A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.

Director:

Chuck Russell

Writers:

Wes Craven (story), Bruce Wagner (story)

Stars:

Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Craig Wasson

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Heather Langenkamp	...	Nancy Thompson
Craig Wasson	...	Neil Gordon
Patricia Arquette	...	Kristen Parker
Robert Englund	...	Freddy Krueger
Ken Sagoes	...	Kincaid
Rodney Eastman	...	Joey
Jennifer Rubin	...	Taryn
Bradley Gregg	...	Phillip
Ira Heiden	...	Will
Laurence Fishburne	...	Max (as Larry Fishburne)
Penelope Sudrow	...	Jennifer
John Saxon	...	Lt. Thompson
Priscilla Pointer	...	Dr. Elizabeth Simms
Clayton Landey	...	Lorenzo
Brooke Bundy	...	Elaine Parker

Storyline

Picking up where the original Nightmare left off, Nancy has grown up and become a psychiatrist specializing in dream therapy. She meets a group of children at a local hospital facing Freddy Krueger, the same demon she once encountered in her sleep. One of them is Kristen, who has the power to draw other people into her dreams. Working with a male doctor assigned to the case, Nancy helps the kids realize their special abilities within the nightmare world. When Freddy captures one of her charges, she leads a rescue attempt into Krueger's domain, in hopes of putting his spirit to rest once and for all.

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | nightmare | dungeons and dragons | springwood ohio | mother daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

If You Think You're Ready For Freddy, Think Again!

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Wes Craven, the idea for the mental hospital treating the Dream Warriors was not just some riff on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), but instead inspired by real-life establishments, "At that time, there was kind of a movement of such places that even advertised on television, 'Send us your troubled child, and we'll make them okay', and, essentially, they were like prisons, or insane asylums."

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Goofs

(at around 1h 10 mins) When the characters appear in the quiet room with Kristen and the camera dollies toward them, you can hear the sound of the crew members' feet as they push the camera along.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elaine Parker: Are you crazy? You'll wake up the whole neighborhood.
Kristen Parker: Hi, Mom.
Elaine Parker: Don't "hi Mom" me. What are you still doing up? It's past 1:00.

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Crazy Credits

A text before the opening credits starts reads as follows: "Sleep. Those little slices of Death. How I loathe them" -Edgar Allan Poe-

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Alternate Versions

In the original version of the film (theatrical release and video), the nurse takes off her uniform and she's topless. In the TV version she's wearing a bra.

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Connections

Featured in Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019)

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Soundtracks

Quiet Cool
(uncredited)
Performed by Jay Ferguson

User Reviews

One of the Best

This is one of the best movies in the series. I like the first movie the best but this is probably number two to me. Great scares, Englund is fantastic as Krueger. The acting is good. Good writing. Everything you would hope for in a movie like this!

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,880,555, 1 March 1987

Gross USA:

$44,793,222

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,793,222

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Heron Communications, Smart Egg Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 88 min (cut) 90 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby (DVD re-release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1