PopHorror Let's Get Scared
What do you think of when you hear the name “Freddy”? Or how about the words “Elm Street”? Even if not being spoken or written in relation to the iconic Nightmare on Elm Street franchise that took over horror in the ’80s and ’90s, we can’t help but invoke the images of the scarred and razor fingered horror character, Freddy Krueger, famously played by the legendary Robert Englund. The burned skin and worn brown hat that are staples of Freddy’s look will forever live in our minds and nightmares as a huge piece of horror history. I seriously find it hard to imagine a character that tops Freddy Krueger and a storyline that tops that of an evil man that can enter our dreams and control us completely.
Thirty years ago, what was supposed to be the final installment in the franchise, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, was released by New Line Cinema, and also marked the production company’s first 3-D release! By todays standards, of course, the 3-D in the movie isn’t extremely noteworthy other than on a nostalgic, campy level, and to be honest, sometimes feels as though it was added ONLY for the effect and not to contribute to the film storyline. In fact, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare feels like this a lot in some ways, right down to the cringy jokes. For example, as Freddy “dies” in the last scene, actor Robert Englund stares into the camera and says sarcastically, “Kids…” Kind of an eyeroll to be honest.
But realistically, Freddy became very much a money-making tool long before this movies release. I find the bad jokes and the silliness campy and somewhat what makes Freddy so… Freddy. In the original Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), we saw dark images and a quiet, brooding, evil Hell Freddy. By 1991 and the release of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, we saw Freddy playing video games, rapping and fooling around with the camera in scenes. We accepted it because we love the franchise in every way imaginable.
In Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, we start off in the dream of John Doe, played by Shon Greenblatt (Chopper Chicks in Zombietown 1989). He is picked up by authorities shortly after waking up with amnesia and not in Springwood where he is from. He knows he needs to stay awake but can’t remember his name or where he is from. John Doe is taken to a youth shelter where 3 other young residents, Carlos (Ricky Dean Logan: Shevenge 2019), Tracy (Lezlie Deane: 976-Evil 1988), and Spencer (Breckin Meyer: The Craft 1996) are plotting their escape to run away to California. John Doe has a scrap of newspaper in his pocket from Springwood, detailing the Krueger case. His case worker, Dr. Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane: The Nurse 1997), believes a road trip to the nearby town may jog his memory. The 3 young runaway teens see this as their chance for escape and stow away in the van, only to be discovered halfway through the trip. The plan is to take the kids to Springwood to make a phone call to the shelter advising of their whereabouts, and then they can take the van back themselves. The teens try to leave town but end up mysteriously driving around in circles, unable to escape the limits of the childless town. We can all imagine what happens to them next as they decide to spend the night in none other than Freddy’s old house on Elm Street.
Meanwhile, Dr. Burroughs and John Doe are piecing together a complicated puzzle, and they discover the story of how Freddy Krueger came to be Freddy Krueger. They also discover that he has a child. Freddy has come back for his final soul, his own flesh and blood.
Freddy’s Dead was released September 13, 1991, by New Line Cinema and was directed by Rachel Talalay (Ghost in the Machine 1993, Tank Girl 1995), who also wrote the screenplay. Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare was a box office hit with a budget of only $10 million to make, and earning $34.9 million in the U.S alone. The film also includes some amazing cameos like Alice Cooper, Roseanne, Tom Arnold and Johnny Depp. Brian May of Queen recorded the movie’s score, and Iggy Pop lent his vocals to the music that plays over the closing credits and nostalgic photo montage. To top all of this off, New Line Cinema also held a funeral for Freddy Krueger at Hollywood Forever Cemetery as part of a marketing campaign for the film.
A three issue comic series was published as a follow up to Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, and there was even an alternate 3-D version of the 3rd issue released as a nod to the effects used in the film, which were innovative for the time. Robert Englund has performed as Freddy Kruger throughout the entire series and TV show, as well as lending his iconic face to other chillers such as Urban Legend (1998), Phantom of the Opera (1989) and many other works spanning his incredible five decade long career.
While Freddy’s Dead: The Friday Nightmare is not my personal favorite in the series, it’s cute and has an interesting storyline. We learn the backstory of how Freddy Krueger came to be in the position of dream walker, and we learn a lot more about the events leading up to this death, which even by today’s standards are disturbing. It’s very difficult to pay proper tribute to such an iconic horror film series, and we have since seen with the release of New Nightmare in 1994, and Freddy VS. Jason in 2003 that the character has been a difficult one for filmmakers, fans and possibly Englund himself to let go of. I could watch it endlessly. I sincerely hope that Freddy’s immortality is proven to overcome once again and he will be dug up, summoned, chased out of Hell and live to steal the souls of a new crop of children on Elm Street. Because as we know, every town has an Elm Street!
