So, I really love the Friday the 13th series and the Nightmare on Elm Street series and recently watched them all again. Most of the Friday the 13th movies don't hold up very well, but the Nightmare films actually hold up exceptionally well.
The first one is a classic and stands very well on it's own (because it was supposed to be a single film, not a series) and the second is pretty good; just going back to that damn house is freaky in itself. The 3rd film starts off just okay but kicks in to high gear once Nancy shows up and even has a good, cohesive story.
Then there is the 4th film, "The Dream Master." Well, it sucks. Renny Harlin directed it so it has potential, I guess. Looking at his directing history doesn't bode well, actually, as they are all flash-in-the-pan big show (but no substance) films filled with ideas that never come to fruition. Then there is the script... or lack thereof. Did they write the film while they were filming? This also seems to be the film where Freddy crosses from being very dark with a warped sense of humor, to being less sinister and too comedic. Really, the film is bad. Not even a good cheesy kind of bad that can still be enjoyed at some points, just legitimately bad.
Thankfully, the 5th film recovers a little despite still having a character in it from that horrible 4th film. And the 6th film, "Freddy's Dead" has a cool idea and some good moments, but maybe it's not that good and we're just all desensitized to good Freddy films because of that horrid 4th film. "New Nightmare" was a good close to the series as well as a fresh take on the concept of Freddy. It was also great to see Wes Craven return to the helm.
So, my question to all you CAG horror film fanatics (especially those that grew up in the 80's with those films) is... Why did "Dream Master" suck so bad?
*I realize some of you don't care for the NOES series. But I see a lot of posts by CAGs referencing modern horror films so I'm sure there are some NOES fans out there somewhere. This post is really intended for you "closet NOES fans" as I know you are out there!
The first one is a classic and stands very well on it's own (because it was supposed to be a single film, not a series) and the second is pretty good; just going back to that damn house is freaky in itself. The 3rd film starts off just okay but kicks in to high gear once Nancy shows up and even has a good, cohesive story.
Then there is the 4th film, "The Dream Master." Well, it sucks. Renny Harlin directed it so it has potential, I guess. Looking at his directing history doesn't bode well, actually, as they are all flash-in-the-pan big show (but no substance) films filled with ideas that never come to fruition. Then there is the script... or lack thereof. Did they write the film while they were filming? This also seems to be the film where Freddy crosses from being very dark with a warped sense of humor, to being less sinister and too comedic. Really, the film is bad. Not even a good cheesy kind of bad that can still be enjoyed at some points, just legitimately bad.
Thankfully, the 5th film recovers a little despite still having a character in it from that horrible 4th film. And the 6th film, "Freddy's Dead" has a cool idea and some good moments, but maybe it's not that good and we're just all desensitized to good Freddy films because of that horrid 4th film. "New Nightmare" was a good close to the series as well as a fresh take on the concept of Freddy. It was also great to see Wes Craven return to the helm.
So, my question to all you CAG horror film fanatics (especially those that grew up in the 80's with those films) is... Why did "Dream Master" suck so bad?
*I realize some of you don't care for the NOES series. But I see a lot of posts by CAGs referencing modern horror films so I'm sure there are some NOES fans out there somewhere. This post is really intended for you "closet NOES fans" as I know you are out there!
