Wes Craven’s New Nightmare Is An Extremely Scary Sequel That’s Actually Great

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare was a huge upgrade for the Elm Street movies and changed the game by helping movies like Scream get made. This is the slasher movie that acted as a stepping stone to the more meta 1990’s films. And it’s extremely scary and well made as well. Here Tony from Hack the Movies joins me to talk about it.
#Movies #Scary #Classic
Link to Hack the Movies: / @hackthemovies

[@xenos_n.]

I remember when this movie came out and it went completely under everybody's radar even at the time. Nobody talked about it. I remember Freddy's Dead somehow getting way more attention. It's pretty bizarre how such a great movie has continued to be so overlooked. I think it was a little too smart of a movie for general audiences. People who have seen it tend to really like it but it's definitely still one that isn't talked about much.

[@JazziG59]

I thinks it’s because there are like 2 kills in the movie and fans weren’t ready for Wes Craven to change the game. He was ahead of the curve, saw what Jason Lives did, and understood the culture was changing.

[@josephmendoza9523]

​@Jackson Scott And not only that but he knew how to do it because he had been in the industry since like the early 70s/ late 60s. Either way this movie was really great

[@KadmonZakkar-EL]

Yea I couldnt sleep for years after watching that thang .

[@connorbrennan4233]

New Nightmare is an underrated masterpiece. It not only says something about the state of the series at that time, but also is an exploration of our relationship with horror films.

[@shainewhite2781]

They made Freddy Krueger more darker and serious this time. This movie is very meta from start to finish.

[@bored-nl1bu]

Nothing beats the freddy in the original creepy as fuck

[@michaellilly965]

I remember this movie and to me, it was the worst of the franchise. So bad, I have never seen it again.

[@dwerggalago]

To me, this movie keeps getting better the more I see it. Wes Craven, you genius.

[@grapeshot]

I always looked at New Nightmare as not really being a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Just a movie that took place in a different reality that happened to use the aesthetics of a Nightmare on Elm Street.

[@grapeshot]

@user-re5pp4xz8d I'm going to give it to Freddy Krueger because Pennywise says he goes and takes his long 27-year sleep. We're the Losers Club can grow and thrive and live happy lives until old age take some back to the weeds.

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

​@@grapeshotwhat? What does this have to do with the original comment and what 3 dorks liked it? Friggin weirdo

[@edwardwright2989]

You must have no life to think that hard about it. I feel sorry for you.

[@CHEERSMEOW]

I saw this movie at a chicago critics screening with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert in 1994. Good times. 🍺😺

[@HeyFella]

Lol some of the comments on this read like they were written by an AI. Good video though. I do love New Nightmare. I’m a fan of every entry in the franchise besides the remake. A lot of those 2000’s remakes are actually pretty solid, but that one is a huge stinker.

[@islasornacommunications9179]

Is that my boi playing a guitar. Oh yeah dude.

[@mikycarney5779]

Min 8..... You guys got the plot exactly wrong... Freddy's not back because they started a new movie Freddy's back because they stopped the movies

[@AlencarFaulkner]

A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream 3 (anything is better with Parker Posey!), New Nightmare; my favourite films directed by Wes Craven. New Nightmare is surprisingly under-talked. A fine Horror film. Is very nice to see it getting some attention and more in depth talk.

[@Blarmenify]

We stan Parker posey

[@MasterVideoStudios]

Why does that studio look familiar?

[@TheOnslaught616]

Heather is great in The Midnight Club

[@wimvanderstraeten6521]

Speaking of meta movies, I can recommend The Final Girls (2015).

[@wallineric]

Love this movie! This was a fun weird one to watch when I was at the age I was catching up on horror franchises (very out of order which confused me). So different, inventive and a really stand out unique slasher film.

[@thatguywithoutahead]

New Nightmare is such a great entry in the nightmare on elmstreet franchise, as well as a great starting point for meta horror wes graven later build upon in scream. It always was, and probably will be, part of my top 3 Nightmare on Elmstreet movies (alongside the og and 3).

