Freddy Krueger was a child murderer who was captured and burned to death by the parents on Elm Street, now Freddy is back in the dreams of the children of Elm Street seeking revenge. A cornerstone in the horror genre, if you don’t know who Freddy Krueger is, or not familiar with the story behind A Nightmare On Elm Street then shame on you! Get thee to a video store immediately and make a purchase!

This one opens up with Tina having one of the trademark Freddy nightmares, and we’re first introduced to that damn screeching sound that’s so horrible, the sound of those blades scraping along metal!

Tina wakes up screaming and her slut-bag mother and the scumbag she’s obviously banging come in to see what’s up. Tina’s oh so caring mother then sees the cuts in Tina’s nightie and says “stop having those nightmares or cut your nails.” This shows us that pretty much none of the Elm Street parents don’t really give a shit. The next morning we learn that all of the kids are having the dreams about Freddy, and the rollercoaster ride begins.

The movie was cast pretty well, we get horror alumnus John Saxon as Nancy’s cop father, Robert Englund as Freddy, and let’s face it Englund IS Freddy! This guy probably has a pretty hard time getting out of character. Johnny Depp makes his first appearance in a starring role as Nancy’s boyfriend.

Heather Langenkamp’s Nancy is a bit overdone, she plays the part with a bit too much intensity, but all overacting honors go to Ronee Blakley’s Marge, Nancy’s alcoholic mother who shows us she has a Doctorate from Bill Shatner University with a little post-grad work at the David Caruso academy of seriousness.

The effects in this film were great! They stand up to the test of time by being pretty good even by today’s standards, but then again I’m totally against most CGI used in place of makeup EFX. That’s not to say I don’t have an appreciation for CGI, but it’s way overused in my opinion. Some of the EFX in this film even carried over to Freddy vs. Jason, in particular the latex ceiling/wall that looks as if Freddy is “stretching” through the wall. It’s also my opinion that this movie has the best looking Freddy of all time with the exception of the “demonic” Freddy in Freddy vs. Jason.

I also prefer this episode because it was made before Freddy became a comedian full of one-liners; I think that ruined the movies because it made Freddy more of a joke and less creepy.

Altogether an excellent movie that’s a must have in every horror fan’s collection.

10 out of 10 French kissing telephones

Damn, where to begin?

This is the rare horror film which legitimately earns "classic" status. The plot - the ghost of a murdered child killer stalks the dreams of the children of those who killed him- is now the stuff of legend.

What is truly creepy in A Nightmare on Elm Street is the implied notion that there is no safe haven. If you fall asleep, ghastly apparition Fred Krueger will sadistically tear you to pieces. If you don't sleep, exhaustion will be your ultimate demise.

That a collective of unsuspecting teenagers could think their way into both deciphering the purpose of Krueger's presence as well as devise a possible plan for battling the dream demon was brilliant. It was a welcome breath of fresh air into a genre that generally portrays teens as hormonally driven morons. The kids essentially were forced to think for themselves and come up with a way to survive the nightmare despite their parents.

There's an equally powerful subtext to the film, one which may not have been apparent at the time, but stands out today. It's that parents often make bad decisions which, in later years, will come back to affect their children in a negative capacity. The supernatural adversity of "Elm Street" is the utlimate extension of this premise, but - if considered from a real world perspective - can be seen as a substitute for parents who have extramarital affairs, do drugs or inflict abuse on their chidlren.

The idea that maybe kids - especially teenagers - are intelligent enough to figure out where their parents screwed up and take steps to rectify those errors adds a level of thought provoking resonance to an already powerful film.

That said, A Nightmare on Elm Street works primarily as a balls-to-the-wall scream fest. Intelligent in design and execution,this film is terrifying. The disorientation created by not knowing when reality ends and the dream begins is a perfect peg on which to hang some absolutely horrific moments.

Good peformances, outstanding utilization of a relatively low budget and genuine creativity on the screenplay level make A Nightmare on Elm Street an enduring classic.

Ten out of Ten Demonic Dream Killers