Fred's Dead...Now What?

As a kid, I think I was watching "People Under the Stairs" (1991) or something when the trailer for "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (1991) popped up with Freddy on the broomstick. "I'll get you my pretty and your little soul, too!" Yes, I laughed. I thought that was, sad to say, clever. Look, this sequel, once you grow up, feels very much like a tamer, desperate grasp for young teens, begging and pleading through cartoonish setpieces to embrace it. There's a Springfield, Ohio, town mentally wrecked because the kids are gone. Fred depleted the youth and the adults, teachers, carnival workers and attendees, former parents, all just lost in delusion and talking to kids not there. Teens from a clinic/shelter, a John Doe Fred uses to bring his adult daughter to him, and Zane, the daughter, looking to identify John Doe by taking him to Springfield all occupy the attention of Freddy Krueger in this sequel. So this sixth film was my actual introduction to the Elm Street films. It was important in bringing attention to the franchise after avoiding it in the 80s for the most part.

Before "Freddy's Dead" I had seen bits and pieces of other Nightmare films, quite documented on the blog, but the closing credits with Ziggy Pop asking why was he born into this world, featuring highlight clips from the franchise, my eyes were opened to all the wild and crazy antics of Fred Krueger and his nightmare reign of terror on the teenagers of Springfield. That set me on a journey, for sure. As it has many others.

Yes, this sixth film is a microcosm of what went ultimately wrong with the franchise and character, but there are fans of "Freddy's Dead" even if when you scan the user comments of IMDb, the plentiful 1/10s would seem to indicate otherwise. 

The emphasis on Fred looking right at us breaking whatever wall is left, his burn make-up no longer achieving the effects of those first two films, playfully gleeful and craving our giggles is so far removed from that sinister creep reaching out from the shadows, not concerned with making anyone else laugh, instead focused on terrorizing his prey, the dreamscape his lair. I think going through the series from start to finish you realize that transformation comes with audience approval. But too much can be detrimental. Still, there are those out there who really enjoy this Freddy. They find it mindless entertainment and perhaps can remove themselves from what Fred had been, embracing the supernatural comedian he eventually become. I get that; hell, I was once like that. He was such a kidder, even after choking his wife, as her body collapses in a heap to the ground, telling his baby girl not to tell anyone. You get a lot of Robert outside the makeup in the sequel, even at the end when hoping to trick his daughter outside his playground. Going inside Fred's mind was certainly different and this film returned the franchise to Elm Street, the killer's particular domicile.

The effects vary, with an iron warping a face ridiculously, Fred cutting fingers off that squirt green blood, a victim who never found out his identity falling onto imaginary spikes, a victim falling into a hell portal, and a head explosion. Once again Fred is often pummeled and kicked, but this time his daughter uses his own blade glove against him...and lit dynamite that seems to do the trick. Well, the pace is at least fast but no matter what Talalay and her team does, this time I just don't think the flaws and errors in judgment save the film. Certainly casting Roseanne and Tom Arnold, much less Depp's drug announcement, help matters. Nor a desperate Twin Peaks reference.

I will admit that I forgot about the Goo-Goo Dolls opening song which I find quite catchy. And, again, the closing credits saying goodbye to Fred bookend it well. And Robert Shaye, as a bus ticket counterman with a creep laugh, gets another cameo.