New Nightmare (A Nightmare on Elm St. 7)
| release date | October 14 1994 |
| studio | New Line Cinema |
| director | Wes Craven |
| writer | Wes Craven |
| starring | Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon, Robert Shaye |
| rating | R |
| tagline | This time staying awake won't save you... |
| site | nightmareonelmstreet.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
10 Comments
Good considering how awful the sequels were before it. But I enjoyed it! It’s worth a watch.
‘Nightmare on Elm Street’: the reality show.
Wes Craven returns to the series he birthed upon the world to get all gimmicky on our asses.
Um, so after Freddy Krueger was destroyed in 3-D, New Line Cinema decided it was time to revisit the dead franchise with what I’m sure they all thought was a “brilliant” take on the ‘Nightmare’ mythos.
I can see the pitch now:
Wes: I want to make a New Nightmare film, and in fact, I’ll call it MY New Nightmare… because people give a shit about me.
Robert Shaye: I don’t know Wesley, the last two floaters didn’t turn a huge profit. Who are the stars?
Wes: You and me.
Robert Shaye: Done.
This is a film about what’s behind the curtain. Actors play themselves here (Lagenkamp, Englund, Craven, Shaye, Saxon), and they all reference the Nightmare series as if they were nothing but what they really are… movies. The problem here is I don’t want a movie that talks about the Nightmare movies, I want a fucking Nightmare movie! In ‘New Nightmare’ Wes Craven begins to write a script for a new Elm Street film where everything on the page begins to happen in real life! Holy fuck! Seems like Craven is jacking himself off as some cinematic poriah who’s shitty screenplays are so powerful they invoke DEMONS of the characters to manifest and pick people off with a rubber skull glove-hand-thing.
Freddy returns, but it isn’t the Freddy ‘Wise-Crackin’ Krueger we all came to know and want to kill… it’s the “spirit” of the evilness of the Freddy character (wtf?). This is visually conveyed by Freddy with a brighter striped shirt and leather pants. The metrosexual Freddy Krueger spirit-guy. I dig some of the look, but as a whole I think this Freddy looks, well… gay.
Heather Lagenkamp returns as Nancy Thompson(but not Nancy Thompson), and I have to admit it’s nice to have her back, even if she’s playing herself. Funny, herself seems a lot like Nancy. The spirit of Wes Craven’s screenplay starts to try and possess Lagenkamp’s son (the creepy critter who played ‘Gage’ in ‘Pet Sematary’). Some of the scenarios are creepy, but most of the acting from the awkward tike just make me laugh.
‘New Nightmare’ gets a little respect for trying to put a new spin on an old franchise, but it doesn’t earn any appreciation for it. The climax of the film is horribly uncreative and unintentionally hilarious. I believe I would be writing a kinder review if the film hadn’t so magnanimously shit the bed in the end.
I prefer my Nightmare films on Elm Street.
I enjoyed this greatly being a huge Krueger fan.
This movie was creepy and i still have this marque in my garage. It is a different take on the nightmare series. Not one that really goes anywhere. The idea is good but comeone we live in a fake world here not a real one where the nightmare is real and trying to come into our world. This movie is not exactly a nightmare movie is still very good and effective. I don’t love it but i still like it.
I think at the time this film wanted to be what The Blair Witch Project was, a film that broke the camera barrier and breached reality for the viewer. At the time it did a decent job for avid horror fans familiar with all the players, but it it doesn’t really stand up over time in that regard.
Very different from all other Nightmare movies. Wes Craven has a very vigorous imagination, which brings all of his great films to life. I loved the creative idea of this film. This is one my favorite Nightmare films. I also loved the theme from this one.
Wes Craven is back with the franchise he created with New Nightmare. After ten years and four undoubtedly horrible sequels, Robert Shaye gives Craven full command of this next installment.
The plot’s very original, that being the setting is in real life, meaning the Freddy we all know and love is a fictional character in a film franchise, or so we think. I was really engaged in the direction that Wes took this film. By giving New Nightmare this original path, Freddy is reborn into the dark sinister monster from the original elm street film.
The cast does a great job, highlighting Heather Lagenkamp who carries this film from start to finish. Child actor Miko Hughes puts on one of the best child performances in recent years. He’s disturbing, and also lovable in other scenes.
The dream sequences, mostly using Miko Hughes and, of course Robert Englund are really top notch. I was pleased that Wes decided to give the audience only spurts of Krueger terror, up until the satisfying conclusion. He builds the viewers suspense and anticipation for that inevitable classic Freddy nightmare.
