Horror Origins: A Nightmare on Elm Street

What are some of the most iconic sounds and phrases from film?  I’m talking about a phrase or a tiny clip of music that instantly conjures an entire film to mind, filling you with nostalgia. There are the usual quotes from classic movies, such as “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” and “STELLA!!!!”  Plus there are audio clips, like the Imperial March or the opening music to Star Trek.  Once you hear it, you can never forget its source material.

For me, it’s all about the horrors.  The theme to Friday the 13^th is great.  “Ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ahh.”  Then there is the screeching noise in Psycho’s shower scene.  On top of all that,  my most memorable horror film audio clip is most definitely the little girls singing “One two Freddy’s coming for you…”

On to the review!

A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Kruger is quite possibly Wes Craven’s greatest creation.  As played by Robert Englund, Freddy was the perfect amount of creepy, disturbing and otherworldly.  The casting was also an important part of the film’s success.  Especially early in the franchise, you were never quite sure if the man behind the makeup was maybe a little too into his role.  On more than one occasion I caught myself wondering if this guy just really good at playing a crazed, dream-stalking killer, or did he actually relish the chance to ‘murder’ teenaged victims?

Like most horror films, A Nightmare on Elm Street eventually suffers from the dreaded law of diminishing returns.  Personally, I think it holds up as a franchise for longer than most, with Dream Warriors arguably the best in the series (and my personal favorite).  More importantly, the first Nightmare, unlike many other franchise starters, perfectly sets the tone that will carry through to most every sequel.  As much as people complain about too much slapstick and humor finding its way into later installments, there was already humor present in the first film.  From Freddy’s accordion arms to the striped roof implying that our murderous anti-hero is disguised as a sports car, there was always something playful about his insanity.

This sets it far apart from other movies like Friday the 13^th and Critters, films that didn’t find their voice until later, or completely changed their tone after just one or two films.  I like to argue that A Nightmare on Elm Street didn’t devolve into a humorous parody of itself so much as add a bit more humor in each installment.

As far as the original goes, it gets off to a perfect start.  The very first scene guarantees the audience knows that this movie is all about a crazed killer with a knife glove.  We start off in the middle of Nancy’s nightmare (played by Heather Langenkamp, who would later reprise her role in several sequels).  She’s being chased by a crazed guy in a tacky sweater, and he seems dead set on her demise.  When she discusses it with her high school friends and boyfriend, it turns out that they all dreamt about the same guy.  Later, when her two friends, Rod (Jsu Garcia) and Christina (Amanda Wyss) are separately slaughtered in their sleep, she and her boyfriend Glen (a very young Johnny Depp) try to stay awake as long as possible in an effort to avoid his nightmare realm.

What makes this film so much fun is its creative special effects.  I’ve mentioned Freddy’s accordion arms, which manage to be creepy as well as oddball, but the best parts of the film involve the revolving room.  Twice in the movie, a room is moved on its axis to give the impression of blood (or a person) flowing all over the walls and ceiling.  Despite improvements made in the special FX department in the last 20 years, it’s still a very simple way to imply a loss of sanity, and it still holds up well.

As far as franchise firsts go, I want to go on record as stating that A Nightmare on Elm Street is quite possibly the best in the horror genre.  It didn’t force huge, plot-changing twists into its sequels like Friday the 13^th did.  It didn’t immediately devolve into complete camp and comedy like Critters did.  It also avoided an incredibly boring beginning installment, unlike Hellraiser.  While not necessarily scary, it’s still creepy, and it will always be a testament to the creativity and genius of Wes Craven.

Next week:  Critters!  Hells yes!