| Review by: J.R.
McNamara |
| Date:
28/11/05 |
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Director: Chuck Russell
Starring: Heather Langenkamp,
Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette, Robert Englund,
Ken Sagoes, Rodney Eastman
Screenplay: Wes Craven
Music: Angelo Badalamenti
Tagline: If you think
you'll get out alive, you must be dreaming.
Country: USA
Year: 1987
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A Nightmare On Elm
Street 3: Dream Warriors |
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| Freddy's popularity had really gelled by
the time A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The
Dream Warriors had come out. Freddy had
gone from successful low budget first film, to even
more successful sequel to hyper super personality
of the media. By 1987 I don't think anyone
would have been surprised if Freddy had have been
named Timse Man of the Year or President of the
United States, certainly if he had been up for either
of these honors he would have succeeded. Hell, the
general public loved him so much; he probably could
have won a Nobel Peace Prize (if there was a category
for child killing anyway). Freddy's status
increased a hundred-fold after the release of this
film, Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream
Warriors. Director Chuck Russell (1988's
The Blob) along with fellow scriptwriters
Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, and Frank Darabont (The
Shawshank Redemption) turned Freddy from
a mysterious, no rules sort of a guy to a stand-up
comedy serial killing entity with a strict set of
laws he had to abide by. Well until HE decided they
needed changing anyway. It was really after this
film that Freddy became an entire industry: Fright
Squirters (a water pistol), window sticking car
toys, Action Man styled dolls, model kits, a rap
single (by the Fat Boys, I kid you not) plus heaps
of other bits and pieces, the list goes on.
Kristin Parker (Patricia Arquette of TV's
Medium) has been having bad dreams of late, involving
a mysterious man, Freddy (Robert Englund) who
is trying to kill her. Dreams that her mother,
Elaine (Brooke Bundy) chooses to ignore, until
they cause, what is perceived as an attempted
suicide. Kristin is put into an institution under
the care of Dr Gordon (Craig Wasson) and Dr Simms
(Priscilla Pointer) and friendly ward orderly,
Max (Laurence Fishburne, here credited as 'Larry'
Fishburne). Here she meets fellow 'suicide'
victims angry Roland (Ken Sagoes), mute Joey (Rodney
Eastman) and others who share her 'dream
killer' problem, but it is not until they
meet Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) that they realize
that in their dreams they have powers, powers
to fight back against Freddy…
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream
Warriors is an anomaly. It works as a
horror film, an action piece, and even a comedy,
and somehow can be enjoyed as all these things
at the same time. It is a clever and enjoyable
script that never drops below engaging. Freddy's
lines are generally amusing, but the underlying
menace doesn't ignore the fact that he is
a scary guy who KILLS CHILDREN. |
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| Video |
| As with the other Nightmare on Elm Street films,
the 1.85:1 transfer is excellent, clear throughout
the entire movie. |
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| Audio |
| This disc has a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that
sounds great and there is also an option of having
Dolby Surround 2.0. There is also an option for
English subtitles. |
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| Extra Features |
Original trailer is, of course, the original
trailer for A Nightmare On Elm St: The
Dream Warriors.
There are 7 documentary vignettes on this disc:
Fan Mail: A 45 second spot with Talk Show legend
Dick Cavett talking about how being in a film
like A nightmare on Elm Street
increases your popularity amongst a fan base you
did not previously have: The Horror fan!!
Onward Christian Soldiers (8 minutes 30 seconds):
Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Rachael Talalay and
Bruce Wagner (who has the hairiest ears you will
ever see), Frank Darabont and Chuck Russell discuss
the origins of the script for Dream Warriors.
Snakes and Ladders (6 minutes 8 seconds): This
is a short discussion about the special effects
of Dream Warriors, specifically the 'Barking
Pig' and the phallic 'nerf Freddy'.
That's Showbiz (2 minutes): A funny story
told by Robert Englund about the Joys of Showbiz.
Training 8's (4 minutes 10 seconds): A
few more discussions about the origins of the
ideas, including the immortal 'Welcome to
the Prime Time, Bitch!' line.
The House That Freddy Built (3 minutes 2 seconds):
Interviews with Heather Langenkamp and Jack Sholder
(director of Nightmare on Elm St 2) about how
New Line became the company they are today due
to the popularity of Freddy.
Burn Out (1 minute 12 seconds): A funny short
story told by John Saxon about how quickly a movie
crew's attitude can go from 'Yay!
We are making a movie." To "When the
Hell is this gonna finish?'
These vignettes, and the ones from Nightmare
on Elm Streets 1 and 2, seem to be part of a larger
documentary that must have been made about the
series at some point, as a lot of the stories
overlap and seem like parts of other tales.
Eighties Hair metal fans will love the Music
Video: Dokken – Dream Warriors.
Another small note about the packaging, when
on a shelf with the Nightmare on Elm Street 1
and 2 DVDs, the spines combine to make a picture
of Freddy himself. |
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| The Verdict |
| Full of action, half decent acting and a storyline,
that, within the limitations of the story, makes
sense, this is how sequels should be done, enough
said!! |
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| User Comments |
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0 user comments have been posted so far |
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| Regional Coding |
4 |
| Format |
PAL |
| Aspect Ratio |
1.85:1 |
| 16x9 Enhanced? |
Yes |
| Audio Options |
English DD 5.1
English DD 2.0 |
| Subtitles |
English |
| Country |
Australia |
| Distributor |
Roadshow |
| Running Time |
92 minutes |
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