As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!
×
Did you know that Blu-ray.com also is available for United Kingdom? Simply select the
flag icon to the right of the quick search at the top-middle.
[hide this message]
Wes Craven's New Nightmare Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
It's nearing the 10th Anniversary of the film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and one of the stars, Heather Langenkamp is being scared by a voice on a phone, sounding very similar to the film's villain, Freddy Krueger. When Heather's husband is killed in a car accident and is discovered with slash marks on him, Heather starts to wonder something. Especially when she discovers that Wes Craven is writing another 'Nightmare' film. Soon, she realizes that Freddy has now entered the real world, and the only way to defeat him is to become Nancy Thompson once again.
For more about Wes Craven's New Nightmare and the Wes Craven's New Nightmare Blu-ray release, see Wes Craven's New Nightmare Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on February 17, 2013 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.
The A Nightmare on Elm Street series has been, and continues to be, one of the most stable, reliable, noteworthy, and simply entertaining
in the history
of Horror cinema and arguably even the best and certainly most instantly recognizable Horror franchise of them all. Though with a few down films
amongst the first six, the franchise proved a rousing success with fans and, by 1991, had
established itself as arguably the premiere series in Horror history. But it was time to let it go...for a while. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare is a pretty
straightforward title; it was to be the final film (as the name suggests), the proverbial nail in the coffin (not that some wood and nails would stop
Freddy; he ain't no
vampire), the closing of a
cinematic chapter, the end of a lucrative 1980s Horror era. But everyone knows that only dwindling box office returns can really kill a
Horror
icon. Though Freddy's Dead is arguably the worst in the series, it grossed enough to warrant a return of everyone's favorite Horror
antihero. The good news is that rather than continue to sink into obscurity at the hands of recycled plots and unoriginal developments, the
franchise was
returned to the more-than-capable hands of Creator Wes Craven, a man who recognized potential for something different and saw fit to take the
series in an entirely new direction in a movie that
asks: what happens when a Horror franchise comes to life and what are the effects it has on those real people with a history of playing someone else
in
a scary
movie?
Don't tell mom the babysitter's about to be dead.
Actress Heather Langnekamp (herself), years removed from her appearances in two of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, finds herself on
the set of the next Nightmare movie, uneasy with its blood and guts and desperately attempting to shelter her young son Dylan (Miko
Hughes) from the
violence. She's also on edge, nervous about a string of fairly powerful earthquakes hitting the Los Angeles area as well as a telephone stalker who
won't leave her alone. Dylan seems more and more detached, not himself, frightened by the monsters under the bed, his toy dinosaur all that
stands between him and a date with evil. Heather is pitched an idea for a new Nightmare film at New Line Cinema, the handiwork of series
creator Wes Craven. When people close to her begin to die, she rallies around longtime colleague Robert Englund (himself) in an effort to figure out
just what's happening. She soon comes to learn that an evil force is on the loose and that she may have to slip into character one last time if she is
to save herself, her son, and all whom she loves from a terrible demise at the razor-fingered hand from her past.
Brilliant? Maybe. Different? Absolutely. Worthwhile? Unequivocally. Wes Craven's New Nightmare plays with some wonderfully intriguing
ideas and builds itself into one of the preeminent cameras-fictionally-turned-around movies out there. It's a film in which real people play fictional
representations
of themselves dealing with the traumas incurred by their past performances as someone else and facing the reality of make-believe come to life. It
sounds complex, and on paper perhaps it is, but Wes Craven makes New Nightmare easy to grasp and a fabulously enthralling character
study blended with
classic Horror movie stylings. The film completely ditches the standby teenagers-in-peril plot (to which Craven would successfully return a few years
later with Scream, and there's a scene in New Nightmare that feels like
the catalyst for that film's famous Drew Barrymore sequence) and instead builds its story around a nearly perfect blending of the real and the
imagined. Craven juggles the two flawlessly; audiences are never left confused as to who is who, where is where, or what is what inside the movie,
even as fiction interacts with fact, as fantasy meshes with reality, as movie magic horror is mated with real terror in the real world. The movie is
devilishly fun, emotionally captivating, and psychologically satisfying all. It's not Craven's masterpiece -- it doesn't top the original in terms of impact
on the Horror landscape -- but it does inject the most novelty into the series since the first film and it remains perhaps the most fascinating picture
in
Horror history.
