That's a warning, so don't tell me I didn't warn you.
I'll be putting the Sub-titles of each film followed by what number they are in brackets.
I'm not counting the remake as although Jackie Earle Haley played the role well, he had a very horrible script to work from and the film is abysmal.
If you agree or disagree with any of my decisions, please let me know where you would place each film in your list!
Let's get cracking!
7. Freddy Vs Jason (8)
I think after seeing the utter shite Jason Goes To Hell where Freddy's hand comes up and pulls Jason's mask underground, the hype began. Almost every horror fan wanted to know just how it would go down with two of the biggest horror greats fighting against each other. Then in 2003, we found out. The hype died.
Although I still enjoyed the film and Freddy was at his best with psychological manipulation, he was shit in the physical department. I do prefer the psychological manipulation to the actual killing but it's always nice to see Freddy fuck with someone and kill them, and I believed this film really short changed the terrifying and hilarious child killer.
The writers of the film then went on to write the Friday The 13th remake where it seems they couldn't be bothered with Jason anymore as that film was terrible.
I don't blame Ronny Yu who directed the film though as in that department it was fine, despite not having a clue about either of the characters.
6. WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE (7)
Some say this is a masterful return to form for a scary Freddy and I somewhat agree with them. So why is it so low in my list?
Well, although Freddy is back to scaring people and it having a decent story of a demon taking the form of Freddy to break into our world, it was pretty much a rehash of the first film. (With scenes such as dragging a body up a wall and ceiling, the phone gag, etc etc.)
I love the first film as you'll soon learn, but practically seeing the first film sort of remade this way is a strange affair, I do enjoy the film, it's a great film, but I think Wes really missed a trick here. Instead of rehashing ideas from the first film, he could have made a sequel that did the same carrying on from the previous films, or if he wanted the same plot as he made, he could have added all new horrifying ways that Freddy is coming into our world.
Yes, I know there were some original ideas, and I'm glad that Heather returned to the world of Nightmare but to me it just wasn't enough.
The ending was rather bloody silly too.
5. Dream Master (4)
It was ridiculous and comedic and because I have asthma, one scene in particular was very funny and strange to me.
From now on, I love all the films and can't say that much wrong with them.
As an adult I still like the idea of dream powers, the power in this film was to bring others into the dreams and gain the powers of those killed by Freddy. It feels a little flat when you watch the film and could have been made so much better (like in the third where the powers actually make it seem like the kids have a chance although we all knew they didn't and those who survived were simply lucky).
That's the main problem with the film. It had so much potential in its ideas but didn't fully embrace them.
The Cockroach scene makes the whole film worth it though.
4. Dream Warriors (3)
But the reason why this isn't in my top 3 is that I've read what the film was originally going to be before rewrites and I much prefer that story.
Although a good bit of the film was similar to the original script. Krueger wasn't as funny, he was downright evil for one.
Nancy's father knew straight away that Freddy was real and wanted to destroy him from the start, It also doesn't have any mention of Fred's poor mum being raped by a hundred maniacs. Although the mum story is interesting, it took away something from the film for me.
To me at least, this film was the downfall of the Freddy films. Thanks to becoming more comedic, more films were in demand and we all know what happened from there.
But where is Freddy's Dead I hear you ask? Why are you being contradictive and placing what is probably the most comedic and silly of the Freddy films in your top 3?
Let me explain.
3. Freddy's Dead (6)
Everything was pure madness. From the Elm Street parents not having children anymore thanks to Freddy and having gone completely insane, to Freddy dressing up as the witch from The Wizard Of Oz, everything apart from the scenes of Freddy being alive and having a daughter was totally loopy.
There was a 3D finale, Freddy being killed in an uninspiring manner by his own daughter and still getting a joke in before blowing up, both Fred's and his daughter's childhood, Alice Cooper as Fred's stepfather, and the reason as to how old Freddy returned after his first death so many years before.
So although it went downhill, it hit rock bottom and managed to bounce back up.
2. Freddy's Revenge (2)
Freddy was still the evil Freddy from the first film and to me it makes perfect sense as a sequel to the first.
At the end of the first film we find out that Freddy is still alive, killing Nancy's mother and trapping Nancy in a car with her friends. He was brought out into the real world, killed, then somehow survived.
Was it just a dream at the end?
Was the whole film a dream?
Was it still a dream when Fred was brought into the real world?
If you see it the way that Freddy came into the real world but still survived in the dream world, it makes sense to me that with his powers and ultimate evil, he could begin manipulating the real world as he can with the dream world but not as strongly and still needed someone in the real world to work through, in this case, Jesse.
I find it a real shame they didn't go this route with the third film, they could have easily had a Hellraiser 3 situation, which granted wasn't the best of the films, but to wreak total havoc amongst the real world is something that could be brilliant if utilised correctly.
Sorry about my rambling and horrible sentence structure.
So because of the evil, it making sense to me and to what the sequels could have been, is why the second film is my second favourite.
1. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1)
Based on an elderly guy outside of a young Wes Craven's house and a school bully, Freddy was born in part a long time before the film.
Adding in news reports about people who refused to sleep thanks to nightmares then some of them dying in their sleep when they finally fell, created the story.
Freddy was the ultimate evil, a child killer. Originally to be a child molester, it was decided to take away the paedophilia part thanks to it being too much, for Wes' own mind and to avoid believing to be exploiting some paedophilia cases around the time of the films production.
This was the first Nightmare film I saw at the age of 4 and I was terrified of it. I was terrified of everything back then anyway so watching the film didn't seem to be a good idea at the time but I thought I'd watch it anyway and despite being scared, I really enjoyed it.
I fell in love with horror and evil characters that day and haven't looked back since.
Do you agree or disagree?
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