With Halloween on its way, I thought featuring a horror movie from the 80s would be appropriate. There were lots to choose from, but the one I remember best and most fondly has to be Wes Craven's 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street. This film launched what would turn out to be an entire series and introduced one of the greatest movie villains of all time, Freddy Krueger. "One, two, Freddy's coming for you..."

The premise surrounded Freddy being able to get you in your dreams, but when he killed you in your dream then you also died in real life. The lines between reality and the dream world continue to blur as the story plays out. What results is one of the classic slasher films of all time. Here is the original trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street...

Craven was able to make this film for just $1.8 million and it would go on to gross over $25 million at the U.S. box office alone making it a huge popular and financial success. "Freddy Krueger" was brilliantly played by Robert Englund and is one of the most recognized and scary characters in the horror film genre. Krueger is a child murderer who killed at least twenty children over a decade before the film takes place. Furious, vengeful parents burned him alive in his boiler room hideout when he was released from prison on a technicality. In the film, it appears Freddy is manipulating the dreams of their children to exact his revenge from beyond the grave.

The film also featured Amanda Wyss as "Tina" who is the first Freddy victim. She would go on to play John Cusack's former girlfriend, "Beth," in one of my 80s favorites, Better Off Dead (1985). It would also have the distinction of being Johnny Depp's feature film debut in a small role as "Nancy's boyfriend Glen." Another interesting fact is that over 500 gallons of fake blood were used for the special effects during production, though the movie scares you more in a psychological way than simply with blood and gore.

I still remember watching this film on VHS for the first time home alone all by myself at night. Afterwards, I decided to go outside to shoot some hoops in the back alley all by myself (probably not the smartest things to do). The movie really freaked me out a little and I will never forget being startled by every little sound I heard in the night. Nothing obviously happened, but my mind was playing some tricks on me that night. So when Halloween time comes each year, I always remember my first time watching A Nightmare on Elm Street back in the mid-80s and pray that Freddy doesn't come for me.

That'll wrap up this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Hope you enjoy the "Preview Review" issues and please let me know if there are any particular 80s movies that you want to see me cover. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also now follow Old School on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.