Nightmare on Elm Street [VHS]

I already own both the Region 1 and Region 2 boxsets of the NOES series. So naturally, I was a little apprehensive about getting a third copy of this film on DVD. But it's a 2 disc special edition, and one of my favourite films of all time, so why not?

It was worth it. Not only are the picture quality and sound the best they have ever been, but the bonus features are amazing. There are a whole bunch of new interesting interviews and documentaries, featuring much of the cast and crew. There are lots of wonderfully insightful alternate scenes, including some nicely polished alternate endings. These are much better than the shabby black and white alternate endings from the Region 1 boxset. There are also some cool bloopers and behind the scenes shots.

There's also a nice new commentary track, FINALLY featuring Robert Englund. However, it's not a "real" commentary track, it's a bunch of interviews spliced over the top of the film. Sadly, this doesn't allow for any rapport between the various voices, they're not always talking about what is specifically happening, and it can be rather boring at times. Luckily, the original commentary is also included, so it redeems itself there.

There are some things missing, so this is not quite the "definitive" release. The deleted scenes from the trailer that didn't make it into the film, for one. But all in all, it's a very good release, and well worth getting.

I have only recently really got into Horror movies, and when I saw this pretty cheap I thought I would give it ago and get the series.

The first is, of cause, the classic. I would not put it down as one of the all time film classics, but it it still one of the better films. The graphics are, at times, a bit dated. Particulary when Freddy comes after Nancy in the alley way and extends his arms to try and get her. But other than that a pretty solid film. The ending's a bit weird to.

Part 2 - an ok film on its own, but it just does not fit in with the rest of the series. It's about a boy called Jesse who is possesed and has nothing to do with dreams. It has the feel of a film that had little time taken over the story in an atempt to just get it released.

Part 3 - My personal favorite. this film brings us back to the old style of freedy and dreams. It also brings back some ofthe original cast form the first film and has some interesting deaths. It also starts the Freddy puns which give a bit of comic relief.

Part 4 - The Dream Master. This film is a bit wierd at times. It centres around Alice who brings pepole into her dreams for Freddy to kill. Having said that, the finale is pretty cool, especially when Freddy is torm apart by all the souls he's collected.

Part 5 - This film shows the beginings of a lack of Ideas, as a rather random idea about Freddy trying to entre the world through Alice's unborn baby is used. The Freddy backstory in this film is good, but other than that the film is not as good as some of the others.

Part 6 - This film clearly shows all the signs of an idea stretched too far. set after all the kids in Springwood have been killed except one, who stumbles into an out of town home for orphaned kids which just happens to be run by Freddy's, never before mentioned, daughter. When Freddy tries to use thier dreams to break free of Springwood Father and daughter meet head to head, one last time. Again the Freddy back story in this film is good but it is struggling to keep the franchise going. The original 3D ending is on this disk (under special features) but this set does not give you any 3D Glasses. Just warning you.

New Nightmare - this film, like part 2, does not really fit in with the rest of the franchise but it is still one of the better films. Set as if Freddy became real and is stalking the son of Heather Langekamp. Some of the actors from earlier Freddy films come back as themselves the whole thing is filmed like a docudrama, prettending to be real life, with Wes Craven writing a film script of the evetns, before & after they happen, as if he'd seen them in Dreams.

Overall this is a pretty good series. there are some films in it that are wore than others(particulary in the latter part of the sieres), but on the whole most of them are ok. For a box set there are little or no special features which is a bummer (Particularly when some boxsets have more bonus features disks than actual films e.g. Aliens) and the set is missing the 2003 Freddy vs. Jason, which I also own and is as good as New Nightmare. I brought this without seeing any of the films before and liked it, so If you aere a horror fan and aint seen/got this I would advise getting it but just watch out for the weaker films.

Ok, so this is never going to be recognised as one of the greatest films of all time but it certainly is probably one of the best and original horror films of the last 20 years. With Freddy Krueger, Wes Craven created the most famous film "Boogeyman" of modern times, with the infamous red and green sweater, the hat and of course, not forgetting THAT glove! The film itself centres around a group of teens who all begin to have the same nightmare about being stalked by a horrificaly burned man, with a glove with long sharp razors on the end. Then, in real life, dead bodies begin piling up. Before long, one of the teens realises she must confront this night demon before she ends up the next victim! Very, very dark, genuinly scary and very gory and violent, this is probably Craven's finest hour and while the acting isn't always first rate(apart from Robert Englund who is excellent as the demonic Freddy Krueger), the film is fast paced and really exciting. Watch out for the film debut role of Johnny Depp, as one of the nightmare plagued teens.