New Nightmare's faux open delivers a wonderfully rich atmosphere that's largely unique to the beginning (and, to an extent, the end) but
remains psychologically intense
and thoughtful rather than strictly visually so. Character development is rich and satisfying in every regard; the film certainly benefits from the
duality of its lead
character -- her "real" life intertwining with her screen life -- and the presence of other franchise icons from both sides of the camera in similar
positions effectively fill in
the film's
general structure and emotional base. The cast seems to capture some of the more complex and deeply-rooted emotions with ease --
dealing with an unpredictable fan base, paying the price of fame, facing the manifestations of fictional fear in real life -- perhaps because all, to some
degree, have battled them, or are at
least understanding of those realities which exist so close to them. That brings a welcome air of authenticity to the project, one it really needed to
work;
the audience believes from the outset that what they are seeing is real, and as the terror slowly grows into something more and manifests into
physical form and beyond harassing phone calls and mental instability, it feels like a natural progression rather than the doings of a detached,
unrealistic Horror film. Wes Craven again proves why he's one of the few, true masters of the Horror genre; New Nightmare is a brilliant
idea
that's well-executed on both sides of the camera, and it's a fitting way to really end the standalone Freddy films (not that anyone would
complain if Wes and his razor-fingered nightmare character came back for another go. Or two.).
Wes Craven's New Nightmare doesn't fare quite as well as the best Blu-ray releases in the series, but this is nevertheless a rather solid,
enjoyable presentation. It shows a little bit of softness and warmth throughout, but details and colors are nevertheless quite strong. The image retains
a very light grain structure and yields pleasing cinematic textures. Detail complexity isn't off the charts, but there's a pleasant amount of visible nuance
on faces, clothes, and general elements around the screen, whether in the fiery furnace seen at the beginning or within the confines of Heather's home
or New Line's offices. Colors, despite that slight push towards warm, enjoy good, pleasing tones and fine balance. Greens seen during a funeral, the
glossy brown coffin in the same sequence, the more bland hues in a hospital, or the inviting colors of Heather's house are all handled very well. Flesh
tones do show that
minor warmth, but black levels are just fine. The image displays very little in the way of banding, and there are no other major instances of other
evident
problems. Overall, a very good effort from New Line.
As with the other films in the series, Wes Craven's New Nightmare features an immersive and hard-hitting DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. This is a big, potent, exciting listen, its many dialogue scenes punctuated by some seriously aggressive bass and surround support. The
stage is very wide and fully immersive; from the opening moments on the film set forward, listeners are treated to a captivating sonic experience that
hits on all
cylinders. Ambient effects are natural and immersive. Heavy bass defines many action scenes and shakes listeners to their very core during
earthquakes that offer punishing but balanced and highly satisfying lows. A traffic scene in chapter 24 delivers a full-on surround immersion moment as
vehicles whip from one end of the stage to another. Such elements are enjoyed throughout, every time the action spikes above the spoken word. Music
delivery is accurate but big and wholly pleasing, delivering excellent spacing and fine clarity. Dialogue is smooth and evenly delivered from the center.
This is a fun, well-engineered track from New Line.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare contains a good collection of extras, highlighted by a high quality audio commentary with Wes Craven.
Audio Commentary: Director Wes Craven delivers a pleasing, well-spoken commentary. He offers a very nice blend of insights, including
the picture's story and themes, Freddy's redesign, anecdotes from the shoot, the cast and characters, shooting locales, technical details of the shoot,
and plenty more. While the overriding themes of the track are rather standard, Craven injects a flair, authenticity, and passion into the track that
makes it stand out above many others. A must-listen.
Becoming a Filmmaker (SD, 7:53): Wes Craven speaks on his background, career path, and breaking into film.
An Instant Troupe (SD, 0:51): Craven briefly discusses the first step in Horror filmmaking.
Two Worlds (SD, 2:04): Wes Craven speaks on the premise for the film and his response to the questions about the Horror movie
landscape.
The Problem with Sequels (SD, 1:35): Wes Craven shares his thoughts on joining this project and the problems with Horror sequels.
Filmmaker (SD, 4:37): Craven speaks on what it means to him to be a "filmmaker."
New Nightmare proves a much more fitting end to the standalone Nightmare on Elm Street series than the disappointing
Freddy's Dead. It seems a no-brainer for Wes Craven to come back and wrap up what he began only ten years later and with five films
sandwiched in
between. No surprise, he absolutely nails it. New Nightmare is entertaining, it's different, it's a new direction that gives fans what they want
even as it incorporates new ideas
that stray from the series standards while still maintaining all the important parts that make A Nightmare on Elm Street work so well. After the
first and possibly the fourth, this is the series' best and not one to be missed after Nightmare's official/unofficial "end." New Line's Blu-ray
release of
Wes
Craven's New Nightmare delivers solid video and audio. A nice array of extras are included. Highly recommended.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare: Other Editions
4K
1-disc
Blu-ray Bundles/Box Sets with Wes Craven's New Nightmare (4 bundles)
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to Wes Craven's New Nightmare. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to Wes Craven's New Nightmare in the search box below.
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
flag icon to the right of the quick search at the top-middle.
[hide this message]
Use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to Wes Craven's New Nightmare. You can also suggest completely new similar titles to Wes Craven's New Nightmare in the search box below.
