A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

I’ll be damned if anyone's going to challenge me on what I’m about to say, but us kids that grew up in the 80’s were the luckiest on the planet. It was a great time to be alive and no time period since has even come close to paralleling it, regardless of what anyone will say. We had the best television shows, the best music, the best video games, the best fashion (Wait, scratch that…lol), and most of all, the best fright flicks. There was an endearing cheesiness in them that, while at some point they were expecting to be taken seriously, always ended up in some campy terrain, miles and miles away from where the original intention of the film ever planned on going. This one was no exception, especially since it was supposed to ride on the coattails of its brilliant predecessor. 
  

I know that right now you might be thinking, Why is this guy reviewing a sequel when he hasn’t even touched on the original?, since I wrote the original Friday the 13^th’s entry on here before even saying a word about Part 2, but I was watching this a few nights ago, again (lol), and it’s been on my mind since. I have many fond early memories of this film, but more because of its advertising campaign since I didn’t actually get to see the movie itself until the early 90’s, once it was on home video. I won’t go into the details of my encounter with the original NOES because then I’ll stray from talking about this installment, as I watched both of these films for the first time within months of one another, but the first time I ever came into any sort of contact with this entry was during, if I remember correctly, the autumn of 1985, just as I had entered the seventh grade.

My first encounter with this was its 30-second television spot. There was already buzz on the junior-high playground regarding the first film as it was being dubbed “the scariest movie you will ever see” and the name of “Freddy Krueger” was already becoming a classroom-name and of course, I hadn’t had the chance to see it. One, because I was big fraidy cat at the time – though there was a strong stirring curiosity inside of me – and two, I had strict parents who would have never let me sit through something like this of their own accord. So by this time, the sequel had come around. What always stayed with me was the image of Jesse saying “There’s something inside of me!” and that was enough to creep me out back then and I couldn’t watch the TV spot after that as Jesse’s voice managed to always crawl up my spine and give me the chills. Little did I know that his now-famous scene – and subsequent line of dialogue - was a euphemism for something I would soon identify with well. Along with the image of Freddy jumping out from the bushes to terrorize the kids, the spot would be something I’d never forget.

One day the following summer while cruising the video rental section at the old Highway 83 location of the H-E-B grocery store in Weslaco , Texas , as the parentals were doing their shopping, I took a gander of the poster art of this for the first time. In the mid-80’s the H-E-B video department had a little newsletter of sorts where you could read about all the new releases – both at their stores and in the theaters – with little gimmicky offers and coupons inside the 8 ½ X 11 inch-sized advert. But, what I remember most is that when you opened the entire newsletter (as it was comprised of four full-sized pages put together), it folded out into an almost full replica of the poster art of whatever movie was being featured at the time. Though I did manage to collect a few of them, the ones that I will always remember are Ghostbusters – which was my favorite one of all – and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.

We all know the plot so I won’t go into it very much because I’m confident that at least a whopping 95% of you reading this have already seen it multiple times – I’ll actually be surprised if someone hasn’t seen this. A new family moves into the old Elm Street house where a young boy named Jesse is having visions of Freddy Kruger in his dreams. When his girl-friend Lisa (note the hyphenation) comes over and finds a diary belonging to Nancy Walsh from the first film talking about the same man he is seeing while he sleeps. What transpires is Freddy attempting to possess the body of young Jesse and having him commit crimes in the real world instead of people’s nightmares, as was laid out in the original NOES. As Freddy tries harder and harder to manipulate Jesse to commit violent acts in real-time on his behalf, the more Jesse tries to figure out exactly what’s going on inside of him and fight back. With the help of his friend Lisa, he manages to fight off Freddy once and for all. Or does he? That’s pretty much the basic premise of the film.

Now, I don’t want to sound like a total geek, but as you’re watching this you can’t help but Jesse as the first male scream queen. Boy, does that kid have a set of lungs. And he does it with such sincerity and energy that at some point, you have to admit that he can out-scream Jamie Lee Curtis on any given day. There hasn’t been a guy in horror history who has since matched the belts let out by this kid and I’m more than sure no one ever will. With his boyish good looks, blonde hair and blue eyes, there’s a sweet, innocent charm to him that you can’t resist and before you know it, you’ve fallen in love with him and are rooting for him for the duration of the film. Played with absolute flair by Mark Patton, you soon come to realize that Patton is Jesse, a sort of extension of himself in more ways than could have been known at the time. There’s a realness to him that comes off as if he were the kid next door you only came into contact with but never took the time to get to know, the friend you’d see in school from afar but never talk to.

