I guess this is a kind of coda to the original Nightmare on Elm Street series — they’d killed off Freddy several times, but in the 6th movie (named “Freddy’s Dead”) they were kinda more serious about it.

So if I remember correctly, this is a very meta movie, kinda about the Elm Street movie phenomenon, and done by Wes Craven himself, of course. There was a postmodern meta thing going on in the early 90s, right? Like with Last Action Hero… and like all these movies, it bombed at the box office. I think this one grossed the least?

Yeah. It probably didn’t make back what it cost? So after this one, it was over — not because they killed Freddy, but because Wes Craven killed the series.

(But of course, he tweaked things a bit, and made a slightly less meta Scream movie, and he was a star again.)

Very meta!

But it’s scary! It’s the scariest one since the first one!

That’s a very scary kid. And a very scary broom!

What makes this scarier than you’d expect is that you have no idea what the genre of this even is! Is this an Elm Street movie? Is she just imagining things? What’s going on!!!

So meta. And: Love that mobile phone.

Hey! It’s the actual producer! Bob whatsisname! Playing himself. This is so meta.

But what I wanted to say is: Those aren’t real Le Corbusier chairs — they look like knock-offs that done at 1.3x scale. Which I love! I want those! The real Le Corbusier chairs are way too small! People back then were tiny! Especially French ones!

Uh-oh!

As someone who has trouble falling asleep — I’ve never (well, after being 6 years old) dozed off on the couch, or while driving, or while watching an opera — these people just dozing off at the drop at the hat seem like science fiction to me. But I do know that they exist.

For me, falling asleep is, like, a lot of work.

It’s Wes!

OK, it’s less scary now — I’m not sure how, but somehow the tension dissipated all of a sudden…

It’s the longest of the Elm Street movies, and … it feels like it should be over by now, but there still 40 minutes to go.

Well, it’s the best Elm Street movie since the first one, but is it good? It starts off really swell, but then just wastes the fantastic tension that’s been built up. It’s not that there’s egregiously superfluous scenes here, but it just feels like it should have been a lot tighter.

And… this is the final movie in this box set. And this is the final box set! I mean, that I’m watching! I know it’s absurd, but once I’ve started a box set, I feel sort of… an obligation to finish the box set? I mean, it’s not giving me nightmares or something, but I had five different box sets going at the same time, and it feels good to have a clean slate.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 7: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Wes Craven. 1994. ⚃

This must be Jarman’s last movie or something? It’s included on the Blue DVD and I thought Blue was his final movie…

It’s quite like his 70s movies, in a way… no sound (but a Brian Eno soundtrack), and quick quick quick cuts.

This is really good stuff — it has the energy of his 70s movies. But it’s also rather sad, because it’s so … retrospective.

Glitterbug. Derek Jarman. 1994. ⚄

Hey, this starts off pretty cool… like something resembling a real nightmare.

Heh heh.

Anyway, this is directed by Rachel Talalay, who’d produced two of the previous movies, and been involved with the production from the start. I’m assuming that after the fifth (disastrous) movie, she went “fuck it I’ll direct it myself”?

The previous movie had a budget of $6M and made $22M, and this has a budget of $11M (and you can immediately tell) and made $34M. But oddly enough, it’s the final “real” Nightmare on Elm Street movie (although there’s one more movie in this box set).

Well, this movie started off very well, but the tension has kinda dissipated. I can see what they’re going for: More humour (and not just Freddy doing quips), and also a more dream-like atmosphere throughout. Which is a good idea. And this is definitely better than the previous movie, but…

I think we’ve all had that experience when using maps.

OK, that was the most original kill in the series.

Oh right, the last part of this movie is supposed to be in 3D… which this isn’t.

So they’re showing us these things that are supposed to be all 3D-ey, and it’s not as exciting in 2D, I guess.

Heh heh. (Uncredited.)

It’s one of the better movies in the series, I think? Or… I mean, it’s mostly kinda boring, but it really tries to make the whole “mythology” make sense, and to be original, and it kinda succeeds. It’s pretty entertaining. And also kinda boring.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead. Rachel Talalay. 1991. ⚃

The director is saying that since they had to shoot the end in 3D, they were severely limited in what kind of effects they could do… which explains why the end is kinda lame (while the first two thirds are kinda cool).