After eight films (including the meta-horror of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) and nearly 20 decades, Robert Englund wore the razor glove for the final time. But in keeping with the history of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger’s curtain call wasn’t what anyone expected it would be.
Clare Brunton of W-Rated helps us close down this mega-series with 2003’s horror monster mash-up Freddy vs. Jason. We’ll discuss how the movie deftly combines the Elm Street films with Friday the 13th, whether its lack of intense scares detracts from the film, and the missed sequel opportunities.
Directed by Ronny Yu, Freddy vs. Jason might not be considered a cinematic turning point at large, but the film did unite two of horror’s biggest bads just before their respective series faced the reboot treatment. So choose your fighter, and secure ringside seats to the ultimate horror showdown.
Given its title, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare seemingly plunged the final nail into the coffin of Robert Englund’s infamous horror villain. And yet, it was ultimately Wes Craven — writer-director of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street — who gave Freddy Krueger a new lease on life.
Film professor and author Ryan L. Terry joins Franchise Detours to slash our way through 1994’s Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. We’ll discuss how the film celebrates the tenth anniversary of the original film, why it was a box office disappointment, and how it shaped the next phase of horror.
As the only installment not in continuity with the rest of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare marks a true “franchise detour.” So curl up for a dark tale as we reunite with Craven, Englund, Heather Langenkamp, and John Saxon for a nightmare unlike any other.
In hindsight, it makes sense the diminishing returns of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child might signal Freddy Krueger should quit while he was (at least relatively) ahead. So two years later, longtime creative collaborator Rachel Talalay took the director’s chair for the “final” entry.
Kev Smith of Suns and Shadows-Cast joins us to discuss 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. We’ll discuss how the film expands Freddy’s mythos, whether the full-tilt lean into comedy works, and whether Freddy’s supposed final bow serves as a satisfying end to Wes Craven’s creation.
Join us on the latest Franchise Detours as we dissect the dreamscapes of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. We’ll slice into the film’s horror elements, its ties to the overarching Elm Street mythology, and how it originally sought to lay Freddy to rest with a rare definitive end of an icon.
