Even though “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2” was a considerable box office success, grossing ten times its three million dollar budget, New Line Cinema must've realized they had screwed up a little. (Or, at least, made a sequel that was ahead of its time.) New Line realized, if the Freddy Krueger saga was going to continue, they needed that special Wes Craven touch. While he was still disinterested in directing, Wes was lured back with the presumption that he would be writing the end of the series. Craven's dark and gory script would be rewritten by Frank Darabont and Chuck Russell, the latter making his directorial debut with the sequel. The result would be another hit for New Line, exceeding the previous two movie's grosses combined.
“Dream Warriors” takes the dark, psychologically-tinged slasher horror of the first two films and moves it into a more comic book-esque direction. The plot concerns a group of Springwood kids, incarcerated in a mental hospital for troubled teens, discovering their special “dream powers” to fight Freddy with. As opposed to the solitary protagonists of the last two films, the Dream Warriors can share their dreamspace with each other and have a guiding mentor, in the form of a returning Nancy Thomas. This move into a more light-hearted direction is certainly fun. Freddy fighting a group of super-powered teens, each with their own gimmicky abilities, is too entertaining a prospect to be denied. Yet it does rob the premise of its scariness a little, our heroes having more chances to fight back and more support from those around them.
Granted a bigger budget than it predecessors, “Nightmare 3” fully embraces the practical make-up effects of the day. The film uses the advancements in foam, rubber, and latex to create even wilder and more surreal nightmare sequences. So now Freddy turns into a giant, green snake, attempting to swallow Kristen. He grows out of a TV with robot arms, flings entangling tongues at people, and reveals a chest of pulsating, screaming faces. The film's special effects extend even further, including digital effects like Freddy's face appearing from behind multiple mirrors. Or stop-motion effects, in the form of an evil Freddy marionette or a Harryhausen-esque skeleton. In its best moments, the sequel combines its effects with a grisly imagination. Such as in the sequence where Freddy puppeteers a victim to his death, yanking his veins from his body to use as his puppet strings.
Yet “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3” is ultimately an extremely enjoyable experience. A big reason for this is its cast of characters are genuinely lovable. Each of the Dream Warriors have an easily defined gimmick, for sure. Will is into “Dungeons and Dragons.” Phillip handcrafts puppets. Yet they are more than just their personality traits. Patricia Arquette's Kristen is willful and strong, refusing to give up the fight even when hope is nil. Jennifer Rubin's Taryn shows a spunky attitude, despite the obvious wounds her history of drug abuse has left her with. Ken Sagoes' Kincaid may be an angry black man but his willingness to always stand up to bullies is immediately endearing. Mute Joey isn't defined by his disability, showing a healthy teen libido towards a shapely nurse. The Dream Warriors are likable and we are genuinely sad to see most of them go. And bringing back Heather Langenkamp, whose acting skills have matured, and John Saxon was certainly a smart decision.
As our closest cosmic neighbor, Mars has fascinated writers and artists for centuries. Not just its proximity to Earth but its status as a literal red world, making the planet a resonating symbol. The influence of “War of the Worlds,” both H.G. Wells' novel and the 1953 film adaptation, was such that the terms “aliens” and “Martian” were basically interchangeable for years. Most of the Mars-related movies of the fifties imagined angry Martians invading our world. 1959's “The Angry Red Planet,” another monster-filled sci-fi cheapie from American International Pictures, would imagine humans visiting Mars and encountering hostile locals.
The first manned mission to Mars is returning to Earth due to an emergency. As the government surveys the vessel, they discover that two of the four crewmen are dead and one is covered by an aggressive fungus-like growth. That leaves Dr. Iris Ryan, who is traumatized and partially amnesic from what she saw on Mars. She is eventually goaded into relaying her story. She tells the tale of how the crew landed on Mars and was beset by one bizarre local life-form after another. Soon enough, Dr. Ryan and the Earth scientists discover the horrifying truth about life on Mars.
