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Synopsis:
Freddy Krueger returns in A Nightmare on Elm Street, a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of surburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another…but when they sleep, there is no escape.
UPDATED April 30, 2010 -- ELM STREET IS HERE! Leave us your comments and reviews below, and don't forget to rate the movie in our Elm Street poll!
Reviews
Brain Hammer - Horror Yearbook: "This movie is slightly less gay than Freddy’s Revenge..."
Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times: 1 star "Freddy is not a good argument for a supernatural existence. He can live inside wallpaper, appear anywhere and has no need of physical existence, except, arguably, when he inflicts actual physical damage. Yet he's such a bore, always growling away with his deep-voiced hahahahaha. If a man leads an interesting life, he ought to be able to make good conversation, is what I say."
Massawyrm - Aint it Cool News: - "NOES is more likely to put you to sleep than keep you awake!"
Michael Rechtshaffen - THR: "Good luck staying awake."
Ryan Rotten - Shock Till You Drop: 5 out of 10 "A Nightmare on Elm Street is a languid, unsuccessful attempt to tap into the extreme darkness of Krueger's nature and it simply leaves you cold."
Jeff Leins - News in Film: 3.5 out of 5 "Shocking and scary. Its a shame it will forever be compared to Craven's classic."
Chris Bumbray - Joblo.com: 3 out of 10 "To be fair, Sam Bayer's NIGHTMARE doesn't shame the title, nor does it shit on the 1984 classic; in fact, it's one of Platinum Dunes' best films. (Not saying much, but still...)"
Roger Moore - Orlando Sentinel: 2 stars "Fans will almost certainly find this at least moderately satisfying, but the rest of us are actually doing Haley a favor with only lukewarm endorsements..."
Harry Knowles - Aint it Cool News: "Just telling you – there’s a damn good NOES movie. Hopefully you’ll agree."
Frank Swietek - One Guy's Opinion: "A flat, lifeless remake that's totally unnecessary, except of course to the studio executives who want to extract still more profit friom the property."
Dennis Harvey - Variety: "New Line's new 'Nightmare' is too busy cramming in routine shock cuts to take a risk."
Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly: B- "I liked Haley's dour malevolence, but overall, the new Nightmare on Elm Street is a by-the-numbers bad dream that plays a little too much like a rerun."
UPDATE: David Harley - Bloody Disgusting: 4 out of 10 "Despite a cool scene or three and the fact that it’s infinitely less frustrating than Friday the 13th, NOES never reaches the plateau that it so earnestly tries to reach. It’s chock-full of interesting ideas and it looks nice thanks to Samuel Bayer’s grunge aesthetic, but a worthy trip to Slumberland this is not."
Scott Weinberg - FEARnet: "... so lazy, and so forgettable they may as well have 'we're not even trying' plastered across the bottom of the screen."
Kelsey Zukowski - 2snaps.tv: D+ "So much of the film is just laughable, almost in a depressing way; making it painful to watch for all the wrong reasons."
Dances With Werewolves - Horror Movie Fans: D+ "The bottom line is that this wasn’t awful, but I have an uncomfortable time trying to call it “okay” as well. It’s somewhere in an abyssal in-between."
Overall Rankings
Rotten Tomatoes
IMDB
Trailer Addict
So Im sitting here reading everyones review... And Im pleased that a good number of people enjoyed the movie as much as I did/ I have all the original, including Freddy VS Jason, movies here beside me, and I decided to watch them all again, before I came here to make my opinion be heard on a movie that I enjoyed.
Nobody can replace Robert Emglund or Wes Craven and the work they did together for all the films. It's just not possible! Alot of us can see that, and we knew this as soon as we went to go see the remake.
I went to see this movie with as open a mind as I could. I shut out everything I knew and loved about the original, and took a deep breath and allowed myself to pay for my ticket and go watch the movie with my friend. As soon as it started, I zooned into only this AU timeline of Freddy, and I sat through the whole thing taking mental notes... And jumping maybe few more times than I expected to.
At the end, I got in my car and just sat in the theater parking lot, saying "Oh my God... It wasn't that bad." And even after taking the time to mentally compare it to the original... I still thought it was OK.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a movie that many of us Horror film fans grew up on. Some of you probably got to see it when it was first released in theaters! And many of you have kept up to date with each movie that had Freddy in it, like I myself did as I got older. So many of you can easily say that you know your Freddy!