On the whole, New Nightmare delivers an excellent horror film with a new and original direction from Wes Craven. As a Freddy Kreuger fan, watch the first film, then watch this one. It’s great if you use it as a companion piece because Craven references back to his original film a lot with New Nightmare.
Finally we get the old Freddy back even though a whole different film. This is still creepy, had great scares and finally a great sequel. I really liked the plot, gore was great whole story was awesome a whole different Freddy Kruger but he’s finally as scary as he one was. This was an awesome film and a great sequel.
genius idea that was a fun watch and great to see freddy actually scary as hell and mean again and not cracking jokes like he’s doing stand up in front of an audience, i liked the story alot and felt it is the best freddy movie along with the original.
This was pretty badass. I loved how they put the movie together. It was very original compared to all the other ones. Good ending to the franchise.
This was the only nimghtmare movie that I liked other than the original.
It lived up to the first.
What the FUCK is with this movie. It SAYS that freddys in the real world but he isnt. I says that the previous NIGHTMARES didnt even happen! Like WTF! REALLY STUPID MOVIE!!! ONLY 3 people die!
This installment was a refreshing return to form for Freddy. With Wes Craven writing and directing his best creation he redeemed the charcter after several crappy sequels and setting it in real life was a brilliant move. Very clever idea , thanks Wes. The opening nightmare was pretty good as were the other kills and scares throughout. This was an intelligent and original take on the whoe Elm St franchise and a very very worthy addition especially after the steaming pile of crap that was Freddy’s Dead. Easily the third best in the franchise after parts 1 and 3. Terrific moive
This movie is great. Wes creven made freddy scary again. He took an original concept and made a superb story out of it. With a great premise, strong story, nice effects. This movie is great gem to have in your collection of freddy movies to own.
Wes Cravens … nice story man..i really respect this movie as a new fucking Nightmare and it was fucking awesom and scary…i like the new freddy look..VERY..but it was little boaring..it take 1 houre to start showing Freddy but it was my best 3rd in this serious after 1 and 3
Many fans of the series claim this one to the be one of the best if not the best in the series. I don’t consider it to be the best, but it’s a great recovery from the last entry (Freddy’s Dead = Ugh). One thing that I don’t like about this movie, is that it turns the movies in to just that…movies. I know they’re all just movies, but I feel it’s kind of a ripoff for the fans of the others to those who have followed them since the beginning. Sure, they continue the story but I wish they could have done it without knocking the others in the series. But it is a different approach, a more realistic one at that (No more Super Freddy or Nintendo deaths).
The cast is great, some familiar faces return. Thankfully one of those faces is Heather Langenkamp, how is this possible, well like already mentioned, the other entries in the series were just movies in this movie so it was her character that died, she’s back playing herself. I’m making this much more confusing then it really is, I think you get what I’m saying though. Robert Englund returns, as himself and as a re-imagined Freddy (I prefer the movie inside the movie Freddy more though). We also get cameo’s from the man himself Wes Craven, Tuesday Knight and John Saxon (awesome!). Also, there’s the addition of Dylan Porter (Miko Hughes playing Heather’s son, this kid use to be everywhere).
Reality begins to blur as the movie goes on and Heather must save her son as both mother and character Nancy. These elements come off as really effective. It’s also a nice nod to the original’s fans as we see similar situations and scenes reintroduced.
The death scenes are fairly tame, even for a Nightmare movie. Sure we get the girl dragged around the walls and ceiling in the hospital, similar to one of Freddy’s most famous kills from the original, but it just isn’t enough. There’s also Heather’s ‘husbands’ death which I found to be fairly weak, death by motorized glove.
One thing that meshes well with the story is the fairy tale aspect, the Hansel & Gretel bit definitely works. It’s also a nice bit of foreshadowing when Heather reads the story to Dylan, as there’s a similar conclusions to both movie and book.
The build up to Freddy is nice. He really doesn’t make many appearances until about the last 45 minutes. When we do get him, he’s definitely not the same Freddy, he seems more clean cut to be honest. Not the best take on Freddy but definitely not the worst.
One of my favorite scenes happens near the end. The chase scene on the highway turned out great. Both Heather and Dylan dodging traffic, looked great and it made for a really intense scene, nicely done.
The final showdown is pretty solid. Heather must take pills and journey under the covers to reach the dream world, nice bit of fantasy added there. Freddy chases around Heather and Dylan for awhile in a dungeon like setting until they lock him in an oven (remember that bit of foreshadowing).
All in all, this is definitely a solid entry in the series, took Freddy from being a complete joke to a respectable character and horror icon once again. Really gotta appreciate what Wes Craven did for the fans, not only bringing back Freddy, but bringing him in a way that’s never been done before.