This is not what most people remember about the movie, however. In order to overcome its minuscule budget, “The Angry Red Planet” took a novel approach to depicting the Martian surface. The actors were put on sparse sets with large, painted backdrops. A bizarre red filter was added over these scenes. This simple effect creates an unforgettable look for the film. Adding to the surreal atmosphere is the bizarre collection of monsters within “The Angry Red Planet.” A big, rubbery, flesh-eating plant tries to snack on Dr. Ryan the minute they arrive on Mars. The second half of the film is largely devoted to an enormous amoeba, with a single rotating eye, that crawls out of a lake. The star attraction is what the characters call the “rat-bat-spider nightmare.” A giant rat with goofy eyes, tiny hands, and massive spider-crab legs, the stiffly moving monstrosity is nevertheless charming in its own lo-fi way.
I first saw “The Angry Red Planet” the way most people have, I imagine. As the back end of a double feature, late at night on television. This may, in fact, be the ideal way of seeing the movie. If you can stay awake through the slow-paced first half, you can easily slip into the dreamy and weird red planet sequence. Presentation such as mine have led the movie to a small cult following. If nothing else, there is a select group of classic film fans to whom the phrase “rat-bat-spider nightmare” isn't just a random collection of words. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say the film is good but it is certainly memorable. [7/10]
Here “Tales from the Cryptkeeper” goes again ripping off a classic “Twilight Zone” episode. A pair of young juvenile delinquents practice their favorite hobby of shoplifting in an upper-class clothing store. After one of the friends mysteriously disappears throughout the day, the other boy hides out in the store overnight. This is when he discovers the establishment's mannequins come to life in the after-hours, roaming the building. And they are very upset at him for utilizing his five-finger discount so gratuitously. The mannequins hound the boy through the night until he apologizes for his wrong-doing.
Once again, it's a bummer that the third season of “Tales from the Cryptkeeper” was so mandated to be “educational.” As is typical by now, this episode hammers its lesson – “Don't shoplift, kids!” – into the fucking ground right from its opening seconds. I never felt bad for John Kassir when he was cracking dreadful puns but I do feel bad for him here, as he's forced to directly explain the moral of the week to anyone too dense not to get it. If it wasn't for that, and the seriously cheap animation which approaches GoAnimate levels, this might've been a spooky episode of children's entertainment. The mannequins only speak in a soft, calm voice, which makes their dogged pursuit and threats sound much creepier. The same could be said of their unchanging smiles. The opening sequence, when the mannequins first abduct one of the little shoplifters, features a surprisingly frightened sounding scream. With better animation and a less heavy-handed script, this might have even been a scary episode. [6/10]
“Forever Knight” once again returns to the idea of Nick Knight looking for a cure to vampirism. Natalie studies Nick's blood and discovers the peculiarities that differentiates it from human blood. She looks up a growth hormones designed for the cattle industry that can eliminate this particular blood condition. She tries it on Nick and it seems to work. He can walk in the sunlight, has no craving for blood, and can eat actual food. However, Nick quickly develops a dependency on the drug. (Jeanette and LaCroix remind Nick of the last time he sought a scientific cure for his condition, and the tragic consequences.) Meanwhile, a senior police officer seems to kill himself. While internal affairs is quick to dismiss it as a suicide, Schanke and Nick suspect an infamous mob boss may have something to do with the death.
“The Fix” has a cool idea. What if Nick actually did find the cure he's so long sought and it turned out not to be everything he hoped for? Instead of running with the idea that he might need his vampire powers to fight crime, the episode goes in the much lamer direction of Nick immediately – literally immediately – acting like a junkie for this new drug. It's pretty hard to believe that someone as big on personal responsibility as Nick Knight would become so totally hooked on a drug in mere hours. (Though watching Geraint Wyn-Davies ham it up as a the energized Nick, joyously eating a plate of spaghetti, is a lot of fun.) The episode ends on a disappointingly blunt note too. Nick kicks his new addiction just as quickly as it forms and saves the day with his returned abilities. The episode ends pretty much after that. It's a disappointing episode. [5/10]
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