Hello again, horror fans. It is your friendly neighborhood GGA horror girl back with another faceoff between a classic and its remake. On the second Saturday of every month, there is a thrown down right here on Geek Girl Authority. The competitors? Horror movies and their remakes. Today, I bring you a match for the ages. In this corner, with knives glinting, the 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street, and in the other corner, the 2010 film of the same name. Let the fight begin!
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for both films.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street centers around a man named Fred Krueger (Robert Englund). The vicious killer terrorizes and murders teenagers in their sleep, one teen in particular, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp). As Krueger gets closer to claiming his primary target, working his way through her friend group, Nancy must rush to uncover the sordid truth. The teen’s parents have been hiding a terrible secret, and the facts may help save their lives.
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This film was written and directed by Wes Craven. Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp and John Saxon star. Fun fact, this horror classic was Depp’s first film.
Many horror fans love this movie, myself included. It is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Englund is an incredible actor. He perfectly embodied the vile Krueger, which was weird to see after his perfect portrayal of the mild-mannered Willie in V. The story is unlike previous movies with multiple unique qualities. The effects are incredible for the time. I only have one complaint. Throughout the film series, Freddy gets progressively more snarky and witty. I wish we could have seen more of that in the first movie. Also, some timed how long Freddy was in scenes, I forget the exact number, but I believe it was less than five minutes.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
The story for this one is essentially the same as the original, with a few tweaks. Overall, the changes are relatively small, but some are a strong point of contention among fans. However, there isn’t anything substantial to discuss as far as the story.
This version stars Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker and Kellan Lutz. Samuel Bayer directed the film, and Wesley Strick, Eric Heisserer and Wes Craven wrote the script.
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I have a lot of thoughts on this movie. This would be considered a good film if the original did not exist. However, since the other version does exist, the two are constantly compared. One of the biggest issues is the character of Freddy. The makeup is nowhere near as good as the original. Many fans do not like Jackie Earle Haley in the role. The way I see it, he did an excellent job with what he was given. He had to play the character the way it was written. Again, if we did not already have Robert Englund’s perfect portrayal, I think people would enjoy Haley’s work much more.
While I do enjoy this version for what it is, it can never compare to the original. I do not understand the hate it gets, but the 1984 movie is a classic for a reason.
The Winner
I think it is clear who the winner is here. So, without further ado, the winner of this Horror Originals vs. the Remakes is the one and only A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Both films are available to buy or rent on all major digital platforms. Which of these movies is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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