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

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Jack Sholder

Writers:

David Chaskin (written by) and
Wes Craven (characters)

Release Date:

1 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The first name in terror returns...

Plot:

A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by Freddy Krueger who is out to possess him to continue his murdering in the real world.

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Freddy Krueger | Nightmare | Teenage Boy | Neighbor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mark Patton	...	Jesse Walsh
Kim Myers	...	Lisa Webber
Robert Rusler	...	Ron Grady
Clu Gulager	...	Ken Walsh
Hope Lange	...	Cheryl Walsh
Marshall Bell	...	Coach Schneider
Melinda O. Fee	...	Mrs. Webber
Tom McFadden	...	Mr. Webber (as Thom McFadden)
Sydney Walsh	...	Kerry
Robert Englund	...	Freddy Krueger
Edward Blackoff	...	Biology Teacher
Christie Clark	...	Angela Walsh
Lyman Ward	...	Mr. Grady
Donna Bruce	...	Mrs. Grady
Hart Sprager	...	Teacher
Allison Barron	...	Girl on Bus
JoAnn Willette	...	Girl on Bus
Steve Eastin	...	Policeman
Brian Wimmer	...	Do-Gooder
Robert Chaskin	...	Bar-B-Que Boy
Kerry Remsen	...	Girlfriend
Kimberly Lynn	...	Patty
Steven Smith	...	Victim
Jonathan Hart	...	Spike

Directed by
Jack Sholder

Writing credits
David Chaskin		(written by)
Wes Craven		characters

Produced by
Stephen Diener	....	executive producer
Stanley Dudelson	....	executive producer
Michael S. Murphey	....	line producer
Sara Risher	....	co-producer
Robert Shaye	....	producer
Joel Soisson	....	line producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Jacques Haitkin
Christopher Tufty

Film Editing by
Bob Brady
Arline Garson

Art Direction by
Maggie Martin

Costume Design by
Gail Viola

Makeup Department
Wendy Hogan	....	assistant makeup artist
Daniel Marc	....	makeup artist
Bart Mixon	....	special makeup effects artist
Robin L. Neal	....	hair stylist
Mark Shostrom	....	transformation effects creator
Kevin Yagher	....	makeup and effects creator: Freddy Krueger
Kevin Yagher	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Rachel Talalay	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Whitney R. Hunter	....	second assistant director
Marshall D. Moore	....	third assistant director
Mark Shostrom	....	co-director second unit: transformation sequence (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Porche	....	boom operator
Ed White	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects
Richard Albain	....	special mechanical effects
Paul Boyington	....	special effects
Rick Lazzarini	....	special puppet effects creator
Ron Nary	....	special mechanical effects
Kevin Yagher	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Oded Beckman	....	miniatures
Paul Boyington	....	special visual effects designer and director
Richard Delaney	....	effects animator
Loring Doyle	....	effects animator
Bridget Endman	....	effects animator
John M. Gonzalez	....	live action
Paul Huston	....	miniatures
Darius Khadjenouri	....	miniatures
Ian Kincaid	....	live action
Michael Litterback	....	live action
Wes Takahashi	....	effects animator

Stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunt coordinator
Dan Bradley	....	stunts
Scott Alan Cook	....	stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	stunts (as Chris Doyle)
Marneen Fields	....	stunt performer
Frank Lloyd	....	stunts
Ray Lykins	....	stunts
C.J. McBeath	....	stunts
Denney Pierce	....	stunts (as Denny Pierce)
Ray Shaffer	....	stunts
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Gulbin	....	grips carpenter
Christopher Tufty	....	director of photography: additional photography

Other crew
John Blake	....	assistant: Mark Shostrom
Tom Calderaro	....	synthesizer programmer
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Wendy Cooke	....	assistant: Kevin Yagher
Earl Ellis	....	assistant: Kevin Yagher
Glenn Gaylord	....	assistant accountant
Bart Mixon	....	assistant: Mark Shostrom
Luc G. Nicknair	....	production assistant
Gregor Punchatz	....	assistant: Mark Shostrom
Anthony Showe	....	assistant: Mark Shostrom
Jayson Wall	....	film restoration coordinator (2002 restoration)
Don Wyse	....	fire safety

