Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

RELEASED IN 1991 and directed by Rachel Talalay, "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (aka "A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: The Dream Lover") focuses on the last survivor of Freddy's vengeful assaults on the teens of the parents that vengefully killed him in Springwood, OH. The amnesiac (Shon Greenblatt) finds sanctuary at a home for troubled youths where three of the kids plan to escape (Lezlie Deane, Breckin Meyer & Ricky Dean Logan). Dr. Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane) takes John and (inadvertently) the three escapees to Springwood to find answers where they discover that Freddy had a child whom he wants to use to continue his murders. Who is his child?

The element concerning the halfway house for messed-up kids is borrowed from "Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning" (1985), but "Freddy's Dead" isn't as effective because (1.) the characters aren't as interesting, (2.) the plot is convoluted, and (3.) the female cast is inferior. Don't get me wrong on that last one, because Lisa Zane is stalwart and Lezlie Deane (as Tracy) is formidable. Deane, incidentally, was a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (fired after six weeks for punching a choreographer) and went on to perform with the lipstick-lesbian band Fem2Fem in the mid-90s (big surprise) and, later, Scary Cherry and the Bang Bangs.

In light of the complicated story, this sixth installment might play better with repeat viewings. It's likable and worthy in some ways, but it's (currently) my least favorite of the first six films in the "Nightmare" series.

THE MOVIE RUNS 89 minutes and was shot in Sierra Madre & Los Angeles, California. WRITERS: Michael De Luca (screenplay) and Talalay (story). ADDITIONAL CAST: Yaphet Kotto plays a counselor at the shelter.

GRADE: C+

Yes this is a bad movie for the horror generation but it was more like a comedy spoof to me. I saw for this movie for gender part comedy, damn right it is. It has a bunch of cheap but funny one liners so thats why i'm not taking this movie seriously.

We've saved the best for last, yeah that defiantly false advertising. I mean come on, the last 2 were awful you know this one's gonna be bad. The first one was a masterpiece and then by part 3 or 4 they were turned into comedies and Freddy's Dead is by far the funniest of them all.

So this is my review of Freddy's Dead a cheesy yet funny movie and that is why i'm giving it a 5/10

freddy's dead, jason goes to hell, mikey gets a razor in his candy?

this is the ultimate WTF? film. the beginning alone, with the map, and the computer stuff across the country, WTF?!? no returning characters, WTF? freddy riding a broomstick from wizard of oz, WTF?

some redeeming qualities: i don't like to know too much in horror stories, it's part of what makes them spooky, we learn too much of freddy here, though the flashbacks are well done, like the razor/pain thing

freddy has a daughter and that's why he went nuts, but we haven't heard of it until now, WTF? tom and rosey, WTF? that town is supposed to be where the last 5 films took place? WTF? demon ghost skulls? WTF? 3D (and i still have my 3D glasses from the theater), WTF? cheap excuses to amaze us in 3D??? WTF???

but... alas, it is fun to watch, and ultimately degrades the original and cheapens the franchise, but it is entertaining, a true guilty pleasure flick... though, why does it kill him here and not when nancy does it???

series rating: 2/10 guilty pleasure rating: 7/10

You may think I'm exaggerating. But I'm not. FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE is by far the worst in the series. Its am big fan of the Freddy movies and this finale to the saga is just plain insulting. I might even call it one of the worst movies not only of 1991, but in cinematic history. It's a mess beyond wildest proportions. The look of the movie is just unsightly. It's acne. It looks like the work of a really low budget student filmmaker. The cinematography is ugly, the whole production design is a junkyard. The plot of the movie is retarded. The characters in the movie have no color and we have no sympathy for them. There just dumb teenage stereotypes. Freddy isn't much of a villain in this movie. His murder sequences are played for laughs, but they aren't funny. We get the odd feeling that Freddy is aging and that he can't be too evil and domineering or else he might get a bad back. He's a wuss. And the special effects. There aren't many in this movie. It's like the director said " OH! WE DONT NEED A SPECIAL EFFECTS TEAM! LET'S JUST MAKE THE LAST TEN MINUTES OF THE MOVIE IN 3-D TO COMPENSATE! " The Freddy-Vision 3-D sequence is laughably bad. I found the Fox TV MOVIE REVENGE OF THE NERDS: NERDS IN LOVE's 3-D sequence more visually stunning. When the main character first puts on the special 3-D glasses that will enable her to enter Freddy's brain, she begins to see everything in 3-D and puts her hand into her face with amazement. Is it just me, but even without her glasses on she'd able to see things around her in the third dimension anyway. OH MY GOD! We're suppose to believe the main character is entering Freddy's thoughts. There is a scene in the 3-D sequence where the Lisa Zane character has to break a circuit in Freddy's head to get into a door...Since when did anyone have electrical fuse box sitting in their brain. it's just gets suckier and suckier..it's depressing. The finale in FREDDY's DEAD when Freddy actually dies is the most disappointing, insultingly dumb ending you'll ever see! He dies in a basement of a youth shelter and he explodes from a stupid pipe bomb. HOW CHEESY IS THAT??!!! I CAN'T GO ON HOW MUCH I HATED THIS MOVIE! IT'S GETTING ME SO MAD..I just feel like strangling the head of New Line Cinema for taking 90 precious minutes out of my life that I will never get back.

Well, I hate to spoil the movie for you but Freddy dies in this one. For what should've have been a grand finale to the series ends up only okay at best. The body count is low and there is just general goofiness all around. Freddy is a joker, and is not threatening at all. I suppose this makes some sense, because with all the power Freddy had it would only take a matter of time before he got so cynical in his killings. Just getting the job done, and having a good laugh while at it.

Since the series has been such a success, there actually is a budget on this and there's good Special Effects. But even with all the effects, it'll be the clever camera tricks that will have you thinking "how'd they do that?" There are only 3 deaths but they are pretty good and creative ones at least. In part 5 a kid is sucked into a comic book, in this one a kid is sucked into a video game. The results of this are way better than in part 5.

Then there's the plot- which is stupid. But at this point in the Nightmare On Elm Street series, you can't expect anything good. It's reached the point of campiness and for some reason I just went with it in Freddy's Dead. It's a goofy, somewhat enjoyable flick that I'm sort of on the fence about. It's not scary at all but it will keep you entertained, unlike Parts 2 and 5.

My Rating: 5/10