new make-up or the new hat or the new sweater but I did like the character of Julie:

Her scene, which JB has in black and white above, was actually pretty cool – and quite bloody. I’m glad they got away from the campiness of the franchise and tried to make a good horror movie again. Some people probably won’t get this but I think – while I liked this thing – it suffers from being way too 90s. Parachute pants, John Lennon sunglasses, men with ponytails, women with shoulder pads in their business jackets, shit music, etc. Oh – and too much of this:

Did I mention this??

Oh well – despite some minor irritants, this one wasn’t too bad but it’s a MIRACLE compared to the last one.

Love,

The Chop

(speaking of assholes!!)