"Welcome to prime time, bitch!"
Those five words changed everything for the Nightmare franchise going forward. No matter what your feelings are toward A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE, good or bad, the film took Freddy away from the dreamscape and into the real world where he shifted toward being a more traditional slasher killer. While this shift broke new ground for the character and introduced new and interesting scenarios it also limited the scope of possibility. The rules of the real world are concrete. But in the dreamscape anything can happen.
Realizing the potential and unique horror landscape at their disposal, Robert Shaye and those at New Line Cinema brought Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare series back to the realm of dreams. The first Nightmare film showcased death scenes unlike anything audiences had ever seen before and the narrative allowed for every death going forward to be strikingly unique.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS leaned hard into the advantages their world had over every other horror film flooding the market. Nightmare 3 showcased the most bizzare, imaginative, and nightmarish death sequences audiences had ever seen. Freddy Krueger returned more gleefully malevolent and creative than ever, not to mention with more personality too. Along with Freddy's return audiences also were treated to the return of his nemesis, Nancy, and his creator, Wes Craven (in a story scripting capacity only).
A man by the name of Chuck Russell came aboard to direct the film, making his directorial debut. Russell also brought along a friend whom he'd worked with on previous horror films, Frank Darabont. The two friends had previously collaborated on the horror films HELL NIGHT (1981) and THE SEDUCTION (1982) and would later deliver another great horror film of the 80's, THE BLOB (1988). Seeing unlimited potential in the concept and with a firm vision of where the series could go, Russell reinvigorated the franchise, catapulting Freddy Krueger to all new heights.
This was the "make or break" point of the series. If Nightmare 3 had failed there'd likely be no films beyond the original trilogy. Thanks to Chuck Russell the franchise would live on for another six films.
Without delaying further, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is my favorite of the Nightmare sequels.
THE PLOT
Teen suicides have reached an all-time high in the small town of Springwood. The remaining children of Elm Street have been committed to Westin Hospital under psychiatric evaluation and suicide watch. The physician overseeing the children's care, Dr. Neil Gordon, is at a loss as to how to treat them. The situation becomes more disturbing once Dr. Gordon learns of the patients shared hallucination: a boogeyman named Freddy Krueger who haunts their dreams. Events grow stranger still with the arrival of the new intern, Nancy Thompson. With first hand knowledge of what the kids are up against, Nancy convinces Dr. Gordon of the very real peril awaiting the children and, together with the kids, they prepare to bring the fight to Freddy Krueger once and for all.
WHAT I LIKED
The Dream Warriors. I can't believe it took them three movies to tap into the concept of "dream manipulation." This concept blows the doors wide open for what's possible in such a narrative. This device would come to define the plots of the forthcoming sequels and greatly expand the story. And let's not forget the dream warriors themselves. A couple of actors who'd go on to become stars appear in this movie including Patricia Arquette in her film debut and Laurence Fishburne (although Laurence isn't a "dream warrior" in the movie. You know, everyone who was a part of the making of this film is a Dream Warrior as far as I'm concerned). And I just want to thank whoever it was that demanded DOKKEN be a part of this movie.
Kevin Yagher's Effects. If Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont had a vision of what the Nightmare series could be, it was Kevin Yagher who brought it all to life. Yagher stepped into the role of Freddy's personal make-up effects designer in Nightmare 2 and he would continue to be here and in Nightmare 4. The Freddy Snake is a disturbing masterpiece. The "Puppet Death" sequence too is a gruesome spectacle to behold. All in all this film took Freddy and the what was possible with the franchise to the next level and breathed new life into the series. Some of the effects in this film are unforgettable. Oh, and I know it wasn't Kevin Yagher's contribution, but I love the stop-motion photography, especially in the junkyard sequence (one of my favorite moments in the film).
The Originals. When making a franchise, having a returning cast and crew, is a vital ingredient. While I liked the cast of Nightmare 2, there lacked a major connection (aside from Robert Englund of course). When Heather Langenkamp makes her chilling entrance in Nightmare 3 suddenly everything begins to gel in the movie and the franchise as a whole. Hope returns in a franchise that had grown progressively bleak. And as powerful as Freddy is, having a worthy opponent in Nancy feels like the missing piece in the puzzle. John Saxon's arrival at the end of the second act is pure icing on the cake, providing the bridge to Freddy's past and opening up a whole new area of story to be explored.
Prime Time Freddy. Nightmare 3 transformed Freddy Krueger from an ultra-frightening nightmare demon into a horror rockstar. Thanks to a killer performance by Robert Englund, Freddy is quick witted, darkly funny, and even a little charismatic. The dream demon here has the best lines in the entire film and appears to be enjoying himself throughout the film, an enjoyment that is passed onto the audience. Obviously there was a great script here in the film, albeit maybe not as terrifying as the previous two films, but this was perhaps the most fun time in a Nightmare film yet. In spite of this lightening of the character, the film did introduce a supremely dark and evil origin for Freddy: the bastard son of a hundred maniacs.
And the last original return, but certainly not least, is that of the horror maestro himself, Wes Craven. Although Craven's script was basically rejected and/or extremely altered, it's still comforting to see his name in the credits. Interestingly, according to the script Craven wrote, Freddy wasn't as gleeful or quippy, but darker and sadistic (more in line with Freddy's depiction in the previous two films).
NITPICKS
Freddy Krueger ~ MTV VJ. This is more of a confliction with me rather than a nitpick with the film. This is the film where audiences stopped being afraid of Freddy and began to love Freddy. I too am among those who love Freddy Krueger and every ounce of talent poured into the character by Robert Englund and Kevin Yagher. But the moment Freddy says, "Welcome to prime time, bitch!" the whole dynamic of the franchise changes. Something in Freddy's character changes. Dark humor was always a part of the mix, but it was aimed to terrorize where as here it's aimed to entertain. To be clear, I love both sides of Freddy's persona, the impish demon and the rockstar. Ultimately though I feel this shift erodes the character over the course of the following sequels. But there's also a legitimate argument for this tonal shift being the franchise's salvation too, allowing it to continue on for several sequels. Like I said, it's a confliction. Even so, this is my favorite film among the sequels.
ODE TO WHAT MIGHT'VE BEEN
Wes Craven delivered a very different script than what was ultimately put on screen. Originally Craven's concept would've seen Freddy cross over from film to the "real" world where he'd wreak bloody havoc upon the cast and crew of a new Nightmare film. This concept ultimately became the seventh film in the franchise: Wes Craven's NEW NIGHTMARE (1994). Craven's next story offering, which barely resembled the finished film, was decidedly darker and more serious, centering on horrific child deaths and hinging on locating Freddy's farm house and burning the building to the ground. And as I stated above, Freddy's character would've remained the purely dark and malevolent character he had been in the previous two films. It'll never happen but I'd love to see this "Nightmare Part 3" version. Apparently the novelization of the film was adapted from this script and will likely be the closest we ever get to seeing Craven's Nightmare 3 script realized.
THE VERDICT
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is one of the defining films in the series. Chuck Russell tapped into the visual and story potential of the series like none had before. Freddy could do more and be more and so could the children. This is where Freddy became the wise-cracking boogeyman we all know and love. Heather Langenkamp's return as Nancy along with John Saxon and Wes Craven returning helps with reconciling this film with the rest of the series and sets the standard going forward. This is the film that saved the series and transformed it into one of the most successful horror franchises of all time.
Overall Ranking: 9 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10
For more Nightmare films and the great horror franchises of the 80's check out these others below
No comments:
Post a Comment