Mike Lovins joins Steve in the Bear Cave of Terror again this week to discuss the third Nightmare on Elm St. A classic 80s horror/slasher film, and often placed as the best in the franchise, 1987's Nightmare on Elm St 3: Dream Warriors, shines with a fun and dedicated cast with some fresh new faces and returning faves, incredibly creative practical effects, and a desire to redefine the series and still play by the "rules" of Wes Craven's original entry. Mike and Steve look at what makes this film the top favorite for most Freddy fans - from the wild effects, the script - reworked from Wes Craven with both Frank Darabont and Chuck Russell (who went on to direct it) - and to the inspired (and inspiring!) choice of giving the teen victims exciting and sometimes wacky superpowers to counter Freddy on his own turf in the Dream World. This sequel presented audiences with the version of Freddy, brandishing the quips, one-liners, and gross-out humor alongside his knives that defined the later films, as well as the even more shocking and imaginative deaths that catered to these victims', er, teen characters' personalities and fears. And who can forget that totally rad, head-bangin' theme song by 80s hair metal stalwarts, Dokken? This sequel proved that Freddy was here to stay, and although the later films didn't reach the heights of this one, they at least followed Dream Warriors' lead in pushing the boundaries of humor, gore, and the possibilities of what filmmakers could do with Elm Street's Dream World.

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Welcome to Freddy Hell!" by March Shapiro, Fangoria #62 March 1987, pp. 35-39, 66

"Growing Up on Elm St" by Marc Shapiro, Fangoria # 63 May 1987, pp. 20-22, 67

Never Sleep Again: The El Street Legacy (2010) directed by Andrew Farrands and Daniel Kasch, produced by 1428 Films

Dokken - "Dream Warriors" from the album "Back for the Attack" (1987) (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noLPhZvcBpw

Mike Lovins can be found at reelgaymovieshow.buzzsprout.com