I could go into more detail about other elements of this film because there’s a lot I could talk about, like how New Line put this into motion without Wes Craven’s participation because [Craven] didn’t like the idea that Freddy was manipulating someone to hurt people in the real world and that the original intent of the first film was to have a happy ending, but I know there’s one question you’re probably asking yourself right now: When is he going to talk about what he’s not talking about? And if you’re a regular follower and reader of this blog, you know exactly what that is.

Yeah, yeah, blabbity-blah, the gay subtext. There’s been much debate over the years among fans of the series regarding if everything we’ve seen and read about was all done with intentions in mind. All I’m going to say about that is watch the documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy and your questions will be answered. When I first viewed the film as a sophomore in high school just before Christmas Break let out – now that I think about it, why were we allowed to watch a horror movie in the first place? – and though I was a little scared…okay, I was scared plenty (there, I said it) – I didn’t get it until I watched it for the first time on video by myself almost five years later in the summer of 1993. Maybe because I was younger at the time and watching it with a bunch of teenagers who weren’t really paying attention to the movie anyway? Possibly because I was watching it all alone in the dark within a different atmosphere and a much different frame of mind? Let’s face it, just the beginning of the film in the scene where we’re introduced to Jesse for the first time where he wakes up, sits on the edge of the bed and adjusts his junk? That should have been my clue. As the film progresses, there are more and more clues as to where this films wants to subliminally lead you. Everything from the perfect casting of the obvious over-the-top hotness that is Ron Grady (slickly played by Robert Rusler) and the whole on-screen hunk-to-geek ratio that is practically irresistible, the scene where Jesse cleans his room and dances to the tune of the wonderful “Touch Me (All Night Long)” by Fonda Rae and Wish, to the (random!) scene in the S&M bar where Jesse runs into his coach and scene in the shower that follows. The latter immediately pose the questions, How did Jesse even know there was an S&M bar in his town?, How did he know where it was?, And how would he ever have known that his coach would be there?

If you really look at it from an “alternative” standpoint, Grady and the coach are key elements in the film when it comes to Jesse. Grady is the one boy - and friend - Jesse looks up to and though never stated blatantly in the film, you know Jesse had an unmistakable crush on Grady. And you have to admit that Grady not only knew, but was okay with it as he proved to be Jesse's protector and confidant. Jesse went to Grady for everything, including the times he was punished at school while on the field, and including the time when making out with Lisa at the pool party went wrong and Jesse flees to seek refuge at Grady's house. And to have Jesse arrive after bedtime and get to catch a glimpse of his friend under the covers, shirtless, and get the opportunity to share a bedroom with the object of his silent affection? Yeah, I thought so. And if you ask me, I think the coach had a stiffy for poor Jesse, which would explain why he always gave the poor boy hell. And I think Grady knew that, as well - why else would he defend him? And Freddy wasn't any help, either. And "Freddy" had to have been a metaphor for Jesse's repressed homosexuality. Freddy did his share of scaring Jesse, degrading him, telling him "You can't beat me" over and over again, adding to his pain. The whole "There's something inside of me!" statement not only makes perfect sense now, but it actually resonates and gives the entire film an entirely new meaning. Lisa urges him to fight it, which could be viewed as a message with a meaning much more profound than just a line of dialogue in the film, since Jesse - from what I perceive - was fighting feelings that were not only confusing to deal with but also having to life with the fear of said feelings being taboo and unacceptable at that time - which, if you grew up heterosexually-challenged in the 80's, you know exactly what kind of pain I'm talking about. The producers of the film claim that the subtext was not intentional at all but the writer claims otherwise - as stated in the documentary. But once you've seen it with all of those little hidden messages brought out to light, subsequent viewings have you trying to pinpoint them all - and they're all there. It's great discussion material and I was happy when it was a subject of conversation on the Elm Street documentary that's on DVD. If you're even a remote fan of the series, it's essential viewing. The documentary is over 4 hours long and covers everything regarding the entire series in its entirety, film by film. And though Grady doesn't make an appearance (sadly - as I'd love to see what he looks like now and hear his opinions on this), Jesse does and it's a wonderful highlight. 

