Thanksgiving on Elm Street Part 6

I watched this movie on November 28^th and here I am…a week later finally writing this review. I can’t say that I didn’t warn you that my job was keeping me from my more important work here. It was a terrible week, which included work days that violate all sorts of labor laws. No sleep, hardly any meal breaks, and no overtime. Sigh.I’m almost recovered after sleeping two full nights, so I'm ready to get back on track with:

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

I don’t hate Freddy’s Dead, but I don’t necessarily like it all that much. It’s a 3D movie long after the gimmick is staring to get old. It’s the 90’s. Horror is running dry, and so is the series. There’s only so much you can ask of a sequel when it hits number 6. Freddy’s jokes are painfully bad, but we get a couple little gems here and there. The kills are low in number, but are drawn out and almost clever. My favorite part about this movie is how much we see of Freddy Krueger in human form. It’s fun to see Robert Englund as a child murderer—as opposed to a scarred-up dream killer that goes after teens. I’ve always wanted to see a prequel to Nightmare on Elm Street. Instead of another sequel or remake, why not explore uncharted territory that is sure to be interesting? Perhaps because it’s not fun to see little kiddies get murdered.

I would like to spend this edition of Thanksgiving on Elm Street discussing The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from the sixth installment. This movie is often called the worst in the series, with Parts 2 and 5 close behind it. So let’s take a holistic look.

THE GOOD:

-Freddy’s Power Glove Joke
-Robert Englund gets some real face time
-Breckin Meyer and Yaphet Kotto play major roles
-Johnny Depp, Bob Shaye, Alice Cooper, Tom Arnold, and Roseanne have cameos…wait let’s take Roseanne off the “Good” list
-The montage of Freddy’s life during the credits
-“Kung Fu THIS bitch!”

THE BAD:

-“Only you could have brought me out…in your mind!”
-Another unnecessarily convoluted plotline
-When Doc tells Maggie to put on the special glasses, which blatantly say 3D on the side, to help fight Freddy in her dream
-“I’m still seeing things the way I did in my dream…”
-The first female to direct a Freddy film and I can’t say she makes us look good

THE UGLY:

-Nietzsche title card
-The hokey Wizard of Oz reference
-“No honey for Daddy?”
-Springwood turns into the Twilight Zone for some reason
-The Dream Worms…I mean Demons
-There are 3 songs on the soundtrack by The Goo Goo Dolls…really?

Thanksgiving on Elm Street Part 5

Life is busy, but we must always make time for the things we love. Watching Freddy make bad jokes as he murders teenagers, playing the occasional game of Left 4 Dead 2, and sleeping next to my husband at night are the only things keeping me sane right now. I’m going to be happy when November is over, even though I am enjoying the fall leaves at the moment. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy…

Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child

Alice, the timid red head from The Dream Master, has now become a blonde hottie (nude scene included) dating the star quarterback. 180-degree character turnaround aside, I always appreciate a sequel that attempts to continue the storyline where it was left off. This may sound simple, but in the world of 80’s slasher sequels, a severe lack of series chronology is not uncommon. The Dream Child has its share of problems in that regard as well. The dream/Freddy metaphysics are toyed with once again, but I don’t really mind. It’s always entertaining to see new ways that Freddy can come back from the “dead.” The canine urine from Part 4 has to be the worst. Not to mention, the amusing methods of dispatching Mr. Krueger that are conjured up.

 

The Dream Child brings us some elaborate set pieces that are quite fun. While I don’t find the kills particularly clever, they are at least memorable and visually engaging. Dan gets turned into Ghost Rider, Greta gets stuffed with food, and Mark battles Freddy in the comic book world. However, that’s only three deaths! Although the movie is by no means boring, the lack of kills is definitely noticed. This movie does bring us more backstory on Amanda Krueger and the “Son of 100 maniacs” exposition. They also throw Robert Englund himself (without the makeup) in the crowd of maniacs. Har har. At this point, you can definitely tell the series is starting to run out of steam, even though I still enjoyed the heck out of the fifth installment. For this edition of Thanksgiving on Elm Street, I thought I would share some interesting trivia once again.