Well I sm one of those people. The story of the original Freddy Krueger, the one brought to life by Robert and Wes, was The Springwood Slasher who was a child murderer who killed at least twenty or more children before the pissed and hurt parents of Elm Street mobbed together and burned him alive in the boiler room where he use to take his victoms. Years later he's back, thanks to the Dream Demons we are introduced to in ANOES 6: Freddy's Dead, and he's seeking his revenge against the parents by doing what he did best when he was alive; Killing and torturing the Elm Street kids of the parents that murdered him.
Now lets jump to the new Nightmare. We are brought to learn that, in this AU of the original, Fred "Freddy" Krueger, was a gardener at Badham preschool who lived in the basement boiler room of the school. He did other things for the school, but mostly gardened. He was liked by the children and the parents of the children, and he seemed to like them. However, we come to learn that he had a dark intrest in the kids. He would physically and sexually abuse all of the children in his hidden room under the school. The parents of the children find out, and hunt down Fred Krueger to an abandoned boiler factory, and like the original, burn him alive! Years later he returns to exact revenge on the kids that told on him, killing them off one by one in their dreams.
To me... Im liking where they went with the remake. The back story seemed more believable and less cheesy. Though it was never played on much in the original, the adding of the secual predator to the kids was a sick, fascinating, bit to play off for Freddy's character, and it seemed more original than just someone who kills kids for the pleasure of it. Also the bit where you were left wondering if he was killed unjustly or not was a great touch as well.
A remake is just that; a remake. A re-imagining of something. If the producers had completly remade the film to be exactly like the original, it would be a waist. All the ANOES fans would know EXACTLY what was going to happen before it happened, and no-one would get the chance to feel frightened. Even witrh the better effects and budget they had for this; it would just be like watching the same story but with different faces and voices for the characters. To me... That would be hella boring.
To everyone who is pissed off that it doesn't 100% follow the original and that Wes and Robert where not apart of this, I'm sporry to say that you shouldv'e seen it coming. Everyone should of seen it coming! Robert and Wes will always be the ANOES team pros. No one can take there place and replace them, nor can the original be forgotten. But time moves on and as much as I hate to admit it, Kids today would not be afraid of what Wes and Robert have to bring us. They weren't with Freddy VS Jason (Bad example I know, but it is the closes to the 2000 era), so what would one expect now?
I approve of the new one. It has its flaws and it was to short, yes. But for what was attemmpted and given... Well Id have to say I approve and I hope to see a sequel from Jackie Earle Haley and the surviving cast of the remake. So yes! I accept the new one and Im getting it as soon as it comes out on DVD.
just saw the new nightmare on elm st. have seen all the old ones, and i have to say the movie itself was refreshingly different and would have enjoyed it even more if they had either had robert englund or a better casted freddy. the guy who played freddy seemed so uncomfortable and not a natural for the part at all. the freddy character almost ruined the film itself for me and my husband. hopefully if they do another movie they will be smart enough to get robert englund whatever the expense or at the very least someone nearly as good.
Are you sure your not just saying that because you like the actor robert englund??
i have seen a hell of a lot of horror/thriller films including other freddy kruger movies and Freiday the 13th.
I have to say this new remake of a nightmare on elm street was very good, and the Freddy Kruger was fantastic and very believable. Watching it made you feel like he was sitting behind you and what he was doing to those kids was actually really happening.
I think the actor who played Freddy Kruger was very good and should not be replaced by anyone.
It must be said that Roger Ebert also gave a bad review for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and was dead wrong and the numbers show that this reboot was number one for the weekend. I must also say that after watching Never Sleep Again i feel like i use to feel about the Elm Street series and i realize why i felt so weird and sad watching this reboot. This film was good but lacking and michael bay is one to blame and also the producers for not consulting Wes craven for ideas and references.
Oh dear there are a lot of bad reviews. I don't get it, I thought the movie was wonderful. I've been saying they should do a new one for years, and yes I am a fan of the old ones. The thing people need to understand is that this is not a remake; It's a reinvention. People need to understand that.
The movie was very scary, and I hardly ever get scared. People are saying this was not scary like the old one. Are you kidding me? I'm sure the old one was scary and cutting edge for it's time, but you can't watch the old one today and honestly say it's scary. The old ones are great, but yes they are very cheesy. This one was more intelligent.
I think this new Freddie was more frightening. Granted I think Robert Englund does a much better voice, but he was still great. Seeing all these bad reviews I really hope they make a sequel. Please do not listen to what the snotty critics have to say. This movie was well worth the wait.
FUCK YOU EVER SAID THEY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE GIVE ME ROBERT ENGLAND ANY FUCKING DAY FREDDY'S NOT SCARY LOOKING . HE A RUN OF THE MILL KILL YOU IN YOUR DREAMS GUY .. I HATE THIS REMAKE IT'S SUCK THEY TOOK THE BEST SCENE OUT THE MOVIE FREDDY WITH LONG ARMS IN THE ALLEY ....THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS BULLSHIT !!!!!!!