If this isn't in your collection already, it sure as hell should be. I do admit that the film does have its flaws, but there's many reasons to overlook them. It's worth seeing time and time again and not only does it remind us of how great the eighties really were, but it's a reminder of how silent certain areas of society were and their silent plight to be seen, heard and ultimately, recognized. We're so used to certain groups of people being abundant and accepted in modern society, but it wasn't always that way and this film establishes that. This film opened up so many doors within the minds of us closeted boys. We got to see that we weren't the only ones struggling to fight feelings we knew hadn't been accepted yet and those pains of having to find ways to deal with them. I do consider this an important film in may respects just because the subject matter was dealt with in a manner that hadn't been done before. And if you've had the joy of watching this - as I know you have - you have to just love the final scene, where Jesse and his pals having survived the onslaught, get back onto the bus thinking that everything is over and that life is going returning to normal. Then, BAM!, from out of nowhere, Freddy's glove pierces through his friend and the camera freeze frames on Jesse's magnificent scream of doom. There will never be a scream in horror history as prolific as Jesse's final note of sheer horror. It's monumental, it's epic, it's one of the best the eighties had to offer.  

The Last House on the Left (1972)

There was an H-E-B grocery store on old Highway 83 that we used to frequent in Weslaco,Texas back in the late 80's. As all these little places did at the time, they had a small video rental section at the front of the store and it seemed like all of them silently competed to see who had the latest in horror films. Some titles were at specific stores and not others and every store you walked into had it's own little variety of what to offer. I remember picking up the box - which had the alternate art than what you see on the left, the picture of the dead girl lying in the palm of a giant hand with a house lit up behind it - and didn't know what to think of it. I don't remember feeling frightened or uneasy and I found that strange, even back then. I guess it didn't appear to me to be all that interesting. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening.

Flash forward to the winter of 1997, the Spice Girls were still trying to hold on to the U.S. chart, Good Will Hunting had been a smash in theatres, and my kid brother had taken up the notion to date a girl significantly older than he was. Though I scowled at that idea, I got to know her and we became good friends. Around the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we all decided to go out and rent some movies and hang out and as we looked through the store shelves, my brother pointed this one out to me. I wasn't keen on the idea of taking that one home and reluctantly, I motioned him to go ahead and take it. I mean, I may as well give it a looksie, since at this time, I was still naive of many the horror classics. We got home popped it in the player. One hour and thirty minutes later, my life as a horror fan was changed forever. I was sickened, repulsed, and outright shocked.

I bought this DVD when it was released uncut by MGM in 2002 (or was it 2003?) when I was living in Missouri and showed it to a friend of mine. She, too, was completely appalled. It went back on the shelf and was never heard from again. Last night, this precious piece of horror cinema was playing on Fear Net and my cousin, her husband, and I decided to give it a play. Why not? It was a cold Monday night and we didn't have to be at work the next day. They had never seen it before so I didn't say a word about anything that was about to appear on the screen. When the last bit of the credits disappeared from the screen, I sat there with my eyes closed. I had completely forgotten how powerful this film really is and how in this modern day and age, it still packs a wallop that many of the Hollywood remake trash being churned out recently wish they had. I will expand on that later.

Horror buffs know the premise: Two young girls, Mari and Phyllis are on their way to see their current favorite band, Bloodlust, in concert. While on their way, Phyllis gives the idea of scoring a bit of weed to make the whole night all that much better. They approach a young mentally challenged young man who takes them upstairs into an unknown building that is harboring a group of recently-escaped vigilantes led by horror villain, and fan favorite, Krug (David Hess). The two girls are taken out into the woods and humiliated and tortured on camera in ways never before seen on film. When I first saw this film, I was shocked. I'd never seen anything so brutal before, so unredeeming of itself. The scenes are so realistic in many ways and you have to actually tell yourself that you're watching that was created by someone else. The scene where Phyllis is disemboweled remains one of the most horrific I've ever seen in a film from that period of time. Most people who watch the film now argue about it's potency but always compare it to the films that were produced years after this was first shown. Nothing had ever been shown on the big screen like this back in the early 1970's. It was so controversial and yet groundbreaking at the time and you have to really imagine what it would have been like to sit in a theater in those days and watch the atrocities that were given to you here in a very visceral, full-force way. You actually feel sympathy for the girls - although it was their hunt for grass that got them into the predicament in the first place - and you could actually feel every cut, every drop of blood, every scream, every cry for help.

