A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Wes Craven (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Nightmare | Freddy Krueger | Death | Victim

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

John Saxon	...	Lt. Thompson
Ronee Blakley	...	Marge Thompson
Heather Langenkamp	...	Nancy Thompson
Amanda Wyss	...	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
James Upham	....	special effects assistant
William Guest	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Cynthia Brannon	....	stunts
Bruce Carson	....	stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunt coordinator
Tony 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

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)
• Succéfilm AB (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1985) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 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)
• New Line Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Tele 5 (2006) (Germany) (TV)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Lucernafilm - Gama (1992) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (198?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (19??) (Canada) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Asso Film (video)
• Astral Films Limited (1985) (Canada) (VHS) (with Media Home Entertainment)
• CBS / Fox Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (19??) (New Zealand) (VHS)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• RTL2 (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Video Treasures (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  opticals
• Cinopticals  opticals
• Glen Glenn Sound  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

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 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Mexico:C | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | 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:

In the original Script, Freddy's sweater was red and yellow. In an interview for Hollywoodgothique.com, Craven notes this was an homage to Plastic Man, who, as with Krueger, could change shape; the audience was clued in to Plastic Man's presence by the fact that whenever he assumed an object's form, the object would always be red with a yellow strip. Therefore, whenever Freddy changed form, he would be recognizable due to color pattern.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Freddy is on fire you can see the fire protective mask he's wearing, and it is obvious that it is a stunt double in fire protective clothing.

Quotes:

Tina's Mom: You okay, Tina?
Tina Gray: Just a dream, Ma'.
Tina's Mom: Hm, some dream, judging from that!
[Tina looks down to see that there are four tears in her night-gown]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Freddy VS Ghostbusters (2004)

Soundtrack:

Nightmare

The Best Horror Film of the Last 20 Years

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" is so original, realistic, and overall terrifying that it is easy to overlook the film's numerous shortcomings. The film deals with a deceased child molester who now lives only through the dreams of the children of those who cooked him to death. Robert Englund is truly frightening as Freddy Krueger, a dark figure whose only purpose is to kill all the siblings of his killers. The knife-styled finger glove has become a trademark of this amazing character who was created by writer-director Wes Craven. The film goes for suspense, drama, and gore and delivers for the most part. None of the characters are developed very well, but most do not live to see the end of the film so it really does not matter. A great horror film that still delivers today. Ignore the endless sequels, they each detract from this truly original and interesting film. Look for a young Johnny Depp as one of the unlucky teens. 4 out of 5 stars