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:

springwood ohio | serial teen murderer | dream | nightmare | freddy krueger | 

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Taglines:

If you think you'll get out alive, You must be dreaming.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nightmare 3 - Freddy lebt

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,880,555, 1 March 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Patricia Arquette.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 14 mins) In the alley scene with Taryn, Freddy's claw is clearly missing a blade on one of the fingers.

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Quotes

Dr. Neil Gordon: [when getting caught stealing a crucifix] Oh! I'm sorry, but I really need this. Here. Take my driver's license.

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Crazy Credits

The Grips from Hell

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Alternate Versions

Some gory shots were cut from the U.S. release to earn an "R" rating rather than an "X".

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Demons (1996)

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Soundtracks

Quiet Cool
(uncredited)
Performed by Jay Ferguson

User Reviews

Easily the best of the sequels

Dream Warriors is without a doubt the best Elm Street sequel. The first 2 dealt with just one main character against Freddy and everyone else thinking they're crazy. But of course, after a while people start realizing they're all dreaming about Freddy. And If he can use their dreams against them, they can also use their dreams against him. Brilliant!

This is where the deaths became more elaborate and Freddy started to spout out catchy one-liners. A lot of people resent this film for starting the whole 'joker Freddy' trend, but this has just the right amount of Freddy wit to still have him be scary and threatening, which really he is.

This is the most exciting, thrilling, imaginative Freddy movie of the bunch. You have to see it to believe it.

My Rating: 6.5/10