WOW, dude you need a anger counseler to talk to but i agree with you freddy
You just gotta enter this film with an open mind and just enjoy the film. As a huge fan of all the Nightmare on elm street films, and to the dude or miss who wrote that 3 hour long BS! about how the original series was raped in the ass, haha calling some of u not real fans and Know nothing about the history, i know the history just as much as any other REAL FAN...... Anyway i really enjoyed the movie i thought it was great, Jackie cant compare to Robert's, But he filled the role well. slow at some parts yes but great thoughts put into the deaths. The backstory made freddy more real and i really liked that, the ending of the film was great i liked it alot better than the original nightmare ending. They said they took away freddys humor, which is not true. All in all it was a great movie, not as good and fresh as Wes Cravens make of the film but worth watching if your a REAL FAN or Freddy Krueger.
I just got back from seeing this movie, and I was extremely impressed. Jackie Earle Haley did a phenomenal job as Freddy Krueger. He definitely put his own spin on the character though, and for all the people who don't understand the concept that this is a reimagining and not a remake, you really need to go into this with an open mind and NOT compare it to the original, as hard as that may be. The makeup effects seemed a little uneven and inconsistent at times, but that is my only minor complaint with the movie. The dream sequences were awesome, and the idea to go back to the original idea of Freddy being a child MOLESTER as opposed to a child KILLER was a good one. Was it a perfect movie? No, it wasn't. However, it is a fitting tale to start rebooting the series for a new generation. All in all 4 1/2 stars out of 5 :)
he could've been alot scarier
Personally, I thought that the movie was good with the potential to be brilliant. I've seen a lot of the earlier Nightmare On Elm Street films and found that this one is a lot better. Ignoring the other films in the series, I would have to say that this is a very good film. I thought the special effects really improved it and I found a lot of lines where I chuckled a bit (despite the promise that he wasn't all that funny).
Although I love Robert Englund, I prefer Jackie's portrayal character wise. The only thing missing was the bone chilling laugh. The make up could have been improved, but I'm not really going to complain too much. The storyline itself was far better and more understandable. Revenge fuels Freddy rather than the love for killing, which I love.
The potential to be more is always there. Taking scenes from the previous ones was stupid. With all of their abilities with these special effects you would have thought they'd go a beyond the normal for Freddy and make things a little bit more gruesome. I almost think they should have allowed the guys from Saw come in and do a little work on the script. I don't think it needs to be a gory film, but at the same time you need to show us something new -- it's not impressive if it's already been done before.
One thing that I will say that I enjoyed about this film was the lack of sex. I am damn proud that they kept that out because they didn't do that with Jason and Rob Zombie didn't do it for Michael either. I've always wondered if these horror flicks have people screwing each other and then being killed minutes later. (My personal theory is that Jason can smell all the sex.)
Overall, it's a good film, but I really think that the only people who will agree are those who haven't seen the first films or don't remember them all that clearly. It's better when you watch it without thinking about Englund's performance or Craven's directing and whatnot.
I really thought that Jackie did an excellent job as freddy, granted the script was horrible, and the tempo of the movie was too "hurry up and slow down", but he really did a great job. I feel that Jackie was most definately held back by the script, they relied to much on the children then to just let Freddy play. I'm sure that if they do progress with a sequel to this one they will have a much better pace with it, no need for the 40 mins of back story slice in between of a death scene here and there. Finally, I really did enjoy it, crappy script and all, I mean, "come on, it's Freddy for christ sakes", who doesnt want more of him :)
Totally agree with much of what you said. . . Although I don't think Jackie did an excellent job, he was good though. Didn't think this Freddy was much "Darker" than in other films, but I did like how this Freddy got to his mufuckin' point . . What was up with that huge time gab between Jesse's death & the whole final act. . . The whole "Hurry up and slow down" thing, FUNNY!!! Also, I wanna know what's up with Nancy's whole "Super Bad" obsession with drawing huge black cock's. . . now I guess I know what she's been "seeing" that no one else has. . . Wasn't feeling the script, and perhaps maybe that's why I haven't found too many decent reviews. . . Didn't think it was an amazing film and definitely not better than the original, totally missed out "Arms Stretched Out Freddy" and that CGI wallpaper shit. . . WACK!!! However, i did like the film, I was torn at first but then realized that yeah, I have been waiting along time to see Freddy again
man all of yall need a reality check the whole point is to scare the shit out of all of you DAMN