- Jacob (Alice’s little boy) says “School’s out Krueger!” However, the original line was supposed to read, “Fuck you Krueger!” The child’s guardians did not allow him to say the scripted line.

-The original script was completely revised at the last minute. The final shooting screenplay was compiled just days before filming began.

-Director Stephen Hopkins was given the Predator 2 gig as a result of his speedy work with The Dream Child.

-The film was shot in just four weeks and edited in another four.

-Allegedly, Stephen King and Frank Miller were offered to write and direct.

-All of the deaths suffered major cuts to obtain an R-rating.

-It made just $8.1 million on its opening weekend and left the box office at $22.1 million, which made it the lowest grossing Nightmare on Elm Street film.

-Bruce Dickenson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, wrote and performed the song “Bring your Daughter…to the Slaughter” for this film. It was later re-recorded by the entire band and was their only #1 single in the UK.

Thanksgiving on Elm Street Part 4

Oh my goodness…It’s been far too long since I’ve posted on the Nightmare on Elm Street films. I’ve been crazy busy with work and my themed-month is taking a major hit because of it. I’m still trucking away at this though!!!! Moving right along to…

Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

The story beings with the returning characters of Kristen (only played by someone else), Kincaid, and Joey, except we are back in a “normal” high school environment where the teens are trying to forget about the existence of Freddy Krueger. Eventually, these guys start dropping like flies and we get a new collection of high schoolers to predict the deaths of. All in all, it’s a pretty decent sequel, considering it’s the 4^th entry. After overcoming the hurdle of finding a way to resurrect Freddy, the movie is then charged with the task of giving us new and interesting kills. It certainly does that, with some of the most unique in the series, even if the dream metaphysics are a tad strange in this one. Helmed by Renny Harlin, this is one of the most visually interesting films in the series and contains countless sight gags. Plus, there’s this whole self-reflexivity thing going on with mirrors and movie screens. It’s only marginally interesting and doesn’t seem like a whole lot of thought was put into it, other than “Hey that’s cool”; so I won’t really talk about that. For this entry, I thought I would go back to the fun little award show setup I did for some of the Friday films. So cue the cheesy classical music…

BEST 80’s MONTAGE:

NOMINEES:
-Rick practices karate to “Anything, Anything” by Dramarama.

-Debbie works out to the annoying “I Want Your (Hands On Me)” by Sinéad O’Conner.

-Alice dons all her friend’s cool clothing and looks at her bad self in the mirror and says, “Fucking A.”

AND THE WINNER IS…
Alice becomes cool montage. From the close ups on the bracelets to the reveal of a less-than-exciting outfit…This montage is perfect.

BEST WORST LINE:
NOMINEES:

-Debbie: “What 17-year-old has fatal asthma?”

-Kristen: “In case you haven’t been keeping score, it’s his fucking banquet and I’m the last course!”

-Kristen: “Alice, you’ll need my power!”

AND THE WINNER IS…

Kristen’s banquet speech. Who says things like that? It hardly makes sense in the context of the conversation.

BEST FREDDY PUN:

NOMINEES:
I couldn’t choose just three…

-“Welcome to Wonderland, Alice.” When Alice combats Freddy in the dream land.
-“Why don’t you reach out and cut someone?” Trying to get Kristen to pull people into her dream.
-“How’s this for a wet dream?” Killing Joey in his water bed.

-“Mmm…Rick, you little meatball. I love soul food.” Eating the souls of people on a meatball pizza.
-“Wanna’ suck face?” Before he sucks the life out of Sheila…literally.

AND THE WINNER IS…
This is a tough one, but it’s going to go to the wet dream line. It actually made me laugh out loud because it probably suits the scenario more than any of the others.

BEST KILL:

NOMINEES:

-Sheila: Freddy kisses her and sucks her life out, turning her into a lifeless mummy thing.

-Rick: After he fights the invisible Freddy (who imitates a Ninja master), he is stabbed by Freddy’s floating glove.

-Debbie: She is turned into a roach and transported in to a little Roach Motel that Freddy squishes.

AND THE WINNER IS…
The winner is definitely Debbie! The scene is pretty nasty, as her arms are first broken at the elbows and slowly become roach legs. Her transformation looks great and it’s something everyone remembers from the movies.