8.5/10
Increadable. Its Actully Scary Insted Of Funny Freddy.
Too bad this movie did so bad at the box office. It’s actually superior to most of the films that came before it. That’s probably why people lost interest I suppose.
Well, Freddy’s back in a whole new way. Literally. The movie is so interesting and in depth. It’s self aware too which I love.
Probably the best film since the original.
YES! They brought the scary freddy back! This is one of the most imaginative and clever movies I have ever scene. A great film, and completely crushes its 4-6. Bravo.
New Nightmare, a good movie let down by a few things.
The Good: the new Freddy (except his crispy clean brand new designer clothes) and his glove are great, the movie is full of suspense and a threatening atmosphere, Heather Langenkamp is very good to watch, it has a self awareness vibe and this meta-reality that was then original (and way better than Scream).
The Bad: ending was a bit of a letdown, we get scary Freddy the whole movie then he becomes a bumbling clown again, Freddy’s lair looks like a movie set (too overlit) what happened to the boiler room? The little boy gets annoying sometimes. The score – too overdramatic.
Overall, a good way to end the series but no we get Freddy Vs Jason (boo!) and a remake (boo!).
A New Nightmare was a great way to bring Freddy back. I like the new look they gave him along with Heather returning to the cast. This movie would have to be the best since Dream Warriors.
Obviously one of the best sequels in the series if not the best. I love how evil they made Freddy look in the film. You got Wes back behind the lens, Heather back as the lead, and of course Robert back as a sinister realistic Freddy Krueger. How can you go wrong?
When you bring back what made the first movie so special (Wes as director and Heather as the lead) it is hard to go wrong. Definitely one of the best sequels of the series that was going downhill faster than a mudslide. When you take Freddy and turn him back in to the dark figure we first saw him as, it showed us why we fell in love with him in the first place.
Takes a usual and used concept, and turns it into a fresh and exhilirating tale. Stunning.
Awesome idea for a movie i love the whole real world in movie world premise. The kid in the movie can be annoying just like any movie that stars a kid, besides that its all good
This is the only sequel in the series that is on par with the original. Dream Warriors and Dream Master were good, but still nowhere near the brilliance of the first Nightmare.
What makes this even better (beside an oh so original plot, amazing acting, great drama and horror) is that viewing all the sequels beforehand will help you appreciate the film. Now you don’t have to despise the crappier sequels (Nightmare 2, 5, and Freddy’s Dead), but you can actually enjoy them for the sheer fact that if they didn’t exist, this masterpiece would’ve never been made. You can’t say that about the horrible Halloween sequels (4 and up), can you?
A great movie that pulls up the entire franchise and gives it the ending the original deserved. (Okay, Freddy vs. Jason was technically the last one, but still).
The best sequel in the series for sure and actually probably the best sequel in the slasher genre.Brillant plot,kills,and awesome dialogue.Freddy was scary instead of being comic relief.Let’s hope the bastards in Hollywood stay away from remaking this one next.Simply amazing and a must own to any slasher fan.Top notch cast to boot including Craven himself.
awesome movie. I love them all, but this one was the only one that brought back the terrifying Freddy.
Wes does it again.
awesome freddy,awesome kills,references to the original,bad ending.
Pretty much the only decent Nightmare sequel, and the only one done by Wes Craven, so that should tell ya somethin’. The only thing missing was a Johnny Depp cameo.
This one was ok its watchable just get bored watching it the ending kinda blew didnt like the new glove or the makeup i think Wes was really out of ideas as you see the horror based reality did spawn Scream but going back and rehashing the original nightmare was a bad idea in my opinion i just wanted a new freddy movie it had good stuff as the original cast was back and the acting was really good and the effects where good so im in the middle on this one
My second favorite of the sequels! It was a Freddy movie but also very original with its meta plot.Plus the amazing Heather Lagenkamp came back as the lead! What more could you want?!
not quite sure how i feel about this one. definitely not one of my favorites in the series. honestly, it plays out more like a drama about a recently widowed mother and her son. i will say that heather langenkamp’s acting is terrific in this, it’s a shame she didn’t have a bigger career. the little boy playing her son is annoying, maybe because i saw him on full house where he plays a little shit before i saw this. freddy is scary again, his makeup is nasty as well as his new glove. but, i just don’t really like where they took this film. i don’t like how it takes place in the real world and all that crap. its better than freddy’s dead that’s for sure, but i would’ve prefered them to just make another sequel
`Nightmare on Elm Street 7: New Nightmares’ (also Known as Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) is a 1994/1995 horror metafilm & is the seventh & final one of the Original Film series (until 2010 came out with a new remake),the Movie is portraying Freddy Krueger as a fictional movie villain who invades and haunts the actors responsible for the Nightmare on Elm Street films. In this film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Craven originally intended, being more menacing and less comical, with a greatly updated attire and appearance. (New Nightmare features several homage’s to the original film).