You know I went in the theater with a positive open mind, I really did. Samuel and all you others that are associated with this failure, should really be ashamed of yourselfs. I now know you wont be doing a sequal, its just not possible, if i read one more positive review of this movie im going to just shit. Obviously the people who are saying good things arnt people that know the history, and all this talk about Robert. blah blah fucking blah, he's got to be disgusted. Robert if you read this i know your such a positive and nice guy but damn man this guy just raped this franchise in the ass. I dont understand all this talk about the guy who did the Smells Like Teen Spirit Video. SERIOUSLY, thats a big accomplishment like fifteen years ago, who gives a fuck im tired of hearing about it. Hey Wes we couldnt find someone better????? The plot sucks, the story sucks, all that talk about the back story, the back story, where he came from, kiss my ass. It was like five minutes of the movie, you made it sound like you had achieved some wonder or something. Ill give this to the movie though, damn I really thought i was going to go in there and see the plot and story be good, I thought that Jackie was just going to suck at the part , especially with the voice and all the pressure he was under. But Jackie you did good, you just had bad direction. I think you could have done so much better, with different people around you, I know its not your fault. Let me say this, I was trying so hard in the movie but i was waiting for it, i was scared you would do it. This is the topper folks, this is it. These people killed the Tina scene, how could you do that. God you suck. How can you cut the greatest scene from the Nightmare movies. Oh forgive you me you didnt cut it, you changed it, to suck ass. You cant change that scene. Hey get a clue why dont you keep it the same. How about this more people would have been happy, even the same sorry ass young crowd your trying to reach if you would have left the whole movie the same and just re did it with all your special effects which i thought sucked anyway, why the fuck is there snow in a nightmare. really scary Sam?? That was what made the original so good, it was RAW, PLAIN, DIRTY, SIMPLE, SCARY BECAUSE ALL OF THAT. It didnt need all this bullshit. One more thing, I thought you guys did a great job with Texas Chainsaw, Friday the thirteenth, but you guys blew this one, jesus thanks alot, I followed this whole project for a year. I really think you guys didnt put the time into this, you just threw it together. And i know for a fact that deep down everyone of you feels like a failure on this. It fucking sucked.......................you just did it for the money
It isn't that it is bad, it is just another pointless remake. It too much like the original, it doesn't improve on the original. It adds nothing new or doesn't take the movie in a new direction. I think fearnet said it best!
Despite what the cynics say, there are many different reasons why someone(s) would want to remake a horror film like Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street:
1. Easy money, because the script is already done -- and there's always a few nickels to wring out of nostalgia and "name recognition."
2. You love a classic film and you have a new idea on how to build from it. (See: John Carpenter's The Thing.)
3. Easy money.
4. An original film may have a cool concept but feels hopelessly outdated today. (See: David Cronenberg's The Fly.)
5. The money thing again.
6. A horror classic is so iconic, you simply have to do your own bad-ass riff on it. (See: Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead.)
7. Huge piles of ... you get the point.
PD's remakes follow numbers 1,3,5,7
listen thabrakes it is not all about easy money
All the worries and fears have been proven. Schlocky, glossy, mechanical, and cold. No heart or passion. It's as awful as I feared it would be. Of course, PD and the studios don't care. It's the box office they care about and only about.
For anyone upset over Englund being replaced, don't fret. Nobody will be forgetting Englund or the real Freddy over this one.
Blame Michael Bay actually, with his slick transformers like bullshit and lack of care for character or story development like in all of his movies. The movie is watchable but only to fans who enjoy Freddy on the screen again.
http://www.horroryearbook.com/community/horror_movies/a_nightmare_on_elm...
what website is that a crapy one or a scary one
As a fan of the franchise i must say that this re-imagining was overall well worth the wait. There were a few scenes that were left out and a few added. The party beginning was cut and a new beginning was made. There were some references to the old series if you know your stuff. I will be watching this again soon. The haters out there can get over it because they just arent big enough fans.
http://www.bloodsprayer.com/reviews/fcking-horror-ble-a-nightmare-on-elm...
that on to
THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BLOW!
Like your mother!
like who's mother betta not be mine honey
Reviews are nothing. Just an opinion from another person. Evertone has an opinion abiut every movie, this is no different. Just see the movie yourself and decide.
*Everyone
PLEASE DON'T SPAM US, but if you have links to decent horror blogs or other reviews you think we should see please feel free to share them in the comments!
Reviews are horrible. I've read 9 so far this morning and only 1 of them was good. Wasn't good in Variety either.
I think it's funny that Brad Fuller posted the one from AICN news on Twitter. What about the majority of the others, Mr. Fuller?.
I was trying to keep it balanced but I'm having trouble finding positive reviews!