Fowler's Frights 2015: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Starring: Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, Danny Hassel
Directed by: Renny Harlin


I initially said that I would review 3 of my favorite horror series this month, but after hitting a creative wall, I'm bringing it back down to 2. 3 just was adding a lot of spare time that I don't have and with the 2 franchises I've been doing, there's a greater amount of continuity in my choices. With that in mind, let's talk about the success of Nightmare 3. Bringing in tons of revenue and solidifying Freddy Krueger into a pop culture icon, New Line Cinema went into full force on the Krueger brand and production began for A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. Tying to the events in Dream Warriors, the fourth film in the series continued with some of the core cast members from the previous film, while introducing a fresh batch of characters, all tied together with the dream-like atmosphere that Freddy flourishes in. It's in this film that Freddy crosses over to the anti-hero role, becoming a recognizable mascot of the franchise as opposed to a truly horrifying villain.

Director Renny Harlin wanted Robert Englund to play Freddy Krueger as if he was the James Bond of the horror genre, and you can really see that in Englund's performance. He's much more laid back and humorous in his delivery, while still being menacing. He's the thing we're here for at this point, and the rest of the characters become a body count for him. Freddy shows up, kills his victims, says a punchline, and his fans erupt in applause. It's a great formula to use when it comes to making these movies.

The characters that Freddy stalks are generic, but still likable. Each has their own unique character feature that makes them stand out, like one having asthma, one linking martial arts, one hating bugs, and so on. We see Kristen return, but she's played by Tuesday Knight this time. She's nowhere near as good as Patricia Arquette was, and she's thankfully not the main focus. The main heroine status has been passed on to Alice, played by Lisa Wilcox. She's pleasant enough of a character, but could stand for some acting lessons on how to properly emote. Then again, she's not why we're there. We care about Freddy Krueger and the dream world.

The dream stuff is pretty unique in this movie. They are very elaborate (except for Rick's, but that was due to budget constraints) and can range anywhere from comedic to complete gross out. There's a scene involving turning a character into a cockroach. If you hate bugs, you'll absolutely cringe. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master also approaches the concept of Alice inheriting the major traits of her friends after they've been killed in their dreams. She takes them with her as she battles Freddy in the finale. It's a concept like this that makes you question the title. Who is The Dream Master? Is it Freddy Krueger? Or is it Alice? Watch for yourself and decide.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

If you like the elaborate dream sequences and Freddy Krueger's comedy, then this one is a fun watch. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is the start of Freddy's descent to pure comedy, but the highlights (the cockroach scene specifically) outweigh the gripes.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and movie images are copyrighted by New Line Cinema