A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

November 9, 2022 3:21 PM

Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.

Also starring Lisa Wilcox, Tuesday Knight (inheriting the role of Kristen from Patricia Arquette), Rodney Eastman, Ken Sagoes, Andras Jones, Brooke Theiss, Brooke Bundy, and a blink-and-you'll-miss-her cameo by Linnea Quigley as one of the tortured faces visible on Freddy's torso.

Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2). Written by Brian Helgeland (LA Confidential) & Jim Wheat.

53% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental on multiple outlets in the US, JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (1 comment total)

I don't think Renny Harlin gave much of a shit about the story at all. Freddy is literally resurrected by flaming dream dog piss in a dream junkyard. There's a whole thing about how he can only hurt the new Elm Street kids using Kristen's powers to pull them into her dream. So when Kristen, the last Elm Street kid, dies, she... passes on her powers to Alice, allowing Freddy to keep doing that? Maybe I should consider that all Helgeland's fault, who was obviously still working up to the writer he would be on La Confidential.

This is where the Freddy Kills the Kids in Ironic Ways Based on Their Personalities thing hits its apotheosis though, and most of that is pretty rad. Girl who fears bugs? Goes all Kafka's Metamorphosis and gets squished in a human sized Roach Motel. And so on.

The soundtrack is also a big leap forward, abandoning the hair metal for college rock like Dramarama and Sinead O'Connor.

This is watchable for the horror faithful, because Harlin has a blast with it, but it's also where things start to go in the wrong direction a bit.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:25 PM on November 9, 2022