A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER As the Nightmare On Elm Street cycle progressed into this fourth installment subtitled The Dream Master, it's clear that Fred Krueger's persona was shifting from the quintessential bogeyman we saw the first time around to a wise-cracking anti-hero with knives for fingers. Audiences loved it, and frankly, it worked. Future Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin gives us an effects-packed excursion into the surrealism of Wes Craven's original. Picking up shortly after the conclusion of Elm Street III, the surviving "dream warriors" have picked up the pieces and begun to lead normal lives again when Mr. Krueger comes knocking again. He quickly dispatches Kristen, Kincaid and Joey before targeting their classmates, a whole new playground for his brand of mayhem. But this time, Freddy faces a new adversary, a character named Alice, a plain- jane who inherits the strengths of each of her friends when they fall victim to Freddy. By the end of the film, this once-oafish girl is kicking some serious Freddy arse, ending in an effects bonanza and a crowd-pleasing finale. Of course, the filmmakers don't allow our boy to be finished off too easily, as the final scene suggests that Freddy the K may be paying another visit to Springfield soon. Remember, this was before the 90's, where the emphasis became "let's finish the killer off and END the cycle." In other words, The Dream Master was a part of the blissful 80's cycle of continuation, where each time we knew we'd get a new movie next year. God, what have we become? << Previous Review | Next Review >> Cast: Kristen Clayton .... Little Girl Tuesday Knight .... Kristen Ken Sagoes .... Kincaid Rodney Eastman .... Joey Nicholas Mele .... Johnson Lisa Wilcox .... Alice Andras Jones .... Rick Brooke Theiss .... Debbie Toy Newkirk .... Sheila Danny Hassel .... Dan Robert Englund .... Freddy Krueger Mickey Yablans .... Buddy in Locker Room Cheryl Richardson .... Girl Linnea Quigley .... Soul from Freddy's Chest Jody Montana .... Buddy in Diner L.E. Moko .... Lecturer Jacquelyn Masche .... Joey's Mom Joie Magidow .... Physics Teacher Joanna Lipari .... Nurse Jeff Levine (I) .... Paramedic Richard Garrison .... Doctor Duane Davis .... Jock Hope Marie Carlton .... Pin Up Girl Wanda Bursey .... Friend in Mourning John Beckman .... Coach Kisha Brackel .... Friend Brooke Bundy .... Elaine Pat O'Neal .... Student << Back