New Movie News: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Pretty bad ass poster
I will freely admit that when I first heard that A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was being remade I was sick to my stomach. How many more classics are Hollywood going to fuck up before they stop??!? I basically just filed away this news in the back of my head as just another flick I’ll never see. But then I heard that Jackie Earle Haley was playing the role of Freddy Krueger and my curiosity peaked a little bit. Haley has been acting pretty steadily since 1972 (and in a few genre flicks; he was in 1991′s Dollman and 1993′s Maniac Cop 3). But of course I really enjoyed his portrayal as the borderline sociopathic hero Rorschach in 2009′s Watchmen. He arguably stole that well-made albeit uneven movie. But shit I’ve been burned before with remakes boasting great actors in lead roles (yeah I’m looking at you 2005′s Amityville Horror!!).
And then a few days ago a good friend of Anything Horror, “Nosfera2″, posted a link to a new trailer of
A scene inspired from the original
the ElmStreet remake. And I’ve gotta tell you that it looks pretty fucking good!! The trailer was creepy, dark, and they showed just enough of Haley’s Krueger to get you really interested. I was really impressed. I came across an article online by Rupert Pupkin who notes, “Much like the first Nightmare on Elm Street trailer the new remake looks to be sticking pretty close to the vision of Wes Craven’s original, but this time updated to contemporary standards.” Let me reiterate that last part: ”updated to contemporary standards.” This sounds like an actual remake where the spirit of the original is kept and its being updated for a contemporary audience. I’m getting a little more excited!!
Actress Rooney Mara after a Krueger run-in
And then when I looked the new Elm Street up on imdb.com and saw that the only other credits director Samuel Bayer has to his name are a bunch of music videos, my heart sank. But overall I’m keeping a pretty positive attitude about the Elm Street remake. The two trailers look pretty bad ass and it really does seem as though the film makers stuck really close to the original.
Frequent readers of this blog will know that I have a very love-hate relationship with Wes Craven. I
Jackie Earle Haley as Krueger
love Last House on the Left (1974), the original Elm Street (1984), and his New Nightmare (1994). But I really think his shitty flicks out number his home runs. What about 1986′s Deadly Friend, 1989′s Shocker, 1991′s People Under the Stairs, 1995′s Vampire in Brooklyn, and 2005′s Cursed? Those movies really suck out loud. I mention this because I’m not against remaking Elm Street because Craven is a master. Far from it. I just don’t wanna see another remake like 2009′s Friday the 13th!! But from the two trailers (I have their links listed below) this remake looks extremely promising. I’ve also posted some recent photos from the movie scattered throughout this posting.
A Nightmare on Elm Street, trailer 1
A Nightmare on Elm Street, trailer 2
Come on Mr. Bayer and the rest of the cast and crew; I really wanna be happily surprised and blown away with this remake. I think its gonna be a winner but you just never know.
As of this writing, the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street is slated to open on April 30, 2010. Keep your fingers crossed!!
When I first saw the announcement in the trades and read of the remake I said oh s**t another damn remake, why screw with horror perfection. Then it got worse and I read the man to dawn the iconic sweater and metal claw was the twerp from the 1979 movie “Breaking Away”. Oh great, have we now lost all ability to reason and prevent a train wreck?! Well then the trailers came out and made me take a whole 180 degree turn. This now has promise but do not expect the wise cracking Freddy. That one is dead but the new one, like the new Mike Myers, looks badass, and could take Freddy’s slashing to a whole new level. Craven said he is not thrilled that they are remaking this flick without him but Robert Englund has been allowed to see numerous scenes and says that Jackie Earle Haley has put a vicious signature on Freddy Krueger that is fitting of the character. Also on the plus side is the appearance of Clancy Brown in the cast and I have liked him ever since he played Victor Kruger / The Kurgan in “Highlander” (1986). I am hoping for the best based on what I am now seeing and starting to think this might be the birth/rebirth of a related but new franchise unto itself with characters we know and like. Metal claws crossed!
Well I am also on the fence with the remake. I also like Jackie Earl Haley. From the trailers it looks like they are at least trying to make it scary rather than a comedy so that is a plus. It has been awhile since a remake has impressed me probably not since Dawn of the Dead. I liked People under the stairs;)
Excellent observations Bill and Demian!! I’m not completely giving my heart over to this project and I’ll probably stay skeptical of this remake until I see it. But I WILL see it and part of me is very excited (not THAT part).
Its been a while since I watched the original Elm Street but I remember Freddy being very scary and menacing. Why the fuck other directors and writers decided that making him a smart ass with more one-liners than Henny Youngman was a good idea I have no idea. There were a few decent scenes in Elm Street 2, but after that there wasn’t a scary moment in the Elm Street franchise until Craven gave us The New Nightmare. So if the remake is bringing back the “Scary Freddy” than I’m all for it. And if they make an Elm Street pt. 2 I hope they do the Rob Zombie method and just write a brand new script and not try and remake the original Elm Street 2.
And Demian; i know I’m in the minority, but I really hated People Under the Stairs. It was like watching a fucking Nickelodeon movie. It had a great premise that was so poorly executed that I remember wondering if Craven really wrote and directed it. I think it was one of his worst. I think People should be remade and remade AS a horror movie.
Bill; Craven can bitch and moan all he wants about not being involved with the remake. My question to Wes: Where the hell were you when all those directors were butchering the Freddy character in those sequels?? Yeah; ya have no answer to that do ya!! I’m also a huge fan of Clancy Brown AND I’ve been a fan of his since Highlander. He is such an imposing character that actually has a really great acting range.
Scott I agree Craven lost control of the franchise after the first movie and finally brought it back home in New Nightmare, good observation on your part!
Craven can bitch and moan all he likes, but its pretty much his fault that the franchise was as shitty as it was (unless something happened that legally locked him out of all the sequels; which I doubt).
Demian, I just realized something about Jackie Earl Haley and that he was in “Watchmen” (2009) and did a damn good job as the vigilante Rorschach so perhaps he will be able to tap into Freddy’s mean streak. I am still no holding my braeth but I am a hell of a lot more hopeful after seeing these trailers again!
anyone manage to catch this yet ?
I saw it in the theater. As a whole the movie is very flawed with terrible characters and lots of plot holes. BUT I recommended it based solely on Jackie Earle Haley’s performance as Freddy Krueger. He was awesome and I felt he did a better job than even Englund!!!