I am unconvinced that Wes Craven is a great horror director. I’m not honestly sure he’s even a good one. His filmography is at best spotty; some watchable films, many outright stinkers, one great grindhouse flick (The Hills Have Eyes), and nothing remotely approaching the artistry of his peers John Carpenter and David Cronenberg. And the film that cemented his reputation, A Nightmare on Elm Street, ain’t the classic many people want it to be.
I’ve really tried to enjoy it. Freddy Krueger’s a good villain, but he’s better served in some of the sequels, especially Craven’s return to the series, New Nightmare. There are some good scares here and there, great bloodletting and weirdly effective dream sequences to compliment an intriguing, if half-baked scenario.
Craven’s choice of heroine, however, ruins everything for me. Or rather, her portrayer. Heather Langenkamp delivers one of the most utterly wretched performances I have ever sat through. Not one line reading approaches believability, and it only makes it worse that she is obviously trying her best. It’s like watching a high school play: She’s pretending, not acting. Considering Craven had a fairly talented ’80s staple nearby in Amanda Wyss (as Tina), his casting of Langenkamp is all the more puzzling.
Beyond Nancy (and her equally atrocious mother, Ronee Blakley), Elm Street is only passable horror entertainment, one of the few movies improved upon in some of its sequels (parts 3 and 7). I must admit a fondness for the ending, but only for its utter ridiculousness; watching Nancy somehow morph into MacGyver as she sets up her entire house with sophisticated traps in a few minutes somehow makes a demon pedophile who kills in dreams seem plausible. —Corey Redekop
Couldn’t disagree with you more on this one, Corey.
It had to be said. I’ve tried so hard, but it just never works for me.
I’m guilty of this myself (re: everything I’ve ever written about THE EXORCIST), but statements like “And the film that cemented his reputation, A Nightmare on Elm Street, ain’t the classic many people want it to be,” always irk me, because it suggests the reviewer possesses a wisdom the rest of us don’t have that allows them to see faults where we see only greatness. There’s nothing wrong with you not liking a popular film, but suggesting that everyone else is delusional strikes me as a bit hubristic.
Corey, I agree with you on this one. A nightmare on elm street is overrated. It however lightyear ahead of it remake. I also join you in the belief that Wes Craven is not the great filmmaker that many claim he is. I think his worst is Deadly Friend. Any one remember that dog.
I agree that Amanda Wyss was a underused actress, but Away from Craven, Heather Langenkamp show talent. She one of those actress that I see guess staring on TV show in the 80 and 90 and she does a good job with the parts she has. It just when she with Craven that she fall into this unwatchable character. Her big problem is that most of her film work is with Craven.
Allan, I apologize. That was something I never should have written, as it always bugs me as well.