The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection

Rating:
Summary: Great Collection for any Horror fan
Review: Hey! I thought this is an awsome set. However, #'s 2 and 3 aren't really that great. Other than that, it's still worth the money!

Rating:
Summary: Not worth buying at all
Review: I recommend Survivor: Borneo on DVD instead of this cheesy 80's horror garbage.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: This is the best box set I have ever seen. With all 6 elm st.
movies and even the New Nightmare thrown in this is one
big set. Also included is The Nightmare encyclopedia with
hours upon hours of interviews with everyone who ever had
anything to do with these movies.

The set also comes with a pair of 3-d glasses for use on the finale of Freddy's dead. It really does enhance the ending.

I paid nearly 120 dollars when this set came out, so the price drop is welcome.

overall this is a must buy.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Horror!
Review: Not only is the Nightmare on Elm Street movies great, but the DVD collection is 100% better! Why? Because you have better sound, picture, and access to the movies that we all crave to see again and again. These are easily on of the best horror movies ever created. Freddy Krueger was, and still is, very dark and evil. Whenever you finish a movie, you want more. These movies achieve something that other movies cannot always get. These have, "The perfect ending".

I still watch these movies over and over, and I still want more. I enjoy these because it's a blend of mystery, horror, and all kinds of good things! It is a very enjoyable set of movies.

The only bad movie in this collection is A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, which has always been rated as the worst of the group. But, if you enjoy horror, then you will enjoy The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: This set is a DREAM! too bad the halloween and Friday films didnt do something this cool, which makes it all the more special. All the films are present uncut, widescreen and crystal clear! The extras arent bad here either , no matter which film is your "favorite" you'll DIE to have this set with the extras and the packaging itself is breathtaking and shows you CAN judge a book by its cover sometimes! .....in this case a group of classic films!

Rating:
Summary: The ultimate (though not quite perfect) Freddy collection
Review: The Nightmare on Elm Street DVD Collection is pretty much a must-have for all Freddy fans, especially those like me who basically came of age watching Freddy do his thing. No movie releases apart from the original Star Wars trilogy invoked more excitement and conjecture in me than did the Elm Street sequels, and all of the films are really just as good now as they were when they were released - better, in fact, thanks to DVD technology and the abundance of special features it makes possible. Of course, the technological explosion in terms of cinematic possibilities we have witnessed in the years since Freddy's birth comes with a price - it is now almost impossible for horror fans such as myself to actually be scared by a movie. Even today's youngest generation will never feel the true magic that Freddy cascaded onto his original audience - they have simply become inured to such primal feelings via the saturation of pop culture itself. Still, though, we who have just turned the door on youth can rediscover the feelings the Elm Street movies first wrought inside our souls, and several of these films do possess the creepy potential to insinuate their horrors into the hearts and minds of the younger generations. The original will never be as shocking as it was in 1984, but it is still a powerful film built on grand archetypes of good and evil that will never fade away. The third film, in contrast to the second one, shows just how effective a true sequel can be at not only recapturing what has come before but expounding upon its very essence in a way sure to delight the audience. Films four and five highlight the innately human propensity to take a good idea and milk it for all it's worth, transforming the core idea that gave birth to something innovative into purely entertaining, meaningless echoes of its original dark self. Freddy's Dead shows just how difficult it can be to recapture the magic that even studio executives know has been lost, and then Wes Craven's New Nightmare makes up for all the bad things, as Freddy's creator returns to the series and recreates and redefines his now-stagnant creation into something just as different and unsettling as the original.

The seven movies basically need no exposition on my part, so I will turn my attention to the extras included on this definitive Freddy collection. For one thing, you get the option of watching the original 3-D ending to Freddy's Dead (along with two sets of 3-D glasses) as well as the 2-D ending that the video release included. The 3-D ending does not make up for the general problems with Freddy's final "death" but its availability to the home viewer counts for a lot in my book. Each DVD allows you to jump to any death sequence you choose, which some fans may like (even though Nightmare's essence was not really about the increasingly outlandish kills). The set comes with a bonus DVD that purports to feature The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia. I found this DVD somewhat tedious after a while, but it does feature a brand new documentary on the series. You also get a number of interviews with the men and women who helped bring Freddy to life as well as interested bystanders such as Clive Barker comparing his Hellraiser films to Craven's Nightmare series. There is a Freddy trivia game included for those who like that sort of thing, a very impressive booklet featuring the original press kit information on each film, two film commentaries, a screensaver, trailers, and cast and crew information. A lot of this bonus material is made available in the form of a labyrinth in which you must travel from place to place picking items at random - fortunately, much of the material is much more handily available through an index of features on the disk.

