MovieChat Forums > A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Discussion > Have you ever wondered why

Have you ever wondered why

posted 6 years ago by sslssg (34334)
22 replies | jump to latest

Craven didn't show us either of the boys dreams? I mean we see Freddy taunting both Tina and Nancy. Tina's death is pretty detailed in both dream and reality. We see Freddy in Nancy's dreams. We see Rod's death from Nancy's POV and to an extent Glen's as well.

I know that Nancy is our final girl, and I don't think that the franchise is sexist or anything, but there is a little bit in the first film. Now please don't think that this is me screaming misogyny and wanting heads or anything. I love this movie. I guess I just wonder if the original molester Freddy idea was more interested in girls, or if that was just a product of the early 80's?

[–] kuatorises (7467) 6 years ago

I would imagine since one is the first kill and one is the main character, it's more likely were going to see their dreams than the other two characters.

[–] sslssg (34334) 6 years ago

Possibly, it is just curious that we don't see inside either male's dreams at all. 70's and 80's horror was filled with sex and nudity. I think it was Michael Villella who said of a Roger Corman production, that it's all tits, butts, and blood. Perhaps it was Craven trying to satisfy that 80's audience urge without being overt? And yes, perhaps I am over thinking what might have just been nothing. I know the budget wasn't huge, so perhaps that has more to do with it?

They certainly do make up for it in part 2 as we only see from Jesse's view.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Ok going from memory here would it just be that it was an excuse to use shots of the girls in their nightwear?

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 6 years ago

Very possible.

[–] hurricane (1960) 6 years ago

I have never really thought about it, but you're right.

Obviously we're guessing, but maybe he thought that seeing women in danger would elicit more of an empathetic response from the viewers. The reason that there's always a Final Girl is because the audience responds to a woman being in danger more than a man. Maybe the same here.

[–] cbsteven (229) 2 years ago

Nancy is becoming the main character, so we see Rod from her POV. We know by now how Freddy operates, so did we need to see Glen's dream? And would it take away the shock of his death scene? Also again, we're going through Nancy.

[–] sslssg (34334) 2 years ago

I wasn't criticising it. It was just something that I had never considered before then, and it is a little overthinking things. It was just an interesting thought at the time. 😊

[–] cbsteven (229) 2 years ago

I never said you were. I wonder how many nightmares were planned/ scripted, that never made it?

[–] sslssg (34334) 2 years ago

😊

Sometimes when my OP was years ago I totally forget what I was getting at in the moment. I do wonder about the nightmares as well. Ones that may have been written but just went too far.

[–] NigerGolden (67) a year ago

It's an interesting thought even still as come to think of it the guys nightmares in the reboot didn't hit right for me with the exception of the first, last and bookstore I actually liked the bookstore.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 2 years ago

Personally, I don't think Glen was dreaming about Freddy at all. With the way he acts through out the movie, he would have been more concerned about Nancy and Tina dreaming the same thing.

Plus even towards the end, he thinks Nancy's crazy. That tells me he wasn't being attacked by Freddy at all. Nobody who is seeing Freddy in their dreams would act that way.

[–] sslssg (34334) 2 years ago

You are probably right. Freddy still got him in the end though.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 2 years ago

Of course. It's funny how his death is the most unrealistic in the movie. People have been stabbed or hanged in real life but nobody gets turned into 40 gallons of blood.

[–] SeanF89 (97) 2 years ago

He was but he just brushed it off as a nightmare. Glen was the skeptic who didn't realize the truth until it was too late.

[–] Biggs111Mr (247) 2 years ago

Yea I remember Glen said something in the beginning about a Freddy nightmare. I think Rod said something too about him having bad dreams too so yea.

[–] NigerGolden (67) a year ago

What's wild to me about Glen and I agree that he didnt dream about Freddy at all was that it could be a riff on him being a mindless jock who Freddy didn't want to waste his time on. Alternatively Glen could have been a secret Balinese Dream Master that up until that point had successfully warded Freddy off using the methods he spoke of. It's crazy to think that his lack of Freddy experiences and sleeping like a rock as he put it could point to either or.

[–] millsey72 (10384) 2 years ago

Thats because its a known fact that women remember their dreams upon waking up more than men do

[–] NigerGolden (67) a year ago

[deleted]

[–] Mustang (5454) a year ago

It was probably partly due to sex appeal as well as the cliche horror movie thing of the hunted female. Not to mention the Sceam Queen angle, notice how there aren't any Scream Kings?

Craven would have definitely been inspired by the horror films he grew up with so females would have been the focus for Freddy and himself.

Females also elicit more empathy from the audience. Been a while since I have seen this but wasn't there also something special about Nancy?

[–] Geiri (862) a year ago

Her mom was one of the parents who burned Freddy. She even kept his razor-glove in the basement.