Note: The Debbie and Joey death pics were lifted from a cool article on I-Mockery.com. If you click on the pics, it will take you to the article.

What I’m Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving guys! I hope you are enjoying yourself today, whether or not you celebrate…you most likely have the day off from work or school. I’ve always liked Thanksgiving because I love food and because I like to share the day with family and friends. Today, I thought I’d post on a few things I’m thankful for as a horror fan.

I am thankful for…

The Internet:

It’s given us Netflix, blogs, dedicated horror sites, and much more. I’ve discovered new movies and actually found ways of getting my hands on rare titles because of the internet. Relying on the selection at Blockbuster was never fun. It also presents great avenues of discussion for horror fans, since it’s definitely difficult to have a conversation about Troll 2 with most people.

German Expressionism:

German Expressionism is a major influence on the horror genre (and you could even argue that it’s part of its origin). The 1920’s movement brought us The Cabinent of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, and The Golem. Using surrealism, fantastical plots, macabre tones, and dark atmospheres, we should be thankful for the works of Murnau and Wiene.

The Decline of the Studio System:

After the vertical and horizontal monopolies of the major film studios were declared unconstitutional, all bets were off. Years later, the rise of the independent movement occurred in the sixties and seventies. We all know that studio interference often leads to terrible films, especially in the horror genre. As a result of this independence, we were given classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween.

Wes Craven:

The man has given us a variety of films that have been influential over the decades. Beginning with the exploitation style of The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Craven delivered a raw, controversial filmmaking to audiences. Years later, he brought us one of the most commercially successful horror series with Nightmare on Elm Street. Bringing Freddy into our lives is nothing but great. However, he doesn’t stop there. He put horror back in the 90’s with Scream. Whether or not you like the franchise, it inspired countless horror entries to entertain ourselves with in the years following its release.

Bruce Campbell:

He will make any day better. Just pop in Army of Darkness and you’ll instantly be accompanied by a wide grin. With a great sense of humor and a loveable autobiography, Campbell makes himself accessible to fans. Plus, he shows up in random movies all the time (not just the Raimi ones) and it makes me happy.

Halloween:

This movie changed my life. It got me interested in filmmaking and inspired me to get creative on a low budget. The simplicity and scariness of Michael Myers became a staple of the slasher genre. Not only am I thankful for its direct impact on my career choice, but I am also thankful for the countless imitation films that followed.

Fulfill Your Civic Duty as Citizens of the Horror Blogosphere

It's time to vote for Ms. Horror Blogosphere. Of course I would appreciate some support, especially since many of the contestants have much more experience and readership than me. But that might be a reason why they deserve the label more than me. I think it is also a nice gesture to support B-Sol's competition, regardless of who you vote for. He has put a lot of work into this and the spotlighted blogs are the main benefactors of the contest. So let's hope the voter turnout is better than in the American political environment, which isn't hard to do...

Go Here to vote. On the right, there is a gray bar where you can select the candidate. It will stay up on the main page of The Vault of Horror until the end of the voting period. You can only vote once, but you have until Friday, December 4th to do it.

All Work and No Play

I wanted to apologize for my lack of activity lately. I've been incredibly busy with the documentary I am editing. We have a major delivery deadline a week from now, so I will continue to work intensely until then. That said, I may be a little late on a few of the Nightmare reviews for Thanksgiving on Elm Street. I'll do my best to get them all in by November, but it's not looking good at this point. Hopefully, Part 4 and 5 will be up soon. Also, reviews for Dead End and Trick 'r Treat are on their way. Just bear with me...

Deadgirl (2008): No Thank You

This movie is sick and twisted, which is not inherently bad. However, its choice to stew in the depravity, rather than to move forward with a compelling story and interesting ideas, make it an unrewarding experience.

Before I begin reviewing the movie, I wanted to relay a funny coincidence with you all. In the middle of watching Deadgirl, one of Rickie’s teachers pops up in the library. The actor is the same person who played the lead in my thesis film “Among Wolves.”Apparently, he has acted in several B-movies and low-budget horror films. It completely caught me off guard and made me laugh. This reminded me of some other interesting things that occurred when I was casting “Among Wolves” that horror fans might appreciate. Daeg Faerch’s (Young Michael in Zombie’s Halloween) mother auditioned for a small role in my movie. Her husband and Daeg tagged along for the audition. The whole family acts. As much as I wanted to cast her because of her connection to Halloween, she was not quite right for the part. Who did I cast instead? Hunter Leah from The Quick and the Undead. What a funny world.