[@ShatteredTrousers]

I nearly fell out of my chair when Klayton suggested a dream sequence of the Jurassic Park T-Rex fighting Krueger to protect Dylan. That would've been unbelievable!

[@Dragoncurve]

Unbelievably cool! Imagine what kinda cool monster Freddy could turn into! Those slash’s on that stuffed dinosaur could’ve been huge claws! 😂

[@jbbyaboo1105]

Unfortunately, this was my first Freddy movie. I say unfortunately not because the meta stuff was over my head, but because it scared the hell out of me.

[@WolfkinNorthclaw]

Mine was the OG film, took me three times seeing it to watch the whole film, this movie made me fear Freddy again.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

I think this might actually have been the first Elm St movie I ever saw, because it was run on tv a lot (as was Tremors and Terminator 2. Those were the days.). And something I caught the last time I watched it (and I hadn't seen it in years) was that the son was implied to have childhood schizophrenia, which was reclassified as Asperger's syndrome just a year or two later. And being on the spectrum myself, but diagnosed as an adult, it's kind of a weird reminder of my own childhood in some places. Overall a very nostalgic movie for me.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

I also tend to watch this series like I watch the Alien franchise. They're both mixed bags, but even the lesser entries have enough entertainment in them for me to enjoy watching them. Even Freddy's rap video is hilarious in it's own cheesy way, because Englund is such a fun performer.

[@SpedeVesku]

This movie is super overrated.

[@ZOMBIEHEADSHOTKILLER]

nooooo you showed your face!........ i was happy not knowing! i would always just imagine different faces, and try to find out what fits.

[@Dude-oh8vq]

Have loved this film since first seeing it in a near empty cinema on opening weekend. I had to buy a ticket to a PG-13 film, then easily sneaked into the New Nightmare room, and had a complete blast with the film. Never been a big fan of the final ten minutes, but the first 95 mns are very very good!

[@jimbowlan5804]

Yaa not a big fan of the ending either but the rest of the movie is great

[@Lcatcher24]

Watched it the other day, it dragged on.. I was ready for the movie to end then I realized I had 30 mins left 😢

[@journeymanuk]

Scream 3, bruh...

[@MadManMJ01]

Great film! It’s not the very first movie to have this style of film/reality Fulci’s The Cat In The Brain is very similar.

[@Mrtwistedblack]

The only problem I had with it at release and still to this day is the lack of gore. Not that it needed to be as over the top but the odd moments where missing blood seemed very odd and a poor choice.

[@RogueT-Rex8468]

Ok now I’m mad no one ever told me about the possibility of a T. rex vs Freddy scene. Like omg.

[@mucknstrunz]

Stop having Tony on please. He constantly Interrupts. And ist actively trying to avoid talking in depth about anything related to the topic. I do Not often See 2 Guys talking parallel about the Same Thing without even acknowlidging the other persons Point. Frustrating. You are much better in your own

[@HackTheMovies]

We filmed like 10,000 reviews that week! I did my best!

[@Bigshark9000]

Hell yeah more Dragoncurve, I gotta admit i... never really cared for the Nightmare on Elm Street films. No Denying the first one was the bar, Freddy Revenge is really 80s bad it's good, Dream Warriors was okay, I never really found Freddy that funny. Speaking of Horror films. You should talk about Killer Clowns from Outer Space.

[@Xenokaji]

Heather was in this show recently on Netflix called the midnight club

[@jonnaking3054]

The movie within this movie that Wes was writing was actually THIS MOVIE!! At the end as Heather is reading the script, you catch glances of it, and it is the movie we just watched, New Nightmare. The script ends with Heather reading the script to Dillon, which she starts doing, and their closing monologues. Also throughout the movie we get hints.... We see the script say, "Fades to Black" and the screen fades to black. So I think within the movie, Wes was writing THIS movie. So we did see the it! I thought the idea of a movie within a movie within a movie within a movie, and so on was clever

[@Tek-Knight5592]

Love this movie. I remember as a kid it used to come on TNT all the time.

