10/21/22 – OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE PICK #21 – Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

This weekend it’s all about our boy, Freddy Krueger. Why, you say? Well, why not? It’s always a good time for Freddy. Besides, I have my reasons. Recently I revisited the entire Nightmare on Elm Street series, rewatching every film. And even though I’ve always loved them, I really rediscovered my love specifically for a few of the sequels. After the original Nightmare, Dream Warriors has always been my favorite of the sequels. Here is the brief IMDB synopsis:

A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether Nightmare Part II was a misstep or not. Hell, there was even an entire documentary made about it. But whether you liked the direction that one went or not, I say in the end it doesn’t matter, because for me, Nightmare Part III is where all the real Nightmare insanity starts anyway, for me at least. It’s also because this is a pure continuation of the original, even bringing back Nancy (Heather Langenkamp). This movie has everything that I consider FUN about the Nightmare on Elm Street series. This is the first one where we’re introduced to the specific types of “talents” or “obsessions” from the potential victims. Each dreamer has a tailored trait that Freddy of course uses against them. The one that always sticks out to me is the girl obsessed with being a TV actress (queueing up probably Freddy’s most famous line). You’ve also got Patricia Arquette in her very first movie, John Saxon comes back for a bit, and even Lawrence Fishburne has a bit role. This movie has everything AND a giant Freddy worm! What else could you want! I’m telling you give this one a revisit and you’ll find yourself having way more fun than you remember.

Where to Watch: Streaming on HBOMax and Tube.

Food/Drink Pairing: A tray of bad hospital food and a sleeping pill.