Two things disappoint me about this collection. For one, the Labyrinth is aggravating and really not enjoyable to explore; I really don't know why industry people think fans enjoy having to work our way to the special bonus features we paid for in the first place. My other disappointment is the lack of commentaries. The original film features a marvelous commentary by Wes Craven, actors Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, and director of photography Jacques Haitkin, while Wes Craven's New Nightmare contains a fascinating commentary by Wes Craven alone, but these are the only commentaries available over the entire series of movies (the third movie definitely deserves a commentary of its own). Deleted scenes would also have been a welcome addition, especially given Craven's abundant comments concerning scenes he had to remove from his Nightmare films for various reasons. Still, this collection delivers the goods that all Freddy fans care the most about, as the widescreen, digitally remastered versions of the seven films are stunningly impressive.

Rating:
Summary: Freddy In A Box!
Review: "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is quite a legacy. Not only did it simultaneously jumpstart horror-master Wes Craven's career and New Line Cinema, it also gave horror fans in the 80's something new to scream about. Finally a pure horror movie that doesn't resort to the usual slasher formula. In the beginning, Freddy was something to be feared. A child killer who was freed on a technicality, burned alive by the vengeful parents of Elm Street, a bastard son of 100 maniacs who was resurrected in the after-life to seek revenge on the children of the people who destroyed him. As he puts in in the recent "Freddy Vs. Jason,:" 'When I was alive, I may have been a little naughty, but after they killed me, I became something much, much worse. The stuff nightmares are made of.' Throughout the 6 "Nightmare On Elm Street" movies (plus "New Nightmare," which takes the movies in a whole new direction) Freddy tormented the teenagers of Elm Street and eventually the whole town of Springwood in their dreams -- or nightmares. As each movie came out, Freddy's killings started to get more outlandish and soon a new horror world was created. For better or for worse, the "Elm Street" series is strictly fun. Even at it's low points, it still manages to squeeze as much interest as possible everytime I watch it. Each movie holds certains memories and the series itself will always have a place not only in my heart, but in the hearts of the millions of other teenagers who have been able to experience it. Here is a movie by movie review of what is contained in this box-set:

Disc One: "A Nightmare on Elm Street"

This was the movie that started it all. It got Wes Craven's career going and virtually created New Line Cinema from the ground up, which in turn housed all things Freddy and would be the future home of sequels to "Friday the 13th" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Freddy is introduced in this movie, but is used minimally. Craven knows that the mysterious character is an asset and reveals him at the most critical moments. Heather Langenkamp stars as the heroine Nancy, who temporarily destroys Freddy until the next movie. Also starring Johnny Depp and John Saxon. 5 out ot 5 stars.

Disc Two: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge"

Maybe the least popular of the series, this one picks up five years later, in the same house as before, this time the new kid in town, Jesse (Mark Patton), is being stalked by Freddy who is trying to re-enter reality by possessing Jesse's body. A lot of homosexual undertones in this movie, it was criticized a lot, but at the end of the day, it's still creepy and entertaining. 4 out of 5 stars.

Disc Three: "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"

Wes Craven returns as writer and Heather Langenkamp returns as a doctor at a mental hospital (Westin Hills) where a group of troubled teens share nightmares of Freddy. Each character wises up to what they are facing and uses their strengths within their dreams to overcome Freddy. This one is more reliant on visual effects than the first two, and Freddy takes one giant step towards becoming a comedian. One of the most entertaining and stunning of the series. Also starring Laurence Fishburne and Patricia Arquette. Five out of five stars.