[@SonicfanTheNightfury5099]

Freddy hasn't had a movie since 2010

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

And?

[@SonicfanTheNightfury5099]

@@dustywaynemusic6297 That's it

[@robgalloway48]

I thought I was alone in thinking this movie is overlooked and very underrated! I saw this in the theater and even then it wasn't really advertised as much as the others were. I would hold this up as probably my favorite next to the original!

[@SaturnSenshi3105]

It is really good finally someone got it

[@DavesArtRoom]

The Original Friday was great. The rest were not.

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

This is not a Friday the 13th movie dummy 🤦 but yes the 1st Friday movie (with Ice Cube) was great.

[@dismayingmist7868]

I heard talks of a chucky vs Freddie I forgot what the person said on TikTok but it was something like that , I never watched Freddie just Freddie vs Jason , great video

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

Oh well it was on TikTok so it must be true 🤦

[@Amber_xo_133]

In this film, Freddy is depicted much closer to what Wes Craven had originally intended for the character, much more menacing, much less comical, with an updated attire and appearance. However in 2015, before his death, he would admit he regretted changing his appearance and said: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Which was why he kept Ghostface's mask the same in every Scream movie. The events in this film revolve around Heather Langenkamp having a stalker. In real life, she did have a stalker, and Wes Craven got her permission to weave it into the story. The television show appearance was inspired by a real encounter. According to Wes Craven: "Robert Englund and I did an appearance together on public television in the San Francisco area. It was about whether this kind of movie was bad for children or not. There were parents in the audience and then kids. All the kids leaped to their feet and started chanting, 'Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!' I remember looking at the show host and the parents, and they all looked horrified." In reality, Heather Langenkamp's real husband David LeRoy Anderson is a special effects man, as he is in the film. The film has no opening titles to blur the illusion of whether it's a film, a documentary or something else altogether. In the ending credits, Freddy Krueger is credited as himself, even though Robert Englund reprises the role. The basic premise of the film, Freddy invading the real world and haunting the actors and crew responsible for the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films, was originally intended to be used for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), inspired by the movie Return to Horror High (1987), but the idea was rejected by the studio at the time. Before making this movie, Wes Craven watched all of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" films. By the time he was finished, he claimed that he could not follow the storyline at all. He further regards the sequels to be weak compared to his original masterpiece. Robert Englund has said this is his favorite movie of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise along with Freddy's makeup being his favorite look. Wes Craven's daughter Jessica Craven appears as a nurse. David LeRoy Anderson, who is Heather Langenkamp's real-life husband, declined to play himself. Miko Hughes has kept the sewn up Rex dinosaur since filming. Wes Craven had an original copy without the scars. The "bio-engineered" hand and glove that Freddy uses in this film (as opposed to the glove used in the prior films) is actually derived from the artwork of the theatrical poster and video box covers of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Heather Langenkamp and her real-life special effects artist husband David LeRoy Anderson had a son named Daniel (born 1991), serving as the basis for Heather's family in the film. Tragically, Daniel died in 2018 at the age of 26 as a result of a brain tumor, the same condition that had already taken director Wes Craven's life in 2015. At three appearances, Heather Langenkamp has played the protagonist in the series more times than anyone else. However, none of her appearances have been consecutive. At one hour and 52 minutes, this is the longest film in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. This is the first and, as of 2022, only movie in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise that doesn't have any opening credits. At around 35 minutes) When Heather Langenkamp vomited in the morgue, she was spitting up a combination of clam chowder and bean soup. The credits call Robert Englund's wife Patrice. In real life, his wife is Nancy Booth. The scene where Freddy tries to swallow Dylan whole, is similar to the scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), where the Freddy Snake tried to swallow Kristen whole. After Heather makes the decision to play Nancy, the version of the house she enters has a blue door, like it did in the original. All the other sequels showed the house with a red door. At around one hour and 40 minutes) In the final scene where Dylan stabs Freddy's tongue outside the oven, you can hear the famous Psycho (1960) shower scene music. Freddy's death in this film is similar to his original death when he was burned alive by a group of vigilante parents. This the only Nightmare on Elm Street movie where Freddy does not kill any teenagers. Every character killed in this movie is an adult. Body Count: Four In A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the movie that Glenn watches on television to try to stay awake is The Evil Dead (1981). In this film, the movie that plays on television is A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