Production Companies

• Heron Communications
• Media Home Entertainment
• New Line Cinema
• Second Elm Street Venture
• Smart Egg Pictures

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (Canada) (VHS)
• Creswin Distribution (Canada)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Media Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video
• Video Treasures (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Communications Company

Also Known As:

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 (USA) (closing credits title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (re-rating 2005) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Mexico:C | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

1428 N. Genesee Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Heron Communications

Trivia:

This is the only film in the series not to use Charles Bernstein's original theme, or a variation of it.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening scene, the kids on the bus are seen standing up and walking towards the door while the bus is still moving. In the next shot, they are all sitting down until the bus stops.

Quotes:

Lisa: Jesse, help.
Freddy Krueger: There is no Jesse! I'm Jesse now!

Movie Connections:

References The Gold Rush (1925)

Soundtrack:

On The Air Tonight

Hey driver, that was my stop!

Freddy's Revenge is usually highlighted as the black sheep of the Elm Street films. For instance, the whole dream mythology that fuels the other chapters is absent. There's a guy in the lead role. The spooky fairy-tale music has been replaced with a spooky orchestral score. It's not as gory. Instead of the usual theme of staying awake to stay alive, here we have a tale of possession, as young Jesse struggles to keep the evil Freddy from taking over his body. Jesse is amiably played by Mark Patton, and his two best friends: his kinda girlfriend Lisa and (some might say) kinda boyfriend Grady, are also sympathetic characters. The character of Freddy is somewhere between the purely evil monster of the original and the wisecracking joker who would take over from the third film onwards, which means he's kinda scary and kinda funny. The violence has been toned down slightly: there's nothing as shocking as or as bloody as the two bedroom deaths in the original, though obviously this isn't a film for the squeamish! A spectacular transformation sequence an hour into the film has dated slightly thanks to its primitive (but still mightily ambitious) special effects, but it's still a gripping moment. Supporting performances are all good: Meryl Streep-whoops, I mean Kim Myers, is a likable heroine, and three cheers for Robert Rusler, one of the kings of 80's teen movies who always cheers up a film whenever he's around. The presence of Clu Gulager can't help but raise a smile: only a year before this film ago he was on absolute top form fighting zombies in Return of the Living Dead. He plays it totally straight here, though when he delivers lines like 'Birds don't just explode in mid-air' or 'Damn thing wasn't even plugged in', you wonder if there's a deadpan genius at work.

Brilliant, brilliant music throughout: I personally think the use of nursery rhymes or fairy tale music (used in all the other Elm Street films) in horror films is silly, it never works, it just sounds like it's trying too desperate to be innocent/creepy. Christopher Young's score here is elegant and sinister and a real highlight. The film is rarely terrifying (though there are some creepy moments), but it is extremely enjoyable, despite (or maybe because of!) its silly script, and because the acting is quite engaging for a film of this type. I personally like this film the most out of all the Elm Street films: the first one may be scarier, and the third one may be more insanely imaginative, but neither of those have the pacing, superior acting (seriously!)or the ability to provoke as much sympathy in its characters as this chapter.

PS: The funny stuff! The 'Help Yourself!' bit at the barbecue is pure gold! As is the bit where the bloke tries to climb over the fence only to be thwarted by fire, and then he's consumed by more fire! Poor bloke! The fact that that last bit happens partially offscreen and looks really tacky and cheap makes it funny, cos in theory, it's a bit of a horrible way to go, innit? Also, the opening and closing school bus bits are hilarious: pure bad-movie horror at its absolute best, and Freddy looks like he's having the most fun in the world! He's a scoundrel, isn't he? Admittedly, the ending here isn't as funny as the ending to the original, which wins the award for the most blatant use of a dummy EVER!!!