Disc Four: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master"

This movie follows the three survivors of the previous installment. After Freddy is resurrected (by flaming dog pee!) he attempts to use the survivors to bring a new batch of teenage meat, thus broadening his horizons from Elm Street to the entire town of Springwood. He succeeds in that, but underestimates a shy teenage girl by the name of Alice, who manages to use the strength of her friends combined with her own strong will to overcome Freddy. This one is very stylish, very slick and very entertaining. The death scenes are mind-blowing (a girl turned into a giant cockroach and then dying in a roach motel). One of the most satisfying of the series. Five out of five stars.

Disc Five: "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child"

Freddy is once again resurrected and preys on Alice, her friends and most importantly her unborn baby. An attempt to return to the darkness of the original while still being entertaining and campy, this one was a minor failure. The good characters are there, but the movie feels too recycled. Some freaky death scenes help elevate it though. Three out of five stars.

Disc Six: "Freddy's Dead"

This and part 2 are often talked about as low points of the series, but to me, "Freddy's Dead" is the only true bomb. Freddy just isn't scary anymore and the characters that were built up in the past two movies are deleted for stock teenagers that aren't developed enough. Way too cartoonish for a horror movie, only redeemed by a bit of backstory in the third act and a nice montage of Freddy moments during the credits. Two out of five stars.

Disc Seven: "Wes Craven's New Nightmare"

The Elm Street movies are just that: movies. Heather Langenkamp, Wes Craven, Robert Englund and a slew of other star as themselves. When Heather's son starts mocking Freddy and weird letter are received, she finds herself reliving moments she acted out in the movies. Freddy is revealed not as the child killer he is, but as the entity of all things evil. Very clever and very original. It didn't make much of a splash at the box office, but is a fan favorite. Five out of five stars.

Disc Eight: "The Nightmare Encyclopedia"

This is where it's at and this is why the box-set is so great. We get in-depth interviews from all the film's directors, plus a giant maze where you get to search for what seems like endless features -- which even include Freddy's MTV guest spots and some music videos. If you're looking for all things Freddy, this box-set has got it. New Line obviously cares about the series and this set is a labor of love. Just sit down with it and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movies, But Not Great DVDs!
Review: First of all I love the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. The movies did not disappoint me, but the special features did. It seemed like there were no special features to any of the movies and the ones that are on the CDs were made up after the movies had been produced and this concept of having special features on DVDs became popular. If you are a fan of the Freddy movies I definitely recommend this movie collection, but you may be disappointed at the special features.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome To Elm Street!
Review: In 1984, the first "Nightmare" was born. After that, six sequels were made. Now, they are all in one box set that is a must own. I totally love it! There are so many great things about these movies. The dream sequences, the characters, and especially Freddy Krueger make them all enjoyable in their own way. These movies are especially interesting because they don't consist of the same kind of usual killer. Sure, there is Michael, Leatherface, and Jason, but who cares? There are all the same. Freddy is totally different. He instead kills people in their dreams, which make for an intriguing storyline. I never exactly admired Freddy Krueger. I'll admit I was into Michael and Jason, but Freddy has more style.

The first one comes off just right. The whole plot made sense and made it scary to know that are dreams could be reality. The later installments do not live up to the first, but some are very good and are directed by Renny Harlin (one of my favorite directors!), Rachel Talalay, and, of course, Wes Craven. Everyone of these deserves a watch.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) - The best one out of them all. This one is where it all began and so did Johnny Depp's career. Heather Langenkamp is great as Nancy. Robert Englund was outstanding (and would be for the next 6 installments) as Fred Krueger, the dream stalker. This has a good, creepy mood to it. (10/10) Rated R for strong violence/gore, language, and partial nudity. "I'm your boyfriend now, Nancy!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2 (1985) - This one was a bit weird. First off, it forgot the idea of Freddy (Englund) being in your dreams and made him become a real person in life. He begins to take over Jessie's (Mark Patton) body and starts killing people again. Second, it didn't explain its characters that well. It wasn't that scary, but it was entertaining. Mark Patton wasn't that great. He mostly just screamed like a girl the whole movie and wore dorky clothing. (6/10) Rated R for strong violence/gore, brief nudity, and some language. "You've got the body, I've got the brain!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 (1987) - Forgot about the last movie and went on to a different plot. There are teens at a psychiatric ward that are suffering from bad dreams about Fred Krueger (Englund, who is very creepy in this one). Anyway, the kids start to die one by one. They find out that they have special powers in their dreams and that they can maybe defeat Freddy for good. The movie was good, but I didn't need to see that one kid turn into a wizard (a bit corny!). There are some really cool scenes in this one. (7/10) Rated R for strong violence/gore, nudity, sexual situations, and language. "Your big break in T.V.!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 (1988) - This is one of my personal favorites. This one had everything from cool dream sequences to great characters, to vivid colors, and many more. Too bad that they killed off the remaining Dream Warriors. I felt really bad when Joey Crusel died off. Anyway, the new characters are just as great, especially Lisa Wilcox as Alice. Danny Hassel is also great as Dan. This is one that you need to see. (8/10) Rated R for strong violence/gore, nudity, and language. "How's this for a wet dream?!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 (1989) - My least favorite one. It turned away from the colorful Part 4 and turned into a gothic and disgusting movie. Lisa Wilcox returns and so does Danny Hassel. He dies into the movie fairly quickly though. Then were left with one-dimensional characters. It was a pretty stupid plot and movie. Alice (Wilcox) has an unborn child and it is killing her friends by letting Freddy get into its mind. Don't bother! (4/10) Rated R for graphic sequences of violence, gore, and some language. "Put the pedal to the medal, Dan!"