[@redwillow79schippers94]

Dream Master is so underrated. Parts 1 and 4 are my favorites. I will agree that parts 5 and 6 are pretty weak. I really hate Freddy vs Jason with a deep passion. I like New Nightmare. I do wish Wes delved into the Robert Englund side of things more but I get that this is about Heather/Nancy. I could watch a 4 hour New Nightmare. But I like New Nightmare. It's much better than parts 5 and 6. I wish there was more gore but it's still really good

[@sarlaccstapeworm990]

13:37.... I DEFINITELY agree with that! That they SHOULD'VE followed-up "New Nightmare" with a sequel, based on IT'S (real world / 4th wall breaking) storyline!! THAT would've been cool as hell!!👍

[@beenjammin2000]

An interesting thing about Freddy Krueger is that most of his appearances in media are based on the remake. Most notably video games like Mortal Kombat 9 and Dead by Deadlight.

[@evinschmiedecke6167]

Easier to get the rights to the remake prolly

[@cattycats4]

thats because they are cheap and they alienated many fans from buying the games because of it, look up Terrordrome rise of the boogeymen, its a free fan made beat em up that uses the proper likenesses and its way better than MK9

[@blitzskrieg3047]

Nor only The Last Jedi, but all the of the sequels were garbage. They undermined everything the original trilogy did and they destroyed beloved characters.

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

They are absolutely terrible and you would have to be mentally handicapped to not see that.

[@katelynthewhitewerewolf6376]

This is one of my favorite Nightmare On Elm Street movies and my favorite soundtrack is the Freeway soundtrack and Dylan is so cute and his favorite stuffed Dinosaur Rex is so cute and he looks so soft too. I even found out he was Gage in the original Pet Sematary at least Gage survived throughout this movie and Miko was so cute in this movie especially his pj's.

[@justicierodelaliga]

The movie is GREAT (I´m a NIGHTMARE FAN...with Dream Child being my favorite). I get the fact that Craven basically cuasi remakes the original to end the franchise with Freddy being scary again; I don´t count Freddy vs Jason (as awesome as it is) as part of the franchise. That being said, it makes no sense that Nancy/Heather had to be the one to beat him because she defeated him first. If anything, it had to be either Alice or Katherine as both survived.

[@DummyYEEEAAHHHHH]

Awesome fuckin movie !!! It's my 2nd favorite in the franchise only after 1 and before 3....just rewatched it last week.

[@cattycats4]

Its a weird movie, its acted very well, shot well but its way too ambitious to try to warp the universe of elm st by making the actors from the film become the victims for real, in doing so it devalues the previous films and although it was a breath of fresh air from the garbage nmoes 6 it made too many changes to work. First mistake was turning freddy into a more hollywood style demon (ok miles miles better than the remake trash) because instead of being scary and horrible its really going towards star trek territory with the makeup (something jackie earl haley achieved in the remake looked exactly like Odo from star trek) Its frankly saved by the acting, and otherwise a mess, at times it has the classic wes craven atmosphere that was missing from the last movie in the series but its not believable, yes its supposed to be the new film that turns into reality as its being shot but you cant break 4th walls in a fantasy horror you just devalue it by doing so, especially when the villian is in a whole new costume etc Theres one kill scene that would stand well in the previous films but who cares? Wes Craven tried to be too clever and it ended up being forgettable nonsense with a great production and cast, like watching a making of or a documentary The worst thing is how it never tries to break back into the story of the previous films, its like its trying to overwrite them but aside from the warped reality angle and familiar faces its a really bland film, nmoes 6 actually makes more sense as a film its just hammed up to the point where it becomes a cartoon of itself The biggest shame about the film is that instead of doing new nightmare if Wes had written another sequel in regular nmoes fashion it wouldve been MILES better than new nightmare because Wes already knew how to do everything properly New nightmare is not a scary film at all if youve seen any of the other ones, maybe if you are not a fan of the films it might be a scary film idk 1 and 3 are the best by far, 2 is the scariest, 4 and 5 are perfectly watchable with 5 having a particularly good soundtrack. After that it goes downhill fast. nmoes 6 replaced original music with classical music that turned it into tom and jerry which totally spoiled all the story and suddenly freddy is a joke. new nightmare tried to turn him back into a scary villain but failed miserably because it presented him as an almost entirely different looking character. Its probably still better than FvJ which really went back to full cheese first 5 films are easy 7/10+ nmoes 6 is a 5/10 , NN is a 5/10 FvJ is 4/10, remake doesnt even register a score its such an offense to horror fans If this film was such a masterpiece as everyone says it wouldve inspired more elm st movies, in reality it was a mess that buried the entire franchise to the point where Wes had to start new projects like Scream, Scream itself just proves again that had Wes made another regular elm st movie it wouldve been way better and instead of Scream the franchise wouldve had more great films. Scream was really popular but its a pale comparison and basically a chick flick of horror films, what did Scream inspire? Goofy parody films, theres your legacy... yeah genius.... smh