The filmmakers give the film a sense of doom that you don't find in motion pictures these days. Take for instance the scene where Phyllis appears to have outwitted Krug and his gang and comes up to the road at the end of the woods. Within yourself you feel a sense of relief and you really think the poor girl is going to make it. But when it all comes around and the gang of ghouls mount their violence on her with all they have, there is a sickening sense of dread that you feel within the pit of your stomach. And not many films have ever gotten me to feel that way. The scene where Mari is shot in the lake gives you that same sense of dread, like something or someone could have come to rescue them from an awful demise. But, keeping that in mind, let's move on to Act II.

The gang make their way to a house up the road from where Mari's body was left behind. They meet a husband and wife who, after playing on their sympathies, allow them to stay in their house. Little do they know they are the parents of poor Mari, and soon enough, Mom and Dad put two and two together and figure out just who these people are. The second half of the film is perhaps darker than the first act in many ways, seeing that now Mari's parents have vowed to take revenge. Everything leads up to the parents offing each of their daughter's assailants one by one in really surprising - and horrific - ways. It all comes down to the moral being that you never know what you're capable of in this life unless you're really put to the test. So many people have their opinions about this film and I've spoken with horror fans each with their own perspective on this one. There is a sheer brilliance behind everything seen on the screen if you really think about it. Craven himself knew that he was pushing buttons that people back in that day and age and hitting subject people probably weren't going to swallow very easily. You have to commend the man, though, for showing us real life and risking his own name - and the names of future horror-icons like Sean S. Cunningham and Steve Miner - and staying true to the message in the film.

What did it for me, though, was the brilliance and panache that David Hess brought to the picture. This man didn't play the part of Krug, he was Krug! There has never been a horror villain so brutal, so macabre, so fucking evil as this character and there hasn't been one ever since. This man is amazing in this movie and it makes you wonder how he prepared for the role of horror's most beloved and enduring villain. I've seen him in The House on the Edge of the Park, where he echoes Krug in a thousand and one ways, but this one will remain his magnum opus, the pinnacle of shallow, senseless, over the top brutality and hostility. If you get the MGM DVD, watch his on-camera interview and listen to him how he talks about not being able to go out into the streets for people pointing at him and actually thinking he was the real-life Krug. There was a realism and a frankness to his character and when he evil reaches the point to where he has his own son kill himself on camera, you can't help but love the bastard and loathe him at the same time. Others have tried to mimic the nuances of this character, but nobody has ever come close.

Did I enjoy this film? Absolutely not. Was this a good film? Positively, without a doubt, this is one of the most powerful films ever released. It is one of those films that drains the life out of you and causes you to have a sigh of relief once the end credits roll. It's overwhelming in some areas and it isn't for the faint of heart. Many films in this genre try to pass themselves off as 'the real deal', where in this case, this film can. There is a realism and a truth to it that you can't shy from. It's almost like watching a snuff film. You watch the screen and just can't believe what's going on. This is a true piece of horror history. I honestly feel that if this film hadn't been made and released, horror films as we know them just wouldn't exist. Someone had to push that envelope. Someone had to get the message across that life can be terrifying and horrific and I'm glad that Wes Craven and his pals had the gumption and the audacity to release this. I remember being deeply disturbed by this film when I first saw it. It stayed in my head for weeks and weeks and it was really hard to get it out of my brain. Now, tell me the last horror piece you saw that had that kind of effect on you?

I didn't think so.

Every horror connoisseur should already have this in their collection. The only version I own is the MGM DVD, but I'd really like to find the VHS version with the woman's body in that great big hand. If you haven't seen this, please see it before you go and watch the upcoming remake. Yes, there is going to be a remake. With that said, take a gander at this. You won't be sorry.

"Blow your brains out!"