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - This also one of my favorites. It is not a great movie, but it is very entertaining. There is a great soundtrack also. Freddy (Englund) is more goofy in this one. It's pretty funny though. The dream sequences are pretty nifty and there isn't a lot of gore (which is good). A young Breckin Meyer plays a stoner, Spencer, and he's pretty funny. The plot is about 4 teenagers and their psychiatric helper that go to Springwood, where all the children have died from Freddy. Freddy begins to kill them off, but there is a link between Freddy and one of the 5 people. This also sets up some back round on who Freddy is. This movie is just for a good time. You can also watch the ending in 3-D if you have the box set. This is a movie you have to see. (7/10) Rated R for violence/light gore, language, drug use, and human abuse. "Hey Spence, let's trip out!"

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Nick Corri, Wes Craven, and others play themselves in this movie. There is another "Nightmare" sequel coming into production. Heather (herself) is going to play Nancy. Yet, as the movie we are watching progresses, the script is being made the way we watch it. So, in the end, everything in the movie was made into the script. Soon, people start dying on the set and Heather's son (Miko Hughes) begins to act like Freddy. Heather decides to take on the role of Nancy once more and take Freddy down for good. Okay, this movie is really confusing. I never knew if I was watching a movie, a dream, or a movie inside a movie. Freddy is rarely seen, which is a good thing. His make-up isn't that good in this one. It looks like melted rubber and it doesn't go well. I also thought this was the one where Freddy became scary again. I really didn't think so. It came off as a bit of a disappointment in the end. (6/10) Rated R for strong violence/gore, and language. "Come here, my piggy. I got some gingerbread for you!"

The Nightmare Encyclopedia - This is a great disc for all the information about the Nightmare On Elm Street series. There are three things to choose from on the menu: PRIMETIME, INDEX, and LABYRINTH. "Primetime" is an introduction to the disc and Wes Craven talks about how the first "Nightmare" was made by using his own childhood memories. The "Index" contains all seven movies and you can go into the making of the movies and how things were done. "Labyrinth" is a tricky little thing, but fun. You go through maze-like hallways, going into rooms, searching through cabinets for deleted scenes, theatrical trailers, alternate endings, documentaries, and much more. This eighth disc is really helpful and a lot of fun. It is a nice addition to the collection. (10/10)

All together, this makes a great set that is definitely worth owning. The transfers are great, the special features are great, and the movies are fun.

Welcome To Elm Street!

Rating:
Summary: Super awesome box set!
Review: I bought this set in August 2003...I saw the Freddy vs. Jason movie and I was completely obsessed with NOES stuff. I looked online and found this DVD set and had to get it. What a great deal it is and it has cool extras on the 8th disc. I hadn't watched many of these movies for years and I remembered now how much of a Freddy fan I am. I even joined the Englundlist on Yahoo and checked out the RobertEnglund.com website. Woohoo!! I totally think Robert is a wonderful actor and not just as Freddy but in all the movies he was in. A must have set for any fan!