It’s the Booze Talkin’, Not Another A Nightmare on Elm Street remake!

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

The very first time I watched the original A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET late night on cable, I was terrified. Freddy Krueger felt all too real, and it didn’t help that we kept hearing some strange scratching noises coming from our attic – we never figured that one out. As a kid who sat up and watched a ton of scary movies when his parents fell asleep, NIGHTMARE was the rare flick that actually made me afraid to turn out the lights and drift off into slumber. This was a perfect horror film that still resonates with most horror fans. It had creepy black humor, a frightening villain, and a leading lady that had a ton of spunk. There was something truly special about Wes Craven’s genre masterpiece, and it is something that Hollywood is still trying to capture.

A few days ago we reported that there was a rumor of yet another possible reboot of the sleepy-time maniac who haunted the teens of Elm Street. And yes, this in itself is a nightmare, but not the fun kind. To be fair, this is not an attack on remakes in general. Sure, they are in most cases inferior to the originals, however there are a few gems out there. Unfortunately, the last time they tried to recreate the magic of the first it was an utter disappointment. Even with a bold and exciting choice like Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger, the feature was a massive failure in terms of quality and soul. It was an ugly film, one that not even it’s young – and talented – cast could ever possibly save. 

Of course money talks and the remake did make some dough worldwide – most of it came from it’s opening weekend. After it’s release, audiences quickly turned on this dank and depressing film, and even the cast members don’t seem to have fond memories of this terrible flick. So the latest rumor claims that we will once again see some sort of remake. Yes, ANOTHER REMAKE! It’s just a rumor, so there is no real cause for alarm quite yet. Albeit it won’t be a complete shock if there is some truth to this. After all, we are going to see more Jason and more Michael, so why not Freddy? Audiences may be uneasy about a return, but face it, most of us will see anything in hopes that it will be stupendously scary – plus us horror fans are gluttons for punishment.

While it seems to me to be a terrible idea to try and remake Freddy AGAIN, the thought of returning to Elm Street sort of appeals to me. The best sequel to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is most certainly A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS. Heather Langenkamp returned, Freddy was deliciously diabolical, and you had a fresh group of victims dealing with some of the most creative kills in any franchise. I’m not really suggesting that we should just remake this particular sequel, but that was one story that worked especially well. Yet even still, thanks to the 2010 atrocity, it would be very difficult to continue without completely starting from scratch… again.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the best Freddy Krueger is Robert Englund. As talented an actor Mr. Haley is, his Freddy felt more like a continuation of Rorschach from WATCHMEN than our beloved knives for fingers horror figure. And looking back on the franchise, even at its worst, Englund always gave it his all. At 68, the actor may not be willing to go through the whole make-up ordeal and who would blame him? And unlike FRIDAY THE 13th and HALLOWEEN, Robert IS Freddy and not a single soul can replace him. This is another complication that I don’t think would even phase a producer looking to make a buck on Elm Street.

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but don’t remake A Nightmare on Elm Street again. Is there a story to be told? Sure, but the real question is do fans really want one? Unlike Freddy’s horror contemporaries, Robert Englund brought this character to life like nobody else. Aside from the 2010 remake, there is no other Freddy Krueger – maybe I should simply say there is no other Freddy Krueger period. If there had been another Freddy flick, I personally wouldn’t have minded another FREDDY VS. JASON, but that seems to be dead and buried. I think it may be time to let the children of Elm Street finally have a good night sleep.