Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15702 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-25
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nightmare on Elm Street is the only Elm street film that falls into the "really scary" category. A dead murderer returns in the dreams of the children of his old enemies, and torments them. Wes Craven tamps down the humour that would overtake the films and goes all out for shivers. There are several memorably surreal horror sequences involving tongued telephones and bottomless baths as Craven's unhealthy imagination runs riot. With Heather Langenkamp as the plucky Nancy, John Saxon and Ronee Blakely as her dim bulb parents, Amanda Wyss and young Johnny Depp as teen victims, and Robert Englund as "Fred" Krueger. -- Kim Newman

Special Features
16:9 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Jump To Nightmare Scene Navigation
Cast And Crew
Original Theatrical Trailer
Commentary
English

Synopsis
A hellish, razor-fingered monster enters the dreams of the teenage residents of a bucolic town and systematically slaughters them in their sleep--until one courageous young woman does battle with the predatory fiend. An excellent, surprisingly surrealistic genre entry from the master, Wes Craven.

Customer Reviews

Probably Craven's best!!!
Ok, so this is never going to be recognised as one of the greatest films of all time but it certainly is probably one of the best and original horror films of the last 20 years. With Freddy Krueger, Wes Craven created the most famous film "Boogeyman" of modern times, with the infamous red and green sweater, the hat and of course, not forgetting THAT glove! The film itself centres around a group of teens who all begin to have the same nightmare about being stalked by a horrificaly burned man, with a glove with long sharp razors on the end. Then, in real life, dead bodies begin piling up. Before long, one of the teens realises she must confront this night demon before she ends up the next victim! Very, very dark, genuinly scary and very gory and violent, this is probably Craven's finest hour and while the acting isn't always first rate(apart from Robert Englund who is excellent as the demonic Freddy Krueger), the film is fast paced and really exciting. Watch out for the film debut role of Johnny Depp, as one of the nightmare plagued teens.

A genre landing movie
Nightmare on Elm Street - a true horror movie. Not only is this film a masterpiece but it introduces the infamous horror icon Freddy Kreuger. Freddy is a vile, disgusting, horrible, nasty, piece of work, which Craven has simply hit the nail on the head with. Freddy is a child murderer who was killed by the parents of Elm street but has came back to terrorise the children in the form of their dreams - or in this case, nightmares. The film scares the audience but leaves them wanting more, something which horror movies to date fail to achieve. Scences such as the tounge phone call and the bottomless bathtub have chilled audiences world wide. And the film has also probably one of the most best death scenes in horror to date. I'll let you find out that yourself. However, when it gets to something like Nightmare on Elm Street 37 the film becomes a pardoy of itself. And when you have got Freddy Kreuger rapping with three enormously obese black guys it becomes slightly less effective. However, Craven only directed the first and the last so he gets clear recognition for this work of horror art that has been terrorising our minds for years.

A masterpiece of americanized fear
A classic that will have a long line of descendants. All the necessary elements are there to make a blockbusting horror film, a phenomenal scary movie. It concerns teenagers that are definitely in between desire and sex, both creating and nourishing in them fear and insecurity. The main characters are girls who are even more insecure and more fragile in their sexual fantasms and fears. Then the film systematically blurs the limits between reality and dream, reality and nightmare. It is one fundamental human fear that has been with humanity since the first homo sapiens ever appeared on this earth : the fear that what you imagine or just plain see in your mind may be just as real, even if virtual, as reality. Virtual reality is the other side of the living coin and it is so simple to toss it over. Then you get into smaller elements like underground airless and lightless corridors. Nerverending furnaces that leak and steam around. Snakes, bugs and other creepy crawly monsters. Then the film can center its focusing eye onto the essential element that is going to shine bright on the background of fearful and frightening people and objects. It is the four long razor sharp metallic claws or nails that this Fred Krueger wears on his right hand. This handful of claws, this handful of expanded and deadly nails is the ultimate fear in itself : the hand that can crush you, choke you, strangle you, seize you, grab you, etc. The claws that can tear, cut, scratch, perforate, and do so many other actions. Then you just have to add some blood, some metallic shine, some rust, and some sharp sound and the trap is ready and your soul can fall in the hole and it does at the bottom of a bathtub or in the middle of a bed. Then the film is a neverending story. It is when you think you have vanquished and gotten rid of your worst fear that it reappears and promises you a new episode round the corner of the very first street you will cross. And you may find out that your own mother, with a little help of her friend, the hard liquor bottle, is the very accomplice of this frightening monster, boogeyman, tommyknocker that will come back, that's a promise. This first film in this long series of seven is the very archetype of what a nightmare fantasy can be. It is a masterpiece and you will be shaking with anticipation till you can watch the next one.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne