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| Nightmare On Elm Street Collection, The |
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Introduction
From New Line Cinema comes The Nightmare On Elm Street Collection, the ultimate tribute to Freddy Krueger. Featuring all seven films, plus a bonus eighth disc which contains hours of behind the scenes content.
The box set has so much to it, that it is difficult to know where to begin this review. Certainly these are the finest versions of the films that you will find anywhere, but then you would expect nothing less for the series that built New Line. It seems that a lot of care has gone into producing these discs, and everything looks and sounds great.
The discs all feature excellent animated menus, as well as the usual scene access and subtitles. They also have an option to �Jump to a Nightmare�, which takes you straight to the grisly demise of the teenager of your choice. Each disc also has DVD ROM content, with a script-to-screen comparison and a �Dream World� trivia game. This is a nice touch and the questions are fairly challenging. If you complete the quizzes on all seven of the films you are given a code to unlock the final quiz on the eighth bonus disc.
Films
The films themselves are a very mixed bunch, ranging from excellent to appalling. It will come as no surprise to hear that the original Nightmare on Elm Street is the best of the bunch. Wes Craven succeeded in creating a genuinely scary villain in Fred Krueger; after all, no one can escape the inevitability of falling asleep. He also succeeded in creating a strong central character, something that was sadly lacking in most of the sequels. In the original Nightmare you really care if Nancy, and to a lesser extent her friends, survives. Most of the sequels lost this element, turning them into little more than effects-laden gore-fests.
After the superb start to the franchise we were �treated� to the first of the sequels. This feels like a rush job from the start, and this is something that is borne out in the interviews on the bonus disc. This film almost completely disregards all of the �rules� established in the first film, and instead sees Freddy possessing the body of a teenager and walking around in the real world. It does have some redeeming moments, such as the scene where Freddy emerges from Jessie�s body and the makeup effects are far better than the original. All in all though this is almost, but not quite, the weakest entry in the series.
Part three sees the series heading back in the right direction, while at the same time giving Freddy a comic makeover. Dream Warriors reintroduces Nancy, and features a much stronger cast than the other sequels, with such stars as Larry Fishbourne and Patricia Arquette making appearances. Dream Warriors also saw the return of Wes Craven in a limited writing capacity and this shows in the quality of the film. It just feels a lot more like the first film, and you do start to sympathise with and care for the characters. With great special effects and some good acting, this is easily the best of the sequels.
Part four is another fairly good entry, again with great special effects and makeup. Unfortunately by this time, the teenagers are just there as targets for an increasingly �MTV� Freddy to make quips at while he dispatches them in as many varied ways as the writers can think of. To be honest, you don�t care if they live or die, as Freddy is now the real star of the show. Even the attempt at another strong heroine to oppose Freddy doesn�t quite come off. That said, this film does have some amusing moments, good special effects and some imaginative death scenes. It�s just a pity that Freddy seemed less scary than ever.
Part five sees the series treading water, with nowhere else to go. This time Freddy has returned by using the unborn child of Alice (the female lead in part four) to bring him fresh victims. Again, you don�t care about the teens at all. There is zero character development and you just get the feeling that they�re all sitting around waiting for their turn to die. It�s a very similar film to part four in many respects, good effects, wisecracking Freddy, but it�s starting to wear a little thin. Director Stephen Hopkins does add a nice gothic element to the proceedings, and we do get to learn quite a bit about Mr. Krueger�s past, so it�s not a total disaster, but it�s not a film I would watch often.
Freddy�s Dead is a dire film. The tagline �They saved the best for last� is a joke. Freddy is taken to absurd comic book territory; the script is a mess and the acting atrocious. The ending is presented in 3D, which is clearly a gimmick and just does not work, that said you are given the choice to watch a 2D version of the proceedings. I was actually glad when they killed Freddy, because I don�t think I could have faced another instalment after this travesty. I suppose we do get a pretty good look at Freddy's past, but it's mostly contradictory stuff that doesn't tie in with the rest of the films (I mean, when did Freddy have time to settle down and have a kid?).
Just when you thought the series was dead, along comes Wes Craven to turn the whole thing upside down and produce a fantastic film in the process. Not strictly a sequel, New Nightmare stands alone as an intelligent and scary film. This time the action takes place in the real world, with all of the actors playing themselves. It seems that since production of the Nightmare films halted, a force of ancient evil has decided to adopt the guise of Freddy and is now trying to cross over into our reality. To do this it must go through Heather Langenkamp, who played Nancy in the series, and as the film goes on the line between fantasy and reality becomes increasingly blurred. With new makeup effects, a new glove and filled with more hatred than ever, Freddy is back to his evil best in this instalment.
Video
The films all feature fantastic anamorphic transfers. You just WILL NOT see these films looking better than they do here. All films are presented in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratio (anamorphically enhanced of course). Colour balance is good and there are no visible signs of compression or other artefacts.
Audio
All films feature full Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks in addition to their original (either mono or stereo) tracks. The first and seventh disc also feature a commentary track by Wes Craven and some of the cast members. The 5.1 remixes are amazing; you really do feel like you�re in the boiler room at times. There is one scene in the first film when Freddy is chasing Nancy and the camera is following her as she runs, well, thanks to the wonders of Dolby Digital, you will believe Freddy is chasing YOU! The other discs are equally impressive sonically.
Extras
Where to begin? Apart from the extra content on the individual discs, an eighth bonus disc takes the extras to ludicrous levels. Featuring an hour-long documentary entitled �Welcome to Primetime� which has interviews with the creative talent, actors and New Line staff, this is informative and interesting stuff. Then there is �The Index�, which allows you to watch trailers and other bits and pieces from the series with having to enter �The Labyrinth�. This is perhaps the most impressive element of the disc, an interactive quiz in which you navigate a maze of corridors unlocking behind the scenes documentaries, video clips, interviews, TV Spots, music videos, images and even an alternative ending. Also included are an interactive Freddy for your desktop and a Nightmare On Elm Street screensaver. Also on the disc is an interactive Freddy for your desktop and a Nightmare On Elm Street screensaver. Also on the disc is the final Dream World quiz.
Overall
This is a fantastic box set, and an amazing tribute to Wes Craven`s creation. If you have even the slightest interest in the Nightmare films then this is an essential purchase. The first, third and seventh films are classics, part four is good, five is ok, after that you can almost excuse parts two and six. The eighth extras disc is superb and really adds value to the collection, with my personal favourite being Freddy`s appearance in the Fat Boy`s music video. If you want the definitive versions of these films then you must buy this set!
Reviewed by Chris Gould |
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| Movie |
Video |
Audio |
Extras |
Overall |
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Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian |
| Region: 1 |
| Run Time: 627 minutes |
| Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 |
| Anamorphic: Yes |
| Color: Yes |
| RCE Protection: No |
| Video Signal: NTSC |
| Number of Discs: 8 |
Disc Type:
Single side, single layer |
Genre:
Horror |
Soundtrack:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 English, Dolby Digital Mono English |
Subtitles:
English |
Extra Features:
Interactive/Animated Menus, Scene Access, DVD-ROM Features, Audio Commentary, Included Trivia Booklet, Interactive Games, Web Access, Cast/Crew Bios, Documentaries, Interviews, Music Videos, TV Spots, Theatrical Trailers |
Easter Egg: Yes
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Director:
Wes Craven, Jack Sholder, Chuck Russell, Renny Harlin, Stephen Hopkins, Rachel Talalay |
Starring:
Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, |
Related Movies:
n/a |
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