Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
Starring: Mark Patton, Kim Meyers, Robert Englund
Director: Jack Sholder
Synopsis: Freddy returns in gruesome form with a new set of crackling one liners
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

The first sequel to Wes Craven's classic nightmare fest came as quite a big let down to the considerable number of people who flocked to theatres to see it upon release.

Part of the reason for the disappointment was that expectations were way too high and people were expecting the sequel to top the dynamics of the original. The sequel doesn't even come close despite having a few memorable moments of its own. This time around, Freddy returns to wreak murderous revenge on the community that supposedly damned him by slowly taking possession of a young teenage boy who has recently moved into the same Elm Street of previous horrors. The lad who as is the norm for the series, suffering from persistent nightmares has Freddy take over his soul through his dreams. Once Freddy is able to do this, he forces the lad to commit the most horrendous atrocities around him.

The sympathetic support is played by an amazing Meryl Streep look alike who didn't seem to make it much further beyond this film. The film goes against horror convention and pays the price. The person cast to take on Freddy is not the usual teenage, nubile, virtuous and equally glamorous young girl, but a young lad who is a little bit less than the usual macho type.

Not only that, there are some seemingly startling references to gay culture and indeed sexual sub-culture along giving considerable weight to the theory that this is the "gay" Nightmare film among the many that were made. The director insists that nothing was done deliberately but also recognizes the fact that the film does indeed contain numerous references to gay culture.

On the whole though, the film fails to deliver and despite one or two good set pieces, doesn't manage to sustain enough interest. There are some good special effects and the opening bus scene though tacky sets the tone for the warped dream world that is inhabited by Freddy and his hapless victims. Very weak when compared to the original, it is still worth watching for the nifty effects and the strange gay undertones that the film may or may not contain. Not a classic by a long, long way but certainly not the worst of the Nightmare series as suggested by some. Try Numbers 6 or 7 for that dubious honour.