“Dream Child” is admittedly one of my favorite of the Nightmare sequels. While it doesn’t do much to further the lore like “Dream Master,” either, it does strike me as something of an entertaining installment in the series. Even years after watching it on network television time and time again, it still holds up very well to scrutiny. The premise is actually very creative this time around. Though it’s still a cheap excuse to keep the series moving, it’s quite innovative. Freddy has been revived once again and this is through the dreams of Alice. He revives his mother who gives birth to Freddy yet again, and Freddy is able to take on his true form as an adult. He knows something Alice doesn’t.
Tag Archives: Supernatural
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
“Freddy’s Dead” is what you would call absolute zero for the franchise and god help me if it isn’t one of my all time favorite guilty pleasures. This is the film that my dad took my brother and I to decades ago and we experienced it in its full 3D glory, loving every single solitary second of it. This is the moment when Freddy Krueger finally dropped all pretense and became a demonic Scud Farkus, a clown prince of the dream world who resorted to cartoon tricks and treats to murder his victims rather than revel in the evil of it all. It’s a shame too because this is technically the final entry in the series and rather than play to the Craven crowds and deliver us a helping of frightening Freddy, we’re instead given funny Freddy. I use the term funny loosely, of course.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
As a person who has taken part in lucid dreams, it’s refreshing to see a sequel strive to turn the premise of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” completely on its head. With states of dreaming and forms of the sub-conscious there is so much one can do with the premise that it’s a dream come true to see folks like Frank Darabont and Wes Craven re-visit the material and figure out a new way to deliver it to fans. Considered arguably the best of the “Nightmare” films, “Dream Warriors” takes a look at what would happen if the kids in Freddy’s dream world decided to finally start fighting back once and for all.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 – The Dream Master (1988)
With “Dream Warriors” there was a purpose for its premise. It was the last of the Elm Street children and they had a score to settle with Freddy. With this Renny Harlin installment there isn’t much that can be done beyond the visual and Harlin brings it to the forefront with all sorts of surrealism that audiences will appreciate. Sadly, the cause for Freddy’s revival isn’t too creative, nor is the reason for the continuation of this narrative. There could have been a lot more to do with the concept of the dream warriors, and “Dream Master” is sadly just a vague reflection of the creativity brought to the aforementioned.
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night (2010)
Whether or not you enjoy “Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night” is directly proportioned to whether or not you enjoy the “Paranormal Activity” franchise at all. At the end of the day this is Japan’s piece of the Paranormal pie and it is officially a sequel to and an extension of Oren Peli’s lore that he established with he first film and that has been established with the second film. This is not the first time an American film has seen a foreign sequel matched with an American sequel as George Romero saw his film “Dawn of the Dead” become its own franchise in Italy while “Day of the Dead” was simultaneously released and for once it’s refreshing to see Japan take on an American hit film and provide their own adaptation of the source material.
Frat House Massacre: Special Edition (2008) (DVD)
Sadly, I think director Alex Pucci’s grindhouse slasher film entitled “Frat House Massacre” will just be mistaken for other shelf fillers out on the market, and that’s a damn shame. A few years ago when we finally had the chance to pop in Alex Pucci’s throwback to seventies revenge thrillers, we were floored. Finally after a few years of touting the film to websites, Mr. Pucci’s slasher revenge thriller gets the treatment it deserves by Synapse Films. They pull out all of the stops for this re-release of “Frat House Massacre” enlisting 5.1 Surround Sound, and a bevy of extras including two new commentary tracks and a Making Of featurette.
Doctor Mordrid – Master of the Unknown (1992)
“Doctor Mordrid” is a change of pace for Full Moon. It’s a well made superhero movie that is about one of a kind, if you consider the Full Moon library. Of course everyone knows the story that this was originally supposed to be a Dr. Strange movie, but when Full Moon lost the character trademark from Marvel Comics, Charles Band and his wizards transformed a potential lawsuit in to an original property, Jeffery Combs is good as the heroic Mordrid, a man awaiting his fate from the almighty Monitor harnessing his powers and awaiting the time to use them.