Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in (Wes Craven’s) New Nightmare (1994), which finds director, Craven, and actors Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund all portraying themselves. As Heather considers making another film with Craven, her son, Dylan (Miko Hughes), falls under the spell of the iconic disfigured villain Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Eventually, Langenkamp must confront Freddy’s demonic spirit to save Dylan’s soul.
Time for a third dip into Wes Craven’s oeuvre, but this one is technically our second film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. With Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), Craven was coming into his stride as a credible filmmaker which he went on to further prove in his follow-up Scream (1996). Join us as we discuss the good and bad of this very unique film, including the meta-ness of actors playing themselves in a fictional story, fewer one-liners and more horror, and the overall fun of seeing the original team together once again. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys goes to 1990s Los Angeles, where dreams may come true, but earthquakes and familiar nightmares still dwell.