The second choice for Mr. Euro Trash from Twilight.

Anyway, back to the movie. Deadgirl is a tough film to watch. Full of sexual deviance, unsympathetic characters, moral ineptitude, and just plain wrongness, it is definitely not recommended viewing for most audiences. At first, I was intrigued. Rickie and J.T. seemed like they were going to be a fun pair of high school outsiders to follow. Their exploration of the abandoned insane asylum leads to the miraculous discovery of a dead girl who is not quite dead. How did she get there? Why is there? Is she alive or dead? Is she human? Is she fully conscious? Dozens of questions begin circulating through the character’s and viewer’s heads. Unfortunately, very few of these questions are answered. Instead of exploring what I thought would be more interesting subject matter (i.e. the dead girl’s story), the movie dwells on the disgusting actions committed by the supporting cast and the frustrating inaction of the lead.

Not cool.

 I’m not opposed to dark films. I’m also not opposed to films that display abhorrent behavior. What I don’t like about Deadgirl is not that it glorifies such behavior, but that it fails to comment on it. Sure, what is occurring onscreen is obviously not intended to be seen as acceptable, but what are the filmmakers trying to say when everyone who discovers the dead girl (with the exception of the lead) decides to conduct sexual activity with a corpse-like body held captive? Are we to expect nothing more of the men of the world than to be so misogynistic that issues like rape, necrophilia, and sickness hardly faze them? Some may argue that the main character represents a foil to all this madness, but I don’t think this is the case. He submits to the behavior through indecision, inaction, and incompetence. How does he arrive at the decision that he is okay with the rape of the dead girl? That he is okay with keeping a girl chained up for the sexual satisfaction of his buddies? He may not support it, but he is obviously not affected enough to do anything about it.

That's right. Just stare a little longer. 

You suck, Rickie.

The love story that sparsely populates a story about sexual violence is also concerning. Oddly, Rickie’s obsession with JoAnn is depicted as one of the reasons why he does not engage in sexual conduct with the dead girl. I get the impression that had JoAnn not been a part of his life, he would have been less inclined to turn down his chances with the dead girl. Did our lead really need extra ammunition? Couldn’t the fact that participating in such behavior is simply wrong be enough of a reason?

SPOILERS BELOW

In the end, when JoAnn is dying, Rickie decides to turn her into a dead girl as well so that he can be with her. This tells me that he never truly loved her; she was an object of aesthetic appreciation…nothing more. If he really loved her, then he would let her go instead of transforming her into an inhuman beast held against her will. Again, I ask…what are the filmmakers trying to say here? If you can’t get it, force it?

END SPOILERS

Can you find the non-jock in this picture?

Aside from the dark themes, Deadgirl is an only marginally competent film. It does succeed in establishing tone, but the screenwriting, acting, and editing detracted from what could have been an interesting story. Admittedly, the beginning of the film is suspenseful, creepy, and had me wanting to find out what happened next. Yet, instead of expanding beyond the sexual deviance plot, it just lingers in it. The dissolving friendship between J.T. and Rickie comes in to play only when it’s convenient, as does the Rickie’s fascination with JoAnn. While there are a couple scenes with comic relief, the subject matter doesn’t allow for much of an emotional palette. The film feels like a synopsis…it never really gets beyond its initial premise.  Most of the acting is good, but in a film like this, it’s quite noticeable when someone is not performing well. The jocks and JoAnn, in particular, are distracting. At times, I even found J.T. and Rickie to be less than convincing, but they were mostly solid. In conjunction with the storyline stretched thing, the editing makes the film drag through its 100 minutes. Some scenes feel too long, whereas others feel too short to have any consequence. I also think a slightly different cut would have diminished some of the poor acting, but I may be presuming too much.

All in all, Deadgirl  is a heavy film with style, but lacks substance and storytelling craft. It skims the surface of a lot of issues, but never presents an intellectual conversation and never allows for a real emotional investment.