Review
I was never caught up in the whole "Nightmare on Elm Street" phenomenon in the 80s. Yeah, it's a good film, but even then I felt the imagination of writer/director Wes Craven far exceeded the financial resources at his disposal to totally pull this concept off. I actually preferred subsequent sequels which had far higher budgets, and have to admit the totally contrived sixth sequel, "Wes Craven's New Nightmare," remains the best of the series, mainly because it so successfully plays around with horror conventions. Still, those movies wouldn't exist without this one, and its huge influence on the horror genre can't be denied. So it's about time New Line gave the movie which build their very studio its due on DVD. This two-disc collection is loaded with all kinds of great extras. Better yet, the film is wonderfully remastered, looking and sounding as good or better than it ever has before.
It's obviously pointless to rehash the plot. Even those who've never seen any of the "Nightmare" films knows who Freddy Krueger is. We all know he attacks and kills teenagers in their dreams. But watching the movie for the first time in 20 years, I was able to appreciate how well made it is on such a low budget. There are scenes that, even though the effects are explained in some of the special features, are still pretty impressive. The acting is way above par compared to similar slasher movies released at the time, and director Wes Craven, despite his reputation proceeding this film, shows he's a modern master at blurring the line between the real and surreal. The only real problem I still have with "Nightmare" is with the story itself. The premise is clever, creepy and original. But (despite testimonial from countless die hard fans) it is also phenomenally disjointed and ambagious at the end, almost as though Craven didn't know how to conclude the story, so he opted to pile on a ridiculous twist ending which, when you think about it, negates everything you've seen previously. This blatantly pandering conclusion gives the viewer the impression that the film's producers saw sequel possibilities before the filming even wrapped. But despite all that, aside from the original "Halloween," it's still probably the best slasher movie ever made.
Picture and Sound
The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and quite simply, this is the best the movie has ever looked. The print has been wonderfully restored; the black tones look great, the colors are vibrant and lines are sharp. The disc may be worth owning for the video transfer alone, yet the audio is equally fine, rendered in 5.1 Dolby Digital & 6.1 DTS-ES. The atmospheric music score comes through great, and the overall balance is impressive.
Extras
Disc 1 features audio commentary by various cast & crew members including director Wes Craven, who offers the most actual technical info. The "Infinifilm" feature on this disc is also pretty cool, allowing the viewer, through on screen prompts, to view mini-documentaries about the movie's production. Disc 2 includes several featurettes, such as a retrospective of New Line Cinema's ascension to the Hollywood big leagues, mainly because of "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Others include "Night Terrors," which isn't about the film itself, but analyzes the impact of dreams on various cultures, and "Never Sleep Again," a comprehensive making-of documentary which includes numerous interviews. Three alternate endings are also included, all of which are initially interesting, as well as a pretty amusing trivia game. In a nutshell, "Nightmare" fans will be in hog heaven with the extras alone.
Summary
From a historical perspective, this DVD of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is probably indispensable, featuring extensive bonus features genre fans will get a lot out of. The movie itself is too ambitious for its budget, resulting in a good-but-not-great slasher film, yet despite my humble opinion, there is no denying the impact the it has had on the horror genre, as well as popular culture. New Line has finally given their touchstone film the DVD release it probably deserves. Recommended.