[@ethanself2667]

Probably my favorite scary movie and definitely Wes Cravens Magnum Opus. I would go as far to say that I think it’s a better film than the original Nightmare and Scream.

[@dickychip]

I watched this in the cinema and absolutely loved it, but some of my friends just didn't get the meta element and hated it, I've always wondered if Wes Craven got the idea from another underrated Meta movie ‘the last action hero’ when Charles Dance mentions bringing Freddy Krueger into the real world ? I watched new nightmare again recently on blu ray and still think this stands up.

[@UnknownXero]

This was actually the first Freddy Film I actually saw all the way through. I really enjoyed it. Made me a fan Back in the 90s I'd see parts of them on tv but never the whole film till way later Also really glad I got to see the wish master two review on hack the movies with the director before it got taken down

[@anthonytorresproductions]

6:27 That would’ve been awesome if they do a dream scene with Freddy Krueger fights the T-Rex .

[@harrypothead42024]

I always thought that Wes Craven, the character in this movie, was describing a tulpa before I had ever heard of the word tulpa.

[@harrypothead42024]

Tony from hack the movies could be as popular at this as Chris stuckmann, why won't he let that happen?

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

The original nightmare on elm street will always be the best one for me because it's actually brooding, dark and nightmarish. I saw it at the theatre on opening night in 84 and people lost their minds. I never cared for what they turned Freddy into after that.

[@giulianodervelociraptorder734]

I love the first 3 movies of this franchaise.

[@todddust564]

I rented this when it came out from First Choice Video when I'm ten and until late in highschool I would tuck my bedsheets and blanket underneath my legs and feet so Freddy couldn't come up through the bottom of my sheets and get me.

[@anubusx]

Explore Gargantua.

[@revol2933]

0:48 I had a good chuckle over that one

[@GrandTourVideos]

The first horror movie I ever saw. Scared me for years. Now I rewatch it pretty frequently lol

[@fidelgarcia5648]

It's a good movie, and definitely one of the better sequels, but I wouldn't say that it's scary. At least it's never been scary to me anyway

[@earlthepearl6414]

I don't like this movie at all. I never understood what people saw in it. I still don't. Just my unpopular opinion.

[@andresdeleon5160]

Oh boy

[@TheFlowersOfNaivety]

I agree Hellraiser 5 is my favorite Hellraiser past 1 and 2. Inferno feels like it's almost a Silent Hill film.

[@brandondvorak4301]

Don't forget about cat in the brain in the 80s it was a precursor to both films

[@jbowDonDiego1380]

They kinda made a nightmare 7 it's a fanmade thing but they did get the kid that was Dillon from new nightmare so take that for what u will

[@TheRetroManRandySavage]

Great film. I remember going to the cinema to see it with my stepfather.

