A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors DVD Review

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

By: J.R. McNamara on November 28, 2005

Roadshow (Australia). Region 4, PAL. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0. English Subtitles. 92 minutes

The Movie

Cover Art

Credits

Director: Chuck Russell
Starring:Heather Langenkamp,
Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette, Robert Englund, Ken Sagoes, Rodney Eastman
Screenplay: Wes Craven
Country: USA

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.

Video

As with the other Nightmare on Elm Street films, the 1.85:1 transfer is excellent, clear throughout the entire movie.

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.

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.

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!!