A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Wes Craven (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

She is the only one who can stop it... if she fails, no one survives.

Plot:

In the dreams of his victims, a spectral child murderer stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him.

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Nightmare | Freddy Krueger | Victim | Psychopath

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

John Saxon	...	Lt. Donald Thompson
Ronee Blakley	...	Marge Thompson
Heather Langenkamp	...	Nancy Thompson
Amanda Wyss	...	Christina 'Tina' Gray
Jsu Garcia	...	Rod Lane (as Nick Corri)
Johnny Depp	...	Glen Lantz
Charles Fleischer	...	Dr. King
Joseph Whipp	...	Sgt. Parker
Robert Englund	...	Fred Krueger
Lin Shaye	...	Teacher
Joe Unger	...	Sgt. Garcia
Mimi Craven	...	Nurse (as Mimi Meyer-Craven)
Jack Shea	...	Minister
Ed Call	...	Mr. Lantz
Sandy Lipton	...	Mrs. Lantz
David Andrews	...	Foreman
Jeff Levine	...	Coroner (as Jeffrey Levine)
Donna Woodrum	...	Tina's Mom
Shashawnee Hall	...	Cop #1
Carol Pritikin	...	Cop #2
Brian Reise	...	Cop #3
Ash Adams	...	Surfer #1 (as Jason Adams)
Don Hannah	...	Surfer #2
Leslie Hoffman	...	Hall Guard
Paul Grenier	...	Tina's Mom's Boyfriend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Richard Petersen	...	John, Kid in Classroom (uncredited)
Antonia Yannouli	...	Girl in Nancy's English Class (uncredited)

Directed by
Wes Craven

Writing credits
Wes Craven		(written by)

Produced by
John Burrows	....	associate producer
Stanley Dudelson	....	executive producer
Sara Risher	....	co-producer
Robert Shaye	....	producer
Joseph Wolf	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Charles Bernstein

Cinematography by
Jacques Haitkin

Film Editing by
Patrick McMahon		(co-editor) (as Pat McMahon)
Rick Shaine

Casting by
Annette Benson

Production Design by
Gregg Fonseca		(as Greg Fonseca)

Set Decoration by
Anne H. Ahrens		(as Anne Huntley)

Costume Design by
Dana Lyman

Makeup Department
Kathryn Fenton	....	makeup artist (as Kathy Logan)
RaMona Fleetwood	....	key hair stylist (as RaMona)
David B. Miller	....	special makeup effects artist (as David Miller)
Mark Wilson	....	makeup effects assistant
Louis Lazzara	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Mark Shostrom	....	foam latex technician (uncredited)

Production Management
John Burrows	....	production manager
Amy Rabins	....	production supervisor
Rachel Talalay	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nicholas Batchelor	....	first assistant director (as Nick Batchelor)
Peter C. Graupner	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Dorree Cooper	....	set dresser
Don Diers	....	art department assistant
Bill Kroyer	....	storyboard artist
Kara Lindstrom	....	assistant props
Michael Listorti	....	swing gang (as Michael E. Listorti)
Timaree McCormick	....	assistant props
Gavin McCune	....	swing gang
Barbara Metzenbaum	....	art department assistant
Mix	....	set carpenter
John Krenz Reinhart Jr.	....	construction coordinator (as John Reinhart)
John Stadelman	....	prop master
Craig Clark	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Cooley	....	sound re-recording mixer
James LaRue	....	sound mixer
Al Nahmias	....	sound editor (as Albert Nahmias)
Greg Nave	....	boom operator
Abe Nejad	....	assistant sound editor
Jess Soraci	....	supervising sound editor
Karen I. Stern	....	looping editor

Special Effects by
Tassilo Baur	....	special effects assistant
Charles Belardinelli	....	special effects assistant
Lou Carlucci	....	special effects assistant
Jim Doyle	....	mechanical special effects design
Peter Kelly	....	special effects assistant
Larry Lapointe	....	special effects assistant
Christina Rideout	....	special effects assistant
Jim Rynning	....	special effects assistant
Jamie Upham	....	special effects assistant (as James Upham)
William Guest	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Cynthia Brannon	....	stunts
Bruce Carson	....	stunts
Anthony Cecere	....	stunt coordinator
Anthony Cecere	....	stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Jeff Habberstad	....	stunts
Leslie Hoffman	....	stunts
Christina Johnson	....	stunts
Maggie Koehnen	....	stunts
Larry Phillips	....	stunts
Don Pike	....	stunts
Christina Rideout	....	stunts
Tanya Russell	....	stunts (as Tanya Lee Russell)
Paul Shaver	....	stunts
Jim Stern	....	stunts (as Jim Stearns)
Cindy Wills	....	stunts
Sandy Wilson	....	stunts
Debby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)
George A. Sack Jr.	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Adolph	....	best boy grip
Scott Buttfield	....	gaffer
Anne S. Coffey	....	first assistant camera (as Anne Coffey)
Stephen Crawford	....	gaffer: second unit (as Steve Crawford)
Nelson Elwell	....	grip
Rowdy Herrington	....	best boy electric
Warren Kroeger	....	grip
Cindy Lagerstrom	....	key grip: second unit
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Henning Schellerup	....	camera operator: second unit
Toni Semple	....	electrician
Thomas Vanghele	....	second assistant camera (as Tom Vanghele)
Craig Horwitz	....	set lighting (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lauren Roman	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Jensen	....	costume supervisor
Terence McCorry	....	costumer

