A Nightmare On Elm Street [2010]

"Mimpi Ngeri Di Jalan Elm"

Have you ever really had a nightmare? A real mimpi ngeri? (The meaning is even better in Bahasa Melayu as the Malay designation is literally “horror dream”)

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a real nightmare. In fact I sleep so soundly I hardly dream… And when I do dream my idea of a horror dream, or at least a bad one, is if it doesn’t involve any kind of wild and kinky sex with Sci-Fi characters. [Okay I think this review is meant for age 21 and above.]

So I really pity those kids who have A Nightmare on Elm Street – sleep and you dream, then you die... ayoyo!

Actually the original movie of the same name first terrified audiences – and maybe even kept some awake - in 1984. That’s over 26 years ago! Hmm I think most of those who watched the 2010 version with me today weren’t even born then…

Anyway, despite meagre advertising, that film managed to make nearly 25 times its production budget in ticket sales. It relied almost completely on word-of-mouth promotion. See how powerful word-of-mouth is!

Then after being released on video to a wider audience, A Nightmare on Elm Street gained a surprising cult following that survived all these decades, dragging the razor-fingered dude Freddy Krueger to cult status with it… All the way to 7 more films in the franchise, including Wes Craven's New Nightmare and the tie-in release Freddy Vs. Jason with that other, masked, horror guy in Halloween. Meanwhile this Freddy Krueger character has become a branded horror icon, “idolized with fear” by fans or at least recognised by film-goers everywhere. His trademark striped sweater and knifey hands are by now symbols of horror-movie greatness.

Having watched the earlier series of Nightmares on Elm Street, the immediate thing I like about this 2010 version is that it has a tighter plot, despite some twists here and there that actually add to the story-telling. The earlier ones with Freddy’s mother Amanda Krueger thrown in (a Nun, of all people!) didn’t quite convince me with its tale. The new version is more plausible, and gives a lesson in how to react in grave situations as well, re: the kids’ parents’ reactions to Freddy at the Pre-School.

Nonetheless I feel that the dialogue could have more forcefully explained certain points. For example, you sort of have to flesh out yourself why Freddy is innocent OR guilty and why is he dream-haunting those poor kids, as the near one-line mentions are almost dismissable, even missable. [I think I just coined some phrases here; “dream-haunting”…]

Still, I couldn’t find any immediate boo-boos or loopholes in this version’s story (yet :-), in the way that I did with Iron Man 2 where they were as big as the atrium at GSC Mid-Valley’s South Court!

On this Nightmare’s acting and actors, I know some would agree with me that we’d prefer Kellan Lutz as the main protagonist who is “saved” at the end (we’re prejudiced because of his Twilight appearance!). Instead he’s the first to be killed off here, and eekily too. Eeek!

I put “saved” above in quote marks because the ending is hmm… in the sequel?

Kejar harta, hanya jumpa hutang;
Kejar takhta, hanya luruh tenang;
Kejar wanita, hanya keras batang.

If you seek wealth, you only feel heat;
If you seek power, you only face hate;
If you seek women, you only flow hard;
But you would not get the richness, the respect or the roaring orgasm that you really sought.