Beware The Spaceman

Tag: Elm Street Ranking

  • Ranking Elm Street: Freddy’s Dead

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours


    Number 7: Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead – The Final Nightmare

    Remember how I mentioned that as the films went on Freddy became more of a parody? Here he flies on a broomstick quoting The Wizard of Oz. This is the film largely known for jumping the shark. The kills come in very early‑90s ways — one character is even killed inside a video game. Because of this, I couldn’t rank the film any higher. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to like.

    I remember the scenes showing a child‑free Springwood being quite surreal. It’s a “what happens if Freddy has killed all the young?” scenario. The adults of Springwood have all gone crazy. It’s not subtle, but it definitely leaves an impression.

    Then there’s the stuff with Freddy’s daughter, Maggie, being the one to finally kill him. It’s poetic, and almost certainly added just as a way to end Freddy for good. Because there are five films before this, and Krueger having a wife and daughter is never mentioned previously.

    It’s played too much for laughs, but it also feels like there might be a missed opportunity here. Could you imagine the weight of being Freddy’s daughter? The revelation comes too late in the film to really be explored, and the tone doesn’t try beyond Maggie existing to be the good and Freddy the bad.

    This film is fun. But it didn’t feel like the right send‑off for the series. That would come later.

  • Ranking Elm Street: Freddys Revenge

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

    Number 8: Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge

    Many will disagree with me here. The reasons this one ranks eighth on our countdown we’ll get to soon, but let me start by saying there’s plenty to like.

    In later sequels, Freddy leans more into comedy than horror. In Part 2, he still has the menace of the first film, and the plot does something genuinely different with him.

    This is where the problem lies for me. I’m in agreement with Wes Craven’s take that this film exposes Freddy too much. His menace comes from being able to kill you while you sleep. In dreams, Freddy holds all the power. In this film, he crosses over into the waking world.

    Jesse is our main character — one of the only male leads in the Elm Street series, another departure from the usual formula. His girlfriend Lisa has a large role too. The story is essentially a possession film. Much has been said about the subtext, and you can very much class this film as of its time.

    It’s a short watch, clocking in at about an hour and twenty minutes. Definitely a part of horror history. And that VHS cover with the school bus was unforgettable.

    A few metres in the Dark Number 7:Freddy’s Dead