Editorial Department
James Flatto	....	apprentice editor
Kevin Krasny	....	editorial assistant: Los Angeles
Alison Paul	....	apprentice editor
Valerie Schwartz	....	assistant editor
John Dowdell	....	hd colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Arciaga	....	music supervisor (uncredited)
Jeff Vaughn	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chuck Clarke	....	transportation coordinator
Brian Delahanty	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Stephen Abramson	....	production executive
Steve Cassling	....	production assistant
Lisa C. Cook	....	production coordinator
Lillian Fuentes	....	craft service
Steve Harris	....	production assistant
David B. Householter	....	set production assistant (as David Householter)
Sheridan Liu	....	assistant accountant
Anita Luccioni	....	assistant to producers
Steve McAfee	....	production assistant
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Jim Picciolo	....	animal wrangler
Craig Pointes	....	location manager
Wally Uchida	....	production assistant
Kathryn Weygand	....	script supervisor (as Kathy Weygand)
Benjamin Zinkin	....	legal consultant
John Burrows III	....	blood sweeper (uncredited)
Sean S. Cunningham	....	director: chase scene (uncredited)
Don Wyse	....	fire safety (uncredited)

Thanks
Sean S. Cunningham	....	special thanks (as Sean Cunningham)
Sam Raimi	....	special thanks
Jack Sholder	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema (presents)
• Media Home Entertainment (presents)
• Smart Egg Pictures (presents)
• Elm Street Venture, The (copyright owner)

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Artisti Associati (1985) (Italy) (theatrical)
• NEF Diffusion (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Astral Films Limited (1985) (Canada) (VHS) (with Media Home Entertainment)
• Image Entertainment (1985) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Media Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Lucernafilm - Gama (1992) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Elite Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• New Line Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2006) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• New Line Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Tele 5 (2006) (Germany) (TV)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (198?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (19??) (Canada) (VHS)
• Asso Film (video)
• CBS / Fox Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (19??) (New Zealand) (VHS)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RTL2 (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Video Treasures (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  opticals
• Cinopticals  opticals
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  production sound
• Gomillion Sound  looping and adr
• Leonetti Cine Rentals  grip and electrical equipment
• Magno Sound  sound re-recording
• Magnofex  sound editing
• Optical House, The  opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (2005 re-rating) | Portugal:M/18 | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (1984) | Singapore:PG (heavily cut) | New Zealand:R16 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (Alberta) (2010) | Italy:VM18 (DVD re-rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Mexico:C | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (2009) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1987) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

1419 N. Genesee Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

This was the second movie produced by New Line Cinema. The first was Alone in the Dark (1982), directed by Jack Sholder and starring Jack Palance. However the film was given a very limited theatrical release, and when it performed poorly and received bad reviews, it was released straight to video. As such, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was New Line's first genuine mainstream cinematic venture.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Freddy intimidates Tina by slitting off his own pinkie and ring fingers, but blood only spurts from the pinkie.

Quotes:

Nancy:[she notices Glen standing outside her window with mud-caked soles] Sometimes I wish you didn't live right across the street.
Glen Lantz:[holds one of his muddy feet up to her] Will you shut up and let me in? Did you ever stand on a rose trellis in your bare feet?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) (V)

Soundtrack:

Nightmare

Dated and very genre but still an effective low budget horror

When a group of friends all have similar dreams with a weird man in a dirty red and black jumper they just think it's a bit weird. However when one of them is brutally murdered by an unseen force while she sleeps, her boyfriend Rod is arrested for the murder. Meanwhile, Nancy falls asleep in class, only to find herself chased through her dream by the same disfigured man. When it becomes apparent that this is more than a dream, more of Tina's friends start to die

With seven or eight (who can keep track?) sequels under its belt, Freddy merchandising and the fact that the 'monster' has become almost a hero, it is hard to look back at this film with fresh eyes. This film is not the gory spectacle that teenagers with video recorders in their bedroom will have come familiar with over several flashy sequels; rather this is a low budget horror movie that is quite gory, quite scary and pretty effective. The plot is interesting enough and is better than the 'gore for gore's sake' that the sequels fell into – it's still not the most intelligent thing you'll ever see but it is still interesting enough. Of course it is about 20 years old now and it looks dated, an effect not helped by the way recent horrors have made fun of the things in here that have become genre cliché over the years. The downside of watching it now is that you expect it to be as 'big', 'gory' etc as the 7 or 8 sequels have progressively become – but it isn't, it's a lot more straightforward a horror than that.

Despite this though it is still a good horror movie – low budget but yet with effective effects and a monster that has grown larger than the series itself. The cast all fit into the requirements of low budget horror, that is to say they can't really act and just scream lots. Langenkamp is a good example and, accordingly, she has done little since this film of any high caliber. Wyss, Garcia and even Depp are all pretty wooden and just fit in with the genre. Saxon puts in a better performance but even then it is only comparable. Englund is actually in the film a lot less than you would expect and, as a result, makes more of an impact. He would later take his Freddy to the level of cartoon character or celebrity (as shown in the New Nightmare) but here he gets his horror character just right – a monster.

Overall this is a good low budget horror but it is one that is difficult to view now without looking back and seeing it as the start of a long horror series that producing a character that has even moved beyond the constraints of his own film. The best way to enjoy this is on its own terms – it is not a massive horror series, it is a single low budget horror movie from the mid-eighties; as such it suffers from the usual genre flaws from the period but it also delivers the goods in terms of scares and gore. It may not be as gory or as knowing as some of the later sequels but it does what it originally intended to do – scare and thrill.