The Bar

Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Patricia Arquette, Laurence Fishburne

Director: Chuck Russell

Writer(s): Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner

Studio: New Line

Rating: R

Official Bar Score: 

This third installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street Series was definitely the pinnacle of the Kruger flicks, at least until Freddy Vs. Jason, but that doesn’t really count. Our story begins with a young woman named Kristen (Arquette) who is suffering from nightmares of the Kruger (Englund) variety. After a suspected suicide attempt, she is committed to a mental institution by her mother where she meets up with several other teenagers who had been committed for the same reason; these recurring horrific nightmares.

Enter Nancy (Langenkamp) from the first film, who has just taken a position as a research psychologist at this hospital, and sets out to help these kids defend themselves against Freddy. She does this by helping them all unlock the powers they possess in the dream world; extensions and idealizations of who they are in real life, oftentimes with their real-life weaknesses becoming ultimate strengths in the dream realm. They each discover unique talents that they can use to fight against Freddy’s nocturnal tyranny, with none perhaps as important as Kristen’s, as she has the ability to pull other people into her dreams.

Despite their best efforts, however, they begin to be killed off by the immortal Springwood Slasher one by one, until eventually one of them is captured by Freddy and held hostage in the Dream World. The crew enters the dream world together to get back their friend who had been captured. What follows is an amazing trip through the dream realm and a heated battle between good and evil that costs Nancy and her father (Saxon) their lives. As the final showdown takes place in the dream world, the doctor (Craig Wasson) who had been working with Nancy in helping these kids manages to successfully consecrate the grave where Freddy’s remains were buried which ripped him from the dream world and saved the remaining Elm Street children. The menace of Freddy Kruger had finally been defeated once and for all…

Seriously, this movie kicks so much ass that I have trouble sitting down after I watch it. I don’t know for sure whether it is the concepts of the Dream Warriors, Freddy really coming into his own as a multi-faceted character, his one-liners, or the kick ass Dokken theme song that make this movie rule so much, but it is probably a combination of all of the above. Not to mention the scene where the hot nurse strips down for the mute kid and asks, “Do you like my body Joey?” Best moment of my young life, right there. This cinematic masterpiece gets an Official Movie Bar Rating of 4 & 1/2 beers. Finish that sumbitch up right quick and GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!