A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors - 1987
Perhaps a high point for the whole series in terms of hokey 80’s practical effects and fantastic dreamworld production design. The effects riff more on Sam Raimi's Evil Dead than any of the Nightmares which have gone before it.
Dream Warriors is also when things stop being so self-serious on Elm Street and the FUN gets ratcheted up alongside the outlandish kills. Kreuger's many disguises and appearances in this one are sometimes laugh out loud funny. (Some may read giant worm, marionette, or TV box Freddy as simply stupid, but come on - live a little). Ditto the decision to place action hero type one-liners a la Arnold and Sly in Robert Englund's mouth throughout. Scary? Sure a little bit. An absolute blast? You betcha.
Besides these things, Larry Fishburne and Patricia Arquette are just chewing the fat around this picture. And we get one of the more diabolical origin story tidbits that you'll ever hear in Nightmare 3. In case you missed it, the nurse Angela Kreuger was repeatedly raped by a HUNDRED of the most insane, heartless psychotics over the course of multiple weeks in a mental hospital. The offspring - one Freddy Kreuger. If that doesn't warm the icy soul, I don't know what will.
All in all, a great time. And what’s up with Craig Wasson loving to crawl in and out of graves? (Holler at me, Body Double fans)!
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