The Movie starts out like a dream but seem very really (which it is for some part of the first opening that you will later see in the Movie) then it comes back into really life situates as the actors are playing them self first & medium parts of the film & then they will have to play their characters from the original movie to stop the ready evil & dark Freddy Krueger getting into the really world (Which the Movie to me give a documentary Style theme to it for the film serious & every other slasher movie that later would become Wes Craven `Scream trilogy’). I think the movie was clever, smart & very stylish for the last Freddy Krueger/Nightmare on Elm Street original series & is just as good as the first one (the one that started it all) as this seventh one is really cool how it combines in to a movie of a movie with actors playing them self then to get into the characters is something new that I’ve seen in a film.
I really like how they have the original theme music but add its own kind of sound with style of a 90′s kind of music blended in together, The special effects & make-up artist is perfect for the movie & I love the new gloves that is used by Freddy Krueger coming into are world because the film series is ended & the genie is out of the bottle (as said by Wes Craven himself in the movie), the film got fantastic amount of gore, blood and great scares that made me jump quick a few time (which this movie is best with 1,2,3 & 4, while the 5 & 6 are pretty bad and are the worst one out of this classic film series) and it shows how the really world & the Movie world can make a very taste scary movie.
The directions & written style of the movie was in two word Classic & genius thank to the men himself Wes Craven which did the Original (1984) made the last Nightmare on Elm street one have more life, darkness & fire the fifth & sixth one & the last of the original film series (1994/1995) (which I personally think he should have done all of the films in the series), the acting was brilliant by Heather Langenkamp as Herself/Nancy Thompson, Robert Englund as Himself/Freddy Krueger (which for his last performance of Freddy Krueger in this film series was a trumpet what I man to bring such darkness & creative back into a legend that was nearly ruined out of evil, well done Robert Englund), Miko Hughes, Tracy Middendorf, David Newsom, Fran Bennett, John Saxon & Wes Craven himself (as most of them played them self/with the Original characters they have played in which every series of movies they have been in) and the ending was great it should courage & fighting the evil & dark of the name they call him Freddy Krueger and is was quit sweet at the end of the film it was a respectable Nightmare on Elm Street Movie.
Well it certainly was an incredibly original entry to the “Nightmare On Elm St.” series, but I didn’t think this was as amazing as everyone else seems to think. To me it just felt like another Freddy movie, an enjoyable and fun experience but no where near close enough to a masterpiece! Freddy wasn’t in it enough either, it seemed to be all about Heather’s kid which is OK for a while but it got tiresome. The grand finale at the end in (what I like to call) Freddy’s Dreamhouse was spectacular and as imaginative as ever. Some of the effects were bad (namely giant Freddy in the sky and the end scene) but her it’s the 90′s!
What we have here is a typical Freddy movie, only more original and possibly the best one!
The movie was ok but that was the worst Freddy poster I’ve ever seen.
Seriously guys? Four skulls out of five? I have never even heard of a plot so ridiculously retarded in my life. C’mon, a reality show!? The acting was weak and so were the few deaths in the movie. A friend and I who are batshit crazy fans of this series tried watching it, only to take it back to blockbuster within 20 minutes. Such a waste of a doller.
great freddy film well written and very interesting. a worty watch
this one ties with the dream warriors at four and a half
Awful.By far the worst in the franchise.Another stupid idea by craven.He’s never at a loss for shit ideas.
It was great, better than the sequels, but not up there with the remake and the original.
It’s interesting but not all that great.
This sequel is quite up there with the original Nightmare, and is my personal favorite Nightmare film. It works well as a meta film, and most of the scenes in this movie closely pay homage to the original. Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Wes Craven, and the man himself, Robert Englund, all did well in this movie, and I liked the cameo appearances from Tuesday Knight and Nick Corri.
Loved As Much As The Original <3 !!!
I thought it had a clever premise but it was so big-budget over blown I found it to be more of a yawner than anything. The saving grace is the lovely Ms. Langenkamp. But contrary to Craven’s opinion, Freddy was NOT menacing and the storyline was more cookie-cutter and offered nothing new in terms of scare tactics. Came nowhere near the 1984 original.
Yes yes, very good.