Let's get this straight: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master is NOT a horror film but some kind of teenage comedy flick (reminds me of Scream etc.). The film was a last second product and as far as I know they didn't even have a complete screenplay. The lack of time while shooting this movie and the incomplete story are evident. Ironically, this one did better than most of the other Nightmare-films at the box office.
After the enjoyably dark atmosphere of the first three Nightmare-films this one went in a new direction. Suspense and scares are non-existent. The film is (too) colorful which minimizes the suspense. The direction of Renny Harlin is pretty inventive but too restless for this kind of film and that's why the camera-movements create a feeling of rush instead of tension.
The acting is below average (except for Robert Englund, of course). It seems that they had to take the first actresses and actors they met to cast the film because of the lack of time. Why else would someone engage Tuesday Knight? Beside this the plot is more like an accumulation of holes and mistakes. There are several scenes in the film where the story jumps from one point to another without anything connecting the two situations.
Not everything is bad in this movie though. The special effects are (once again) outstanding and also different from the effects that can be seen in the other Nightmare-movies. Freddy's killing methods are pretty inventive too. The whole film is entertaining but not at all scary.
If you want to kill time then you might like it, if not: avoid. Just know what to except.
My rating: 5/10
After the enjoyably dark atmosphere of the first three Nightmare-films this one went in a new direction. Suspense and scares are non-existent. The film is (too) colorful which minimizes the suspense. The direction of Renny Harlin is pretty inventive but too restless for this kind of film and that's why the camera-movements create a feeling of rush instead of tension.
The acting is below average (except for Robert Englund, of course). It seems that they had to take the first actresses and actors they met to cast the film because of the lack of time. Why else would someone engage Tuesday Knight? Beside this the plot is more like an accumulation of holes and mistakes. There are several scenes in the film where the story jumps from one point to another without anything connecting the two situations.
Not everything is bad in this movie though. The special effects are (once again) outstanding and also different from the effects that can be seen in the other Nightmare-movies. Freddy's killing methods are pretty inventive too. The whole film is entertaining but not at all scary.
If you want to kill time then you might like it, if not: avoid. Just know what to except.
My rating: 5/10