Eye For Film >> Movies >> A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) Blu-Ray Review
A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge
Reviewed by: James Gracey
Read James Gracey's film review of A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s RevengeNot many extra features accompany Freddy’s Revenge, but the ones that do, while all very brief (none run over five minutes), provide insight into the origins of the production, the make-up effects, the strange sexual subtext, and its reception as a sequel to Wes Craven’s original classic.
Heroes and Villains includes interviews with head of New Line Bob Shaye, who talks about how the success of A Nightmare On Elm Street prompted New Line to rush a sequel into production, director Jack Sholder, who chats about how he got involved, the direction he wanted to steer the film in, the glorification of Krueger as an anti-hero and the importance of the death scenes throughout the series, as well as in slasher movies in general. Wes Craven also provides a candid response to why he decided not to direct Freddy’s Revenge. Psycho Sexual Circus takes a brief look at the homoerotic and sexual undercurrents rife throughout the film, and features interviews with producer Rachel Talalay, director Jack Sholder and actor Robert Englund.
The Male Witch is a fascinating, but too brief interview with make-up designer Kevin Yagher, who discusses his involvement, how he created the Krueger make-up and what his inspirations were (the clue is in the title).
Freddy on 8th Street takes a look at how the film was promoted and features interviews with publicist Jeffrey Wells, who reveals how he came to be ware of the burgeoning cult appeal of Freddy Krueger, and how he was able to tap into it to promote the film. He cites the Rocky Horror Picture Show sing-alongs as an inspiration. Englund, who describes Freddy as being a ‘logo’ for the series, also features, reminiscing about the time he joined a Halloween parade in New York City, in full Freddy regalia and make-up, and the astounding reaction he received from fans.
Finally, we have the original theatrical trailer.
Reviewed on: 04 Oct 2014