[@Magicstockton]

This shit was scary as hell.

[@FabledHeroes3351]

The Prequel to Scream (technically)

[@Ninja_T.V.]

Best one I reckon. Even better then the OG Nightmare

[@vengeanceconscious9774]

The boy was too young to act unfortunately

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

He had done 2 major films before this dummy. Pet Sematary and Kindergarten Cop 🤦

[@vengeanceconscious9774]

@@dustywaynemusic6297 he had No talent then

[@jasonsantos3037]

I like new nightmare one my favorites from the nightmare on elm street movies.

[@jamesmorant1406]

Finally, someone who says it's a sequel thank you

[@josebernaolalicetti6751]

It was my favorite the minute I watched it. Great movie!

[@jay_kay_kas4470]

This movie had me looking under my bed😂

[@darkscarecrowfxs.3205]

Like within everyone believes in an entity will it become a tulpa

[@SWyrick366]

Freddy Krueger IS....... NOT.......... SCARY.😡

[@AHalevonEric]

Am I the only one who liked Hellraiser: Hellseeker?

[@Joshua-uw7wm]

My 3rd favorite nightmare movie

[@pappyprimetime7510]

Oh!! I get it. These guys are dorks

[@kdusel1991]

This was definitely an interesting movie. Always awesome to see you and Tony together!! Do you have any collabs on hack the movies or talking about tapes coming up?

[@Dragoncurve]

Not specifically but he might make a cameo in something down the line

[@kdusel1991]

@@Dragoncurve I see.

[@bigdumbjosh]

Yo Klayton I have that same t-shirt

[@user-fm3xr9yz3i]

New Nightmare is a masterpiece.

[@zerofayt6107]

3rd best nightmare imo

[@rubendelatorre9000]

This movie was awful

[@kingkold]

How did I miss this video?

[@TheFullmetalmex]

I'm the 666th like🤘

[@brettparker1296]

I remember seeing this as a kid, and it blew my mind. This was the return of scary Freddy, and that's what I had wanted for so long, especially after the goofiness of Freddy's Dead (which I still love). Also, Heather Langenkamp kicked a lot of ass and looked good doing it. The son on the other hand I wasn't a fan of because of his character from Full House. Always love this collab! Can't wait to see you and Tony break another movie down.

[@WolfkinNorthclaw]

This movie scared me silly and I loved every second of it, this was Freddy at his best, though I'm still not sure it actually was him. Either way this is one film that I think even non horror fans could enjoy, due to how well done it is.

[@51385jrod]

I liked it

[@kieferholster4900]

I love this series so much and I know some of them are not as good as others but I find them so entertaining that I can't dislike any of them.

[@carlredbird3054]

Really liked this one as a kid. After growing up the little kid being in danger is way more scary than before

[@harryparsons2750]

Wishmaster is awesome

[@zillsburyy1]

yeah, IT SUCKED!!!!

[@noodlethesnake6927]

This was really creepy. Freddy krueger is kinda good franchise if it wasn't from them terrible sequels. The first two are only worth watching.

[@noodlethesnake6927]

@Joshua 1992 I don't know

[@JurassicReptile]

What do you mean? 3 is considered the best and even the “bad sequels” aren’t that bad compared to a lot of slasher series

[@noodlethesnake6927]

@@JurassicReptile I should be more specific. I thought the first 2 were great but it went down hill after that in my opinion

[@SpedeVesku]

3 is the best of the franchise

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

Apparently you don't know what a franchise is. A franchise requires sequels dummy

[@edwardwright2989]

I saw it in theaters in 1994. It had a good 1st hour then did everything wrong the rest of the way. It was unintentionally hilarious towards the end. We made fun of it actually.

[@robertmiles1603]

The dumbest thing about the entirely idiotic plot was the fact that it separated Kruger from what his origin was supposed to be - a pedophile and murderer who was burned to death in a lynching by the angry parents of his victims.

[@HackTheMovies]

That's still his origin. This movie is a demon who is basically cosplaying as Freddy Krueger.

[@khoehl1525]

It's a really great film.