Pwaters' Month of Terror Day 3: A Nightmare on Elm Street

Hello ladies, gentlemen, and creatures lurking in the shadows!  This month, October, is a favorite among horror fans, such as myself.  My goal for the next 31 days is to share with you the scariest and best of the genre.  The films will range from old school classics to modern day gorefests (they won't be in any particular order).  So scout these movies out, grab a bag of popcorn (or a blood bag) and enjoy!


A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Dir. Wes Craven

Great horror movies typically exploit a certain aspect of non-threatening daily life and turns it into something to fear (for example, the ocean in Jaws, showers in Psycho, and the wind in The Happening... wait, maybe scratch that last one).  'Elm Street' succeeds in that we all have to go to sleep, so there's effectively no way to escape from Freddy, the child-killing burn victim wearing a self-made glove with knives on the fingers.  The haunting music and the eerie set pieces help to escalate the chill-factor, and it's great the way the film blends nightmare and reality (you never know exactly where you are, so the killer can pop out at any time).  Plus, because it takes place in people's dreams, there's an excuse to make extremely over the top, elaborate gross-out/shock scenes.  It's a true classic that has sort of lost its mystique since the character, Freddy, has been used to death in pop culture and countless sequels, remakes, and re-imaginings (Freddy vs. Predators 2: The Reckoning, Part 5 coming soon to DVD).

Partly what makes the series so successful is its villain.  Robert Englund brings so much to the role of Freddy Krueger.  His devilish charm and wit make him all the more frightening, and unlike the likes of other slasher movie killers such as Jason or Michael Myers, Freddy doesn't hide behind a mask - he has his own impish sense of humor, as if the kids he's killing are his "toys."  It's as though your dreams are his sandbox.  Also starring is Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and a pre-famous Johnny Depp, and all pull their weight in acting - but in the end Englund steals every scene.