A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

As well as the original theatrical trailer and a music video – 80s hair-metal band Dokken performing the theme song, Dream Warriors – the only other extra feature provided for the third instalment of the Elm Street series is Behind the Story, which is broken up into seven separate and very brief featurettes. Fan Mail is a minute long interview with TV chat-show host Dick Cavett (who appeared as himself in the film) talking about how his appearance in a ‘Freddy film’ impacted on his career and gave him ‘hip’ credibility with younger viewers.

Onward Christian Soldiers takes a look at the development of the film and how it was positively received upon release. Writer Bruce Wagner reveals that he and Wes Craven had been in talks to work on Beetlejuice and when that fell through, how they ended up working together on Dream Warriors. Craven discusses why he came back to the series and where he wanted to take it in terms of story/character development. They touch on studio interference, candidly chatting about how their initial ideas were much darker and how script rewrites bestowed the film with a much more mainstream appeal. Director Chuck Russell and co-writer Frank Darabont chat about their involvement and remember pitching their ideas to New Line. Rather amusingly they claim to take full responsibility for the increasingly comedic presentation of Freddy Krueger.

Russell and Darabont appear again on Snakes And Ladders to discuss working with a limited budget, the various battles they had with the studio in terms of filming certain scenes, and how they attempted to create and convey dream logic throughout the film. Rachel Talalay and Kevin Yagher also appear and, together with Russell and Darabont, discuss the special effects and make-up designs and how in hindsight, many of the effects (with particular reference to the giant Freddy Snake that terrorises and attempts to swallow Patricia Arquette) were quite sexual in appearance, thus imbuing the film with certain Freudian undertones. Amusing and really quite fascinating.

Trading 8’s features Robert Englund discussing the script rewrites and Freddy’s various one-liners; some of which he takes full credit for. That’s Showbiz has Englund sharing various anecdotes about working on the film, while Burn Out features brief interviews with John Saxon, who similarly shares anecdotes, and Heather Langenkamp who sweetly reveals that it was Wes Craven’s involvement with the project and her loyalty to him that lured her back to reprise her role as Nancy. Finally, The House That Freddy Built has Jack Sholder discussing the success the series brought New Line.

While fascinating insight is provided, it’s all